We have the sons and daughters of Ramesses and his ladies and this is exactly why we chose them as our first flock. Fantastic informative video as always. Thanks Fiona.
Oh thanks Sali. You'll see how laid back and gentle Ramesses is in a video going live on Tuesday to accompany the Coffee With The Chicken Ladies podcast series
I have a buff Orpington and she is the sweetest hen and her name is also Willow...since she's an indoor girl after getting attacked by a raccoon last year I just thank God she survived although her right leg was damaged she gets around pretty good I've even seen her run on one leg...now we have a nightly routine with her laying on my chest giving massages and scratches she absolutely loves it and for the past week she's been doing alot of purring and trilling she's our girl and we love her
My wife and I have 12 Buff Orpingtons and they're wonderful birds. They're so gentle, and they're SO good with small children. Always letting my girls pick them up and hold them. They're one of the most friendly breeds as well.
I just got 9 buff orpington chicks (hens). They've only been here 14 days and they are the sweetest little things. They are growing wildly fast! I enjoy them so much! ❤
They are exceptionally sweet little chicks, I have 2 in a mixed flock and they're the ones who don't run from the hand even as babies. One even flies out to be with me and she's the youngest.
You may think I'm crazy, but I like to play music for my chicken. Music has always been my passion ever since I was little, so I thought I would share it with the bird. I sing, play the piano, the flute and the trumpet. I mainly sing and play the piano though.
You hit the nail right on the head. Not only do I play for them, but I sing to them as well. I just play anything I can think of off the top of my head. Mainly classical music and praise and worship songs. And yes, I also play a variety of Christmas carols.
I love Buff Orpingtons, my favorite Chicken Breed. ❤️ My Mom had one, named Sugar. She would enter the house every day and jump on Mama's bed and lay her egg. Which was odd, but sweet. Didn't even have to leave the house to get her egg, LOL. Instead, she brought her egg for the day to us.. Lol!
We are waiting for 20 unsexed Buff Orpingtons- they're supposed to be hatched in 3 days! We just moved to our piece of land to start our homestead. So, I was really nervous, but now I'm excited after watching you, Willow, and the rest of your flock! Thank you for sharing!
You are very welcome! Buff Orpingtons are wonderful, placid birds - great for eggs and meat and even brilliant at brooding more birds. If you have any questions, leave a comment on any of our videos and we will try to help 🙂. Enjoy them - they are great fun.
We started with Australorps and were super happy with their temprament, laying abilities, and meat. Now we've added 4 buff hens and 2 buff roosters to our mixed flock. So far the buffs have been friendlier than the Australorps and they've been hardier than similarly aged birds of other breeds- Speckled Sussex, Jersey Giants, Salmon Faverolle, and White Leghorns. Your orpingtons are great looking birds!
This is in the top 2 greatest poultry Videos I have EVER seen. Not exaggerating whatsoever. Thankyou. Concise, relevant and great footage. Beautiful breed.
I had wanted Buff Orpingtons after reading about how friendly they were. Hard to find them in my area. A few months ago there was an ad for free hens on CL. I emailed the person and was given four 4 year old hens. Two are buffs! They are the sweetest hens, and dependable layers. Plus they are very quiet (most of the time). Important as I live in the suburbs and my lot is quite small. Your videos are perfect for someone like me starting out without a lot of land. Thank you!
@@EnglishCountryLife Yes, except my wife gave them all names and treats them like pets, so they'll never be "table birds." We do get eggs from them, at least.
Watching this video I couldn’t help thinking about how happy they (and you) must be now that they are back in their field. Of course they were happy in the enclosure but there’s nothing like freely wandering around a field!
I just purchased a dozen hens and one boy. I will pick them up on Wednesday. The personality was important when deciding what breed but the broody hen was the big deciding factor for me. This is a dual purpose breed that my grandson can go into the coop with me to gather eggs and will raise chicks for me also! For me this was the best all around chicken for my backyard coop. Next year we will have fresh eggs and hopefully we will have baby chicks also.
My Gran kept hens in a small run, but they had access to a large field with some cattle. But every evening my gran would call the hens and they came running, some were sprinting, to get fed and they were locked up for the night.
We only have buffs and they are amazing!! Very friendly, My roo has a mean streak, but my hens are darlings, and their eggs are so big compared to other breeds we have had in the past!
@@EnglishCountryLife I wish my 2-year-old roo would love me!! I want to love all 12.5lbs of him and snuggle his floof!! He is my Giant Boy standing a full 2ft 3 inches tall... King Hanibal Lector is what we call him... He won the blue ribbon his first year at the county fair this year. The Judges didn't believe he was full-blooded but I had a record of where I bought him from as a chick. He is my pride and pain in my booty... He tries to knock knees out from under you so he can bring you down to his level.. I hand raised a demon chicken...
