The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[aveca]

I don't think people here realize that ideas on this site do not reflect the sentiments of the exhibition poultry people in general. It is easy to suggest these things online, but it is another matter to come up with a compelling reason for a change to the SOP.. 100 years without a change is saying something about the Orp description. None of the top breeders in the hey day of Orps ever suggested changes to the SOP and they had really different styles of birds......just as we do now. If you want to breed someting that does not fit the SOP that is your right, but we don't change the SOP to fit one groups type of bird. Everyone wants the Standard to describe the birds they have in their yard......this is nothing new. I can't remember how many times people have tried to change the SOP to fit their birds.

Walt

i am sentimental about the sop..i think the thing that people are trying to say and its not being conveyed well..is look hard in some of the birds in the standard orp and the orpington written by guys who were winning the big shows in the day of the sop...we keep posting the pages..the big clevenger birds also..then look with an objective eye at a lot of birds in exhibition today...something going wrong..few if any almost none look like those clevenger birds..thou a lot of people in thier minds think they do, they do not..far removed.. well how do we bring that back? maybe im not conveying it well either..but somewhere between here and there, something changed, birds more streamline..maybe its because none of those old birds around to compare thou the bloodlines are in there..creativly couldnt the english type and not all of them correct either improve ? hope vickie doesnt mind if i use her as an example, look the bird in her avatar, nice, no backward wedge shape..so lot of us think between the 2 worlds lies the perfect bird..maybe you have a suggestion how to maybe coax that out of the existing american birds..we think maybe a touch of the english might be an answer..your opinion is valued.

 

[galanie]

Aveca, I'm not sure what you mean by the backwards wedge but I'm thinking I agree in general. Many of the Orps I see are indistinguishable from Australorps. They are too streamlined. I like the underline and back on Vickie's avatar and would love to have birds shaped like that one. But is it to SOP? I'm not experienced enough to know. But I do know that only the English ones you guys are importing seem to have a consistent chest and underline I like. The long skirt seems impractical but it is pretty.

 

[thedragonlady]

Aveca, I'm not sure what you mean by the backwards wedge but I'm thinking I agree in general. Many of the Orps I see are indistinguishable from Australorps. They are too streamlined. I like the underline and back on Vickie's avatar and would love to have birds shaped like that one. But is it to SOP? I'm not experienced enough to know. But I do know that only the English ones you guys are importing seem to have a consistent chest and underline I like. The long skirt seems impractical but it is pretty.

Thanks Galanie,
I am using the English birds for topline and underline. I want to keep most of the fluff, but leave the legs more exposed. All that fluff may be an asset in England's climate which is very damp and COLD.47 years ago I routinely brought horses out of the fields in the morning covered in hoar frost and ice. The temps hovered at just 30 degrees, but the mist and rain made it seem much colder.I want to keep enough of the fluff to continue the rounded underline, and to give chicks a nice warm place to sleep, but no enough to bog the birds down in the grass. I was lucky that the pair Marc sent me are not the extreme ones, so I am looking forward to the coming breeding season.

 

[rockinpaints]

There are always such great ideas on here and I just wanted to add one more (maybe wrong listing but it is new pictures of UK babies

)

Anyway Walmart food center, and probably other grocery stores, have these giant cardboard containers that their large fruit are displayed in, like watermelons and cantelopes. They are actually octagon in shape and nearly 3 feet tall by about 4 or 5 feet long. I turn them upside down as I do not use the flaps that are set up for the bottom (I cut the front ones off as they are in my way). Once your babies are bigger they could be recycled/burnt (the cardboard not the babies

)

The cardboard is about an inch thick, very heavy duty not to mention roomy and best of all FREE!

The other pics are of the way I set the little brooders up, everything has a thermometer and a light for heat. Hope this serves useful for someone! (if you click on the picture it will show a larger version)





Inside







The stack of drawers on the hatcher also has a thermometer and light in each drawer.

 

[aveca]

Aveca, I'm not sure what you mean by the backwards wedge but I'm thinking I agree in general. Many of the Orps I see are indistinguishable from Australorps. They are too streamlined. I like the underline and back on Vickie's avatar and would love to have birds shaped like that one. But is it to SOP? I'm not experienced enough to know. But I do know that only the English ones you guys are importing seem to have a consistent chest and underline I like. The long skirt seems impractical but it is pretty.

Its hard for me to describe Galanie..Im not sure if it is caused by twisted neck feathers along with neck set too low or ewe neck ..I mean all chickens have ewe neck but is it too low in some cases? smaller thinner neck feathers make that look accentuated?..the birds start big in the backend then as your eyes move front the neck takes a dip ..they are supposed to be backend up a bit but the chest and back start to dissapepar..like the chest is there but the back has been lowered. that probably doesnt make any sence does it..im using too many words... not quite a brick shape but sort of a wedge shape like a doorstopper ...it is an australorp look, even australorps are supposed to curve the way through.. here is an australorp hen in my back yard that kind of has that look.



If you look at the pictures in those old books or even clevanger ads , you dont see that..they look like Vickies birds. round, same back as clevanger . Maybe not using too many words like I do and a simple they look like australorps like you did works..I think out loud sometimes trying to work out what I see..

.

 

[aveca]

Just love you rockinpaints, you should call yourself rockinpaints and reallyrockinorps!!! I am so so excited about your new orps..I have never seen a legbar..so this is fun for me and Im sure a lot of us. please keep pics coming as they develope..what a setup..I dont get jelous of other people, I get happy as can be when I see stuff like that..you are what I want to be when I grow up..those whites are going to be AMAZING!!!!! drrreeeaaaam chickens

And Vicki, talk about excited, Im as excited about your next years breeding, lots and lots of pics !

 

[bstarr20]

For those of us new to Orps can someone possibly post side by side pics of what is considered more English and what is more APA sop. The chicks we are buying should be hatching this weekend from a flock that has won in APA shows but I would appreciate seeing both and knowing what to look for.

 

[pickledchicken]

For those of us new to Orps can someone possibly post side by side pics of what is considered more English and what is more APA sop. The chicks we are buying should be hatching this weekend from a flock that has won in APA shows but I would appreciate seeing both and knowing what to look for.

x2

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

For those of us new to Orps can someone possibly post side by side pics of what is considered more English and what is more APA sop. The chicks we are buying should be hatching this weekend from a flock that has won in APA shows but I would appreciate seeing both and knowing what to look for.

Here is a comparison of the UK and American Buff Orpingtons.


Best of Breed Orpington - Crossroads Joint National 2011

and from http://www.heirloomorpingtons.com/newarrivals.html on the right.

Reserve Breed Orpington - Crossroads Joint National 2011

 

[BamaChicken]

My big boy 17.6 pound he from ramley and also he have the choc gene.

He is gorgeous. They don't get to fluffy for me. Nice round ball. BTW nice head piece too