Carm
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Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Apr 3, 2015 20:14:32 GMT -5
With all of the new colours of orpingtons, is there any that might help darken a buff? I wonder what red might do? Anyone have the science behind what goes in to make a red?
I know the obvious answer is to just use darker buff in the breeding pen, but just making some conversation.
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Jan 12, 2015 22:13:24 GMT -5
In regards to buff colour, I have a PDF called "Buff Coloration in Poultry" by Danne Honour. It is a compilation of a lot of articles on breeding buff poultry. I found it very informative. You can also buy an updated copy on a CD from him directly.
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Jun 18, 2014 21:51:22 GMT -5
Severity of side sprigs can sometimes depend on the judge. We have a hen we have shown 5 times and the last time the judge noticed the slightest bump of a side sprig and disqualified her. The other 4 times she placed 1st or 2nd. The disappointing part was that it was my son's entry in the Jr show. He had helped with washing etc and was disappointed when he went to see what ribbon he got this time. I would not want the same thing to happen with your friends showing at their first show. I wouldn't risk it if the sprig is visible at all. Maybe post a picture if you can and see what people think. I will see if I can get a picture of the comb on our hen that was dq'd for comparison.
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Jun 3, 2014 8:46:22 GMT -5
Does anyone use a hair dryer to "fluff" orpingtons like you would a cochin? I just air dried mine the other day and they maybe didn't come up as fluffy as when hair dryer dried. Any other tips for fluffiness? A cochin breeder has me using fabric softener in a final rinse. Seems to help a bit. Makes them smell nice if nothing else. Thanks
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on May 18, 2014 9:10:00 GMT -5
The last judge said my birds could be a bit bigger. What are different options for more size? These are LF buff orpingtons. I think they have been fed fairly well, have basically been on free choice feed all of their lives and always above average protein levels. So I am thinking it is genetic. My lines come from the 2 breeders with probably the biggest orpingtons in Ontario, Homer and Westgate. Is there a breeder or line in the US known for tremendous size? Is there a cross to a different breed that would help? I know some white orpingtons have a shot of Rock in them for size. I have time and patience to breed up with something else, but there aren't many breeds bigger than orpingtons. The birds I have shown meet the standard weights, the judge just wanted to see them wider and have an overall appearance of being larger even if not heavier. Thanks
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on May 2, 2014 22:17:08 GMT -5
I have the lights on a timer to get the hens laying when the days were shorter. Now that the days are longer, do I stop the light? Is it possible the day could seem too long? The lights come on at 3:30am. Thanks
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on May 2, 2014 6:55:38 GMT -5
Anyone tried a cornish orpington cross? I have a dark cornish hen that is being crossed with a buff orpington male. She looks small, but is 8lbs, the same as my much bigger looking buff orpington females.
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Hatching
Apr 30, 2014 22:37:27 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Carm on Apr 30, 2014 22:37:27 GMT -5
Due to the cold and late start laying I only have about 25 out now. I have 12 due to hatch tomorrow and another 10-15 to hatch each week after that. I maybe don't breed from as many as I could/should. The 1st 25 are from the 2 older hens that had the best offspring last year. The next batches will include eggs from my best 3 pullets from last year. I started with the top 20, then narrowed it down to 6 (the best 2 from the 3 matings from last year). Then the one pair of pullets were too light coloured and 1 of the other 4 was an egg eater. I also stopped collecting from one of the original 2 as she was light coloured and the mother of the 2 light coloured pullets I decided not to use. The male I used has a good deep colour though, so hope her chicks I have will be ok. She was very big and that is why I used her a bit. I keep thinking I should breed from more birds, but keep good enough records to know that in the past the top offspring were always out of the top mothers and the offspring I didn't like were almost always out of the mothers that just barely made the cut. I don't have a great market for extras, so I try to only hatch what has a better chance of being good.
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Apr 30, 2014 5:19:22 GMT -5
Due to the extreme cold this winter I didn't get any eggs hatched until the end of March. I was hoping to maybe show a few from this hatch by late fall. What is the best way to feed for quick growth? I have them on 22% starter now, do I just leave the ones that might show on it all summer? What's the youngest you have shown an orpington? Thanks
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Apr 10, 2014 7:55:13 GMT -5
Thanks Jon, I contacted Tom. Here is an excerpt from his email on what I might expect: "take a Buff male and breed it to two White females so you have some genetic diversity. I'd then take the best typed offspring from that mating and breed them together. That should produce some pure Buff offspring but they will most likely be dark orange. Also keep in mind that this is a numbers game, meaning that the more you hatch the better the odds you'll make progress quicker. I'd also take those f1 cross females and breed them back to their father. that should also produce dark birds with black in the tails and probably gray/slate undercolor."
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Apr 6, 2014 8:12:36 GMT -5
This is sort of a roundabout question. Has anyone crossed white into buff and bred it back up to buff? We are looking for a bantam breed for the kids and there are almost no bantam orpington's in Canada. There are a fair number of bantam rocks though. There is a breeder near here that has great white rock bantams, has even done well in Ohio. I have talked to him about getting some birds, but am now wondering about buff rock bantams to match the buff orpingtons we show. So I wondered about breeding his white rock line into a buff rock line. Any thoughts? Or by the time they breed buff, have I lost most of the other traits his whites offered? Anyone tried this with their orpingtons?
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Mar 12, 2014 13:57:22 GMT -5
We have a dairy farm. I fed milk all winter with out any problems. The old-timers told me to let the milk sit for a few days and just skim the fat to feed for best results. I did that for the special birds. Fed regular milk to the rest mixed in their feed. I fed a wet mush with milk this winter as it seemed to limit the amount of water they needed. For show birds I would stop feeding a week or so before a show to keep their manure solid and the birds cleaner.
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Feb 24, 2014 23:05:40 GMT -5
Thanks Jon, that's a great picture. It should work for what I was looking for. They are the stouter made kind I would like to breed.
That is a nice black hen at the top Harry, she'd be something for everyone to aim for breeding the likes of.
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Feb 23, 2014 12:46:57 GMT -5
Thanks David. Those birds look good. I am surprised the UK standard had them with that much leg. I would say they look more like what I hear referred to as the American type than what I think of as the UK type. Interesting find.
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Carm
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by Carm on Feb 23, 2014 6:19:10 GMT -5
I was told by a few sources that it is good practice to have a picture of the perfect bird hanging in your coop to compare your birds to. Anyone tried this? I thought it sounded interesting and am going to try it. So, I need a picture of the perfect buff orpington male and female. I have a newer version of the SOP but find the orpington pictures a bit cartoonish. I was told the older SOPs had better drawings. Does anyone with an older copy agree? Could someone scan it or take a picture of it? Is there an actual photo of near perfect orpingtons I could use for this project? Any thoughts? Thanks
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