@@littlefluffybum2073 ouch! W do do dominance assertion with our cockerels from the moment that they hatch to try to avoid that - we deliberately breed for calmness too
@@EnglishCountryLife Have you done a video on Dominance assertion? I feel like have tried everything with this guy, that I know of, he wants to protect his hens from everything.. **he took down a chicken hawk by himself** actually, I believe that is when he started strutting his stuff and throwing his weight around more.
Just found your channel, new SUBIE. Really enjoyed your very informative video. I am an old chick, with no flock currently. Well my neighbor has a few and I care for them, and visit them daily. I love chickens.
@@gigipetit1988 Hi GiGi, because we breed naturally with broody hens, we can only offer pullets in the Autumn, although we do offer very limited numbers of fertilised eggs at this time of year 🙂
Have recently started watching your videos and absolutely love them. Just adore chickens ans my dream is to have them one day. Thanks so much Fiona, you have a fan for life :))
My husband and I love these videos. I call them Social Buffs or Buffs. We just found a family who has them and I can't wait to visit them using your instructions. We would love to have our own...maybe some day. Love the Cockrels by the way! Hi Gannett! Hi Willow!
I selected some Bielefelders, Whiting True Blues, Cuckoo Marans, Speckled Sussex, Black Australorp, Ameraucana, and yes, a Buff Orpington. They are about eight to ten days old, just adorable. I’m in love with my babies. I was a freak waiting for them to be shipped, but in realty, they only spent about 36 to 42 hours in travel time from Iowa to Salt Lake. I used McMurray hatchery, if you want to see pics of their stock you can visit their site. I have a tiny lavender bird, I’m assuming either the true blue or Ameraucana, it’s just a lovely shade. The buff is also a lovely golden color with beautiful shading. I only wish they had a mom hen, but, they have a big human poppa doing his very best.
If you're lucky your Orpington will brood next year and she could hatch for you. I wish you luck. I've seen the McMurray hatchery website. It's very different way to obtain chickens in the UK. Buying day old chicks is rare. It's much more common to either buy hatching eggs and hatch at home or to buy older hens at point of lay.
1 year new to keeping chickens and they are so funny and entertaining. I have 2 left out of the 4 Isa Browns first bought hens. Lovely birds, very friendly and great egg layers. Year later I get 4 Rhode Island Reds, one turns out to be a cockerel. I was worried that these would dominate my Rosie and Masala (Isa browns)...Nope, these ladies are bosses, then I get 4 Buff Orpingtons. Such darlings these are. 5 weeks old and one of them I've named Maggie immediately runs up and jumps into my lap for cuddles. Today I have 3 of them in my lap and I'm so happy. I cannot kill anyone of them, but I'm not experienced enough to keep the male Rhode Island. Plus I do not have enough housing for more. He's 10 weeks old named Peanut. I'm hoping my neighbour will give him a home.
Buff Orpingtons are great birds, when I had chickens in the UK, we had about twenty, the rest of the flock was whatever took our fancy to try out. My favourite for egg quality and size was the Wyandotte, as a pet Perkins had a lot of character and would lay well and go broody over any egg. The Buffs were definitely the top all rounder though.
Well presented points, certainly agree with their nature our Buffs are the only chickens my partner actually likes because of this. Hope the latest Avian Flu outbreak there does not delay your Buffs taste of freedom.
Great video. I hatched 7 eggs this past summer and ended up with 3 silver-laced Orpington's and 4 gold-laced. They are all big, beautiful, friendly birds. I have ended up with 5 cockerels and 2 hens. I have grown attached to all of them and they all have individual personalities. Putting them to bed in the shed of an evening is a real joy, as is letting them out in the morning. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage having so many cockerels, but we'll have to find a way as we're not going to eat anyone. In fact, I've cut down my meat consumption to almost nil and am moving to vegetarianism. I'm getting accustomed to it and it isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Now...what to do about the crowing? So far, only two crow, but I don't know what the neighbours will think when all five start.
Do be careful for the welfare of the hens. Generally we advise against more than one cockerel per ten hens. Orpingtons mate enthusiastically and often and with a higher proportion feather wear can quickly become apparent leading to welfare issues
Hi Brian, they are chicken saddles - a welfare item that we use if a breeding hen shows signs of feather wear. We made a short video to explain them th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
Hi Fiona, We have have 3 Hybrid hens (Speckledy Gold, Lohmann Brown and a Rhode Rock) all nearly 3 years old. They have all under gone a molt last month, have been wormed with flubivet, 2 have had visits to vet one from flystrike spotted and treated within 3hours, before that the other had a respiratory infection treated with antiboitics followed up with Berlys friendly bacteria, the current issue is that we have not had any eggs for over 2 months and all three seem to have runny poo sometime colored green, mustard colored not solid, they are also not as active as they once were, they still free range across whole garden, eating their layers pellets and treats of mixed seeds along with special treat of a few super seeds. We have now added Avopro to their drinking water and they get weighed weekly which seems to indicate slight weight loss over last 3 weeks, Their feathers are regrowing and they get up and go to bed as normal. they do seem to spend more time resting, preening and dust bathing. could their behavour be down to weather turning colder, still replacing feathers? or is there something else going on, coop has also been cleaned and treated with smoke bomb plus sprayed for mites no sign of any. their combs and wattles are a nice heathy red colour and no sign of impacted crop of egg bound. Any ideas please. Sorry for the comment being so long.
From what you have described it sounds to me like this is moult. During moult they need vast amounts of energy and protein to grow new feathers. This does result in some weight loss. They also drink significant amounts of water, more than normal as it helps move dried food through their system plus they need a lot for the replacement feathers. This results in runny poo too as poo includes urate and excess water as they have no other way of expelling it. Preening is normal as the new feather shafts grows through the skin with a keratin sheath over the end. The hen has to nibble the top off to allow the feather frond to grow out of the shaft. I do have to say that I'm not a veterinary professional and it's very difficult to say for certain from a distance. If the weight loss is pronounced or you see evidence of parasites or worms in the poo, or even if you are still worried please visit your vet for advice.
Loved your video! We live in Sacramento California, USA, and have a small mixed flock. We now have 3 17 week old Buff Orpingtons, but wish they were friendlier. TRhey will fly into my lap, but don't like being petted or held. TGhey love pecking at my purple-painted fingernails and toes. I love Buffy, Butter and Bailey, but wish they liked me back. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I grew up in England and had Buff Orpingtons for years. I now live in Sweden and they are like gold dust to source so I don't have any. I don't know what the laws are about shipping eggs abroad, but if I find out it's legal I will definitely be coming back to England to buy some hatching eggs.
@@EnglishCountryLife that's a real shame, I remember I never done well in the UK with eggs that were sent in the post too. Looks like I'll have to go without unfortunately.
@@Vvitchofthesoutheast See if they have any poultry clubs in Sweden. From there, ask around for any breeders. Failing that, find out about live import regulations.
@@davinasquirrel7672 I'm a part of a poultry club in Sweden, and I only know one person right up in the north that breeds them, but the waiting list is so long. And I was told I could get the eggs over to Sweden, I'd just have a reduced hatch rate. I brought some Dorking eggs over last time and I got 9 out of 12, so it wasn't too bad to be honest.
I am too Urbane to have a rooster,I really don’t want to upset my neighbours , I just buy in pullets. My older hens go on birth control ,but only once they start laying weird looking eggs,they are still valuable flock members and their closest flock friends treat them just the same,there just as friendly and sweet ,just in egg retirement .
Hi Fiona. Love your channel. I’ve learned so much! How long do Buff Orpingtons roosters stay fertile? My boy is such a gentleman after some very difficult roosters.
We only keep ours for one year to prevent genetic problems from interbreeding but they should stay fertile for nany years. Our hens have lived to older than eight!
I did some research and wanted buff Orpingtons bantams, but can't find any in my area. We pick up two speckled Sussex and 1 polish next week. Thank you for your videos🐔❤️
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you so much, there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. After finding you, especially in the UK, I feel a bit more confident. Hubby is extending a coop we bought, that wasn't as big as advised 🙄 but it's fine he's very handy😂😘🐔
at 2:06 why does the chicken let you take the egg while others react aggresively? does she consider you part of her flock, like a superior? Thanks for your videos, chickens are the best.
Great question. Our hens don't react aggressively to us because they've been handled from day 1. They are used to me gently putting a hand underneath them looking for eggs. It's just learning that that particular action doesn't result in harm. We also deliberately selecting breeding hens and cockerels for their calm, friendly nature which makes it more likely the next generation will be calm too.
They are gorgeous hens. I have 3 x Burford Browns free rangers who also lay 65-70gm eggs all year round. It looks like Buffs are slightly larger than Burfords? 🙏🏻
I have 4 hens and two roosters right now (hoping the Roos won’t fight but if they do we’ll have to rehome one) and all the girls lay through winter. Two are mixed breed and two are Pekins. All bantams. They’re not the most friendly birds but I’m training them currently (using Fiona’s great video about How to make your chickens friendly). I was born in Orpington and have wanted Orpington chickens since I first heard of them. Unfortunately it’s hard to find bantamised Orpingtons, especially in my area of the UK. And I don’t want to mix standard sized birds in with my bantam flock in case of fighting etc. Hoping at some point I can find some bantams of this amazing breed! 🥰
@@EnglishCountryLife Well, in an incredible coincidence, I've just discovered somebody who sells bantam Orpingtons!! They're not in my area, but they're near some extended family, so I could pick up hens while visiting family. I'm super happy to have finally found some! Not sure when I'll be able to get them but hopefully as soon as I can 🐔
They are lovely breed of chickens. I love that they are pretty chill when you carry them, and this video has been very informative! Question though, do they do well in tropical climates?
