Who else loves their Orps? Orp lovers and Orps ONLY Thread. If you are going to hate on Orps, you aren't allowed.

[Fallenone05]

I had a buff quite a few years ago. She was sweet, but was super prone to obesity and stopped laying after her first molt with me. I think she was an older bird that was given away as a younger bird. The eggs she did lay were super porous and runny.

Beautiful birds though. I love the laced varieties. My favorite breed standards are the English Orpingtons. I had a chocolate english Orpington and she was my absolute favorite bird. Big and fat and so, so fluffy. Way fluffier than the American variety. I sold her to a friend when I moved and he said she was an excellent mother.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Buff Orpington's are my all time favorite chicken!

 

[ILoveDaffy]

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

 

[Sally PB]

I got three BO straight runs and three BA (black australorp) pullets last spring from TSC. I didn't know that "straight run" was code for "probably male" back then and ended up with three BO cockerels. Two became unholy terrors at four months when hormones kicked in, and I had to cull them. The third is good with the girls, occasionally challenges me, and has the job as long as he doesn't challenge me too often or too seriously. (I've discovered he hates the color blue.)

Next spring, I'm torn between hatching a BO over BA cross, or getting some more pullet chicks. I have room for no more than four more birds; three might be better. I am really hoping one of my BAs goes broody and I can sneak a chick or two under her. It would definitely be more Orps!

I love my BA girls, and wish I had handled them more. They aren't lap chickens at all. One of them will let me pet her, but none will let me pick her up.

 

[ackie]

My head rooster is half orp so all my flock has some amount in them. It's making my girls much fluffier than their American game mother - and much better egg layers!

 

[Fallenone05]

I got three BO straight runs and three BA (black australorp) pullets last spring from TSC. I didn't know that "straight run" was code for "probably male" back then and ended up with three BO cockerels. Two became unholy terrors at four months when hormones kicked in, and I had to cull them. The third is good with the girls, occasionally challenges me, and has the job as long as he doesn't challenge me too often or too seriously. (I've discovered he hates the color blue.)

Next spring, I'm torn between hatching a BO over BA cross, or getting some more pullet chicks. I have room for no more than four more birds; three might be better. I am really hoping one of my BAs goes broody and I can sneak a chick or two under her. It would definitely be more Orps!

I love my BA girls, and wish I had handled them more. They aren't lap chickens at all. One of them will let me pet her, but none will let me pick her up.

A BO x BA mix would make VERY pretty hens with gold leakage. Their eggs would be great and they'd be prolific layers. My BO never went broody but a friend of mines BA's go broody pretty often.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/buff-orpington-x-black-australorp.11918/

This has pictures of hens of that specific cross! I love their two-toned bodies.

 

[alwaysthere4chickens]

This is Hermione!

 

[Sally PB]

Don't want to derail this thread, but may I just pop in a tag here? @DeerChicken14 , I read the referenced article and commented, but I don't know if you will see the comment. Is the BO over BA a sex link? Do buff chicks with dark head spots indicate a cockerel, while the dark colored chicks indicate pullet?

 

[Sally PB]

What I really want next spring is to get 2 or 3 more pullets, and I would love to get more orps. Or a BO over BA cross. Or, be still, my heart... get some lavender orp pullet chicks...

Oh, geez, who am I kidding!?! I need to enlarge my coop/run so I can have all of the above!

 

[Chickenchickwithchickens]

I only have one BO, and I wish I had gotten more!! Big Mama is the sweetest girl. She's almost three years old now, and egg laying is slowing down, but when she was laying, the eggs were a beautiful pinkish color.