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Barnyard Buddies:  blue orpingtons  |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 23 2008 : 03:23:53 AM
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Went to our state fair yesterday and as usual, spent lots of time in the poultry house.
Saw blue orpingtons for the first time and am hot to order a few including a rooster for next spring.
Trouble is, all the publications I have don't sell this color. Those places would be IDEAL, Murray McMurray, Polk and one other also Ohio based a can't recall right now.
Does anybody have this breed color and where can I start looking for chicks for next spring? |
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dkelewae
True Blue Farmgirl
1310 Posts
Diana
Saint Peters
MO
USA
1310 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2008 : 05:30:49 AM
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Maybe someone at the fair who has them could direct you where to get them or they might sell you some? I've only seen pictures of the blue orpingtons on the internet and I think they're beautiful.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city!
http://farmgirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2008 : 1:55:06 PM
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Blue Orpingtons are EXTREAMLY rare in the US. The originate from England I beleive and they are also quite rare there. They tend to be VERY pricey. Likely the ones at the fair were a mix and not a True blue. I can't imagine if I had them showingthem at a fair and exposing them to all that disease! I'd ask the people who were at the fair. If you don't know who it was your county extension office will probably know who it was and put you in touch.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
Felt and Fabric Crafts
www.willowartist.etsy.com
www.willowtreecreek.com
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2008 : 03:40:15 AM
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Since we lost our other Black Australorp roosters to meaness, it's my plan to get just 1 rooster, put him in his luuv shak and place hens in with him as we need chicks further on down the road. I have no intention of having another rooster free range and wreak terror in the hearts of all who visit.
The Blue Orpington is beautiful and different. Maybe its rairity will cause me to take pity if he starts flogging. So I'd like to successfuly find and order a nice flock. A few hens to range about with my other ladies and just 1 rooster.
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hillbillyheaven
Farmgirl at Heart
9 Posts
Kathy
Harrisburg
Arkansas
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 7:18:52 PM
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I have blue orps and love them! It is not so much the rarity that gets people with these lovelies it is the stock required to keep the color true. You will need a black orp (hens or roosters) to breed with the blues to keep the color. If you mix two blues you will get splashes and mottled coloring. It takes 1 black and 1 blue to give you a 50-25-25 hatch rate.
Kat |
Edited by - hillbillyheaven on Oct 30 2008 7:20:48 PM |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 03:07:33 AM
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Thanks for the info!
Where did you get your birds
So far I have researched the Catalpa Farm. They only ship hatching eggs. That's fine if my silkies are setting. (like they have been for the past 2 weeks with nothing under them!)
I know nothing about incubators so for special birds like these, I'd rather not botch it. Any extra chicks we have had in the past have been hen raised. |
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Homespun Livin
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Brenda
Louisiana
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 07:43:10 AM
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Aren't Orpingtons known for their sweet and docile temperment? Both my dad and neighbor raised the Buff Orpingtons and their roo's were big ole babys. They were so gentle the kids could feed them out of their hands. Hopefully the Blue's and Black's have the same temperment.
"Love one another." |
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deeredawn
True Blue Farmgirl
2306 Posts
Dawn
Cordova
TN
USA
2306 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 07:46:38 AM
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I work at the hatchery in ohio and they are very hard to come by. I would be interested in purchasing a couple fertile eggs if someone is willing to ship/sell.Shipping eggs is pretty easy. Email me if you are interested. I usually pay 3.00/egg here at hatchery.
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens/Mother Hen
"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one!"...Calamity Jane |
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hillbillyheaven
Farmgirl at Heart
9 Posts
Kathy
Harrisburg
Arkansas
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 1:18:22 PM
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Annab... I got my blue orps from my best friend back in Idaho. She sent me the eggs and I hatched them. There are a couple of other forums that you can find independant breeders through. Most of them have waiting lists unfortunately and most of them only due hatching eggs. The easiest forum to access is Backyard Chickens. www.backyardchickens.com I have found that the orps are truly one of the nicest breeds to have. I would trust my 1 year old grandaughter to run free with them and not worry about her. Not so with all of my breeds.
Kat |
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deeredawn
True Blue Farmgirl
2306 Posts
Dawn
Cordova
TN
USA
2306 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 1:33:45 PM
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I have orp's and they are pretty calm. But I have all different kinds and adding more to my rainbow tribe next year!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens/Mother Hen
"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one!"...Calamity Jane |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4743 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4743 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 3:24:50 PM
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I'm curious about how they look. I will google them & see if I can get a picture.
Dawn in IL |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2008 : 03:24:55 AM
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Dawn, Please let me know what I can do to get this ball rolling.
I'd be interesred in buying about 7 eggs. If you also have black orpingtons, please add 2 more eggs to the 7. Which hatchery do you work for? I must have searched every one!
And if I have to wait for next Spring, I'll gladly be put on a list.
I'm a member of the Poultry Youth Forum, and also the other one you mentioned, so I'll search those again too.
Apparently Orps do have an awesome temperement.
We had 4 and now just 1. She is a lovey girl.
I would count on this for roosters too. Thought the Black Australorps would be a good candidate, so when 2 roosters appeard in a shipment of hens, we thought it was going to be a good thing. Both turend out to be holy terrors. I gave 1 to a friend and thohght he was the better of the two. turns out thay were both really mean and would flog anybody. Our poor neighbor learned to carry a stick on her walks, and the friend with the other rooster kept a spray bottle. Ours was left outside one night and disappeared a few days later. A hawk got the other. So lets just hope Orpington roosters are sweeter!!
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2008 : 03:27:54 AM
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Dawn,
I'll e-mail you tonight (Saturday) when I can have access to my AOL account.
thanks! |
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deeredawn
True Blue Farmgirl
2306 Posts
Dawn
Cordova
TN
USA
2306 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2008 : 08:24:59 AM
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Okay Anna!
I'm at Meyer Hatchery in Polk Ohio. I am going to ask around about some fertile eggs. We've tried to get them here and its pretty hard. Look forward to the email!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens/Mother Hen
"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one!"...Calamity Jane |
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deeredawn
True Blue Farmgirl
2306 Posts
Dawn
Cordova
TN
USA
2306 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2008 : 08:31:53 AM
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I was also just told to check www.eggbid.com and www.ovabid.com for blue orpinton eggs. Its an auction site for poultry.
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens/Mother Hen
"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one!"...Calamity Jane |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2008 : 4:19:19 PM
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Thanks Dawn!
Sent an e- mail and we can do more corresponding through it.
If it means having to be put on a mailing list until Spring, that will only provide more than enough time to construct coop #4 and bring our chicken total to nearly 60. Did I say this was a hobby?!?
I have parused your hatchery online before but up until now had never wanted something this rare and specific.
I did check eggbid and either didn't look hard enough or there just wern't any blue orp eggs at this time.
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deeredawn
True Blue Farmgirl
2306 Posts
Dawn
Cordova
TN
USA
2306 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 12:43:52 PM
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Like I said, they are very hard to ind. I am going to the Ohio Poultry show tommorrow and will not be home until Sunday. I will keep my ears and eyes open for us!!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens/Mother Hen
"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one!"...Calamity Jane |
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jo Thompson
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jo
the mountainside of the Chugach
in Alaska
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Nov 05 2008 : 09:59:20 AM
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I'd love to hear about the Ohio Poultry show.......
"life is drab without a lab"
http://web.mac.com/thomja/ |
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deeredawn
True Blue Farmgirl
2306 Posts
Dawn
Cordova
TN
USA
2306 Posts |
Posted - Nov 05 2008 : 10:05:31 AM
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How funny... I am just checking in.... I will post all about it next week! I am pretty excited even though I willbe working most of it. Maybe I'll be able to take some pics as well..... I'll keep you posted!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens/Mother Hen
"I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one!"...Calamity Jane |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2008 : 03:08:10 AM
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COOL!
thanks
That's something I'd like to see sometime.
that and a cat show...just to see all the foo-foo breeds out there |
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Barnyard Buddies: blue orpingtons |
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blue orpingtons