That's so helpful video! I am just hoping for broody hen (I have some mixed hybrids sussex, silverwing, marsbar, Bluebell and brown layers rescue ones) and have been looking into breeds which do well as egg layers and table birds and are broody! I have seen some information about them but wasn't sure if it is worth the money for eggs. So thanks for all the information. It is extra benefit that they don't need high fencing 😁
Orpingtons are a great choice for your flock. Up to half will develop a personality (or maybe a poultry-ality since they're not really completely persons) to such an extent that you'll enjoy having them around to hang out with. The one minus, here in california anyway, is that they can have short lifespans due to cancer. That's extremely sad because they so often become adored pets that bring you breakfast.
I think American Orpingtons are different to UK - ours do well for age (8 or 9 years certainly). We've not had a case of cancer in the birds we've raised (and that's several thousand)
@@EnglishCountryLife Like I wrote: this might be a california... or even a northern california problem. It's a sad problem too, because they are cooperative and solid members of the flock that will hop right up onto your knee and try to eat your buttons. But here: these adorable birds are dying at between 2 and 6 years old. BTW: three of four of my Buffs died with the same symptoms and I had my favorite autopsied. It came back as ovarian cancer.
Hi! They are chicken saddles, a welfare item. We describe them here. We like our chickens to be free range so wouldn't use a harness th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
Fiona, our Orpingtons jump a lot higher than 3 feet tall! The 3 ft electric fence didn't do the job at all, so we installed a six feet high one. Problem solved.
What's the best feed for these babies if there isn't enough land for them to forage on? I am brand new to this. This is my second video about chickens. I've wanted them for many years. I want to be prepared to take care of them properly.
Hi Rachel! We have a playlist called "Chicken Keeping for Beginners" that works through what you need topic by topic (feed, shelter, drink, bedding etc.). There's one episode devoted to feed and all you need to know. Take a look but please know that we are happy to answer all your questions th-cam.com/play/PLDluIIoNPsldJo1GHNzIyHupbMBgQue-p.html
I would love to find out more information on the 3 ft. electric fencing. I am in need for this idea.. I have not been on here for a long time. We moved from Montana mountains down here to north Texas.. So this this is so different. I have had chickens every place I have lived. We have just had a problem, I put my 6 juveniles out in a pen right next to the big Chickens.. everything went as normal, then one morning I was missing 1 little chick. I was devastated. Then we put the camera so it could pick it up.. We caught a cat! Okay, we kept watching and then we caught a possum.. OMG! so now that I'm down to 2 babies. the camera has caught nothing else, I think we are okay.. But I would love to put that electric fence in. Does all the wire get electricity only the top wire or all the wire? Thank you, Rae
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you Fiona . Living in Old London ! I sent you msg few hours ago on instagram by following you ! Perhapa it's a better place to communicate . Thank you Fiona !!!
@@ferydounfareed6930 Hi! Hugh here, there are a few sellers on eBay still offering hatching eggs, but I would wait until Spring if you can. Fertility is higher in Spring and the weather is warmer meaning the chicks will do better. We only offer hatching eggs in Spring for these reasons
Hi Linda! Great questions 🙂 Some breeds of chicken (called auto sexing breeds) have distinctly different appearance between males and females - Cream Legbars are an example of this. Most breeds are extremely hard to tell apart (e.g. Buff Orpingtons) until six or seven weeks. Some highly trained people can do it but its very skilled work. We introduce a new, unrelated cockerel, every year for genetic reasons. We cover the process in this video th-cam.com/video/eYVXNz044E0/w-d-xo.html
Hi , I have been watching and you have a beautiful house and setting for the chickens . I myself have two Jubilee Orpington’s , one of which turned out to be a male and was sold to me as female . My female is now brooding over a small clutch of eggs , approximately 4 eggs and as a new chicken owner I am nervous about what to do , whether to leave her be and watch what happens , but I am worried over more cockerels and how this affects them , I do not think my cockerel is fully Jubilee Orpington as I contacted the UK Orpington for advice and showed pictures , he has a few stray feathers on his legs and his back has some greens in the tail feathers . I also am unsure how to go about birds for meat for my family or just use the eggs , it seems difficult to overcome attachments