Why Orpingtons?

[Yogiman]

MissPrissy wrote:

Oh, yes, we do love those orps! Especially the boys!

Yes, we do love our orps. Now that we have seen a sampling of those majestic boys like Mosby, Suede, Lester, Blue Boy and TOH's Black Roo, we have yet to see what's coming down the pike from those breeders here on BYC.

These by no means represent all of the breeders and fanciers of orps but they are an excellent example of the breed.

If they are considered plain in any fashion it would have to be that they are plain: majestic, beautiful, and some serious eye candy. Even the white and the buffs are extremely colorful in their own right which is soon to be seen.

And I might add that the ladies (hens/pullets) ain't bad either.

 

[halo]

Buff Hooligan, that is a gorgeous picture of your pullet!

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

Seeing all your beautiful birds and reading all the Orp kudos makes me happy that I ordered ten buff pullets this spring, but the main reason I got them is that my mother told me that her family had black Orps when she was a kid in Australia. I ordered buffs instead of blacks because their lighter color will be better in the intense summer sun in AZ.

 

[Just-Like-Hatching]

Ain't I lucky to be Julie's (Bamachicken) Nieghbor..

 

[Alaska animal lover]

I like their calm nature and fluffy butts. They are good layers and tolerate cold well.
This is the same reason I got my Buff O's. While researching chicken raising I was looking at the "what to feed chickens list" and there were some beautiful chickens eating oatmeal on there, and I knew I had to have that kind. I didn't know what they were, but I thought they were just awesome. They were Buff O's.
Now I have 6 of them and after reading this thread I really want a blue one. Or two or three.....

 

[Alaska animal lover]

Someone please tell me how to get Blue O's to Alaska????

 

[EweSheep]

Most of us have Sandhill Preservation lines and Catalupa Farms with a Tommy Stanley and Warren Tye sprinkled here and there.

Most of my birds are from Gordie (Tommy Stanley lines), Catalupa Farms, KingsCalls(Stanley and Tye lines) and Dick Horsmann(Stanley and Tye lines).

 

[ozark hen]

Quote:

I want to be Julie's neighbor, and Cynthia's and Jody's, and everyone else who has lovely blue orps.

 

[Iceblink]

Besides the wonderful qualities everyone else has mentioned, I chose my BO because she is a heavy breed, and less likely to try to fly over my fence!

I would be interested in knowing how people's incubator hatch rates compared to broody hen hatch rates........ anyone? Has anybody else entrusted their precious blue orp eggs to a broody hen? How did it work out for you?

 

[Yogiman]

Iceblink ask:

I would be interested in knowing how people's incubator hatch rates compared to broody hen hatch rates........ anyone? Has anybody else entrusted their precious blue orp eggs to a broody hen? How did it work out for you?

I entrusted my precious blue orp eggs to 3 broody hens. I had 24 eggs and divided them equally between the hens.
Results: Hen #1 = Hatched 8 of 8 100%
Hen #2 = Hatched 7 of 8 87%
Hen #3 = Hatched 4 of 8 50%
Total Broody Hatch Rate: = 79%

Bator Hatch: 10 eggs set
6 eggs developed
4 eggs hatched

39 eggs set
21 eggs developed
Currently on day 19 for hatch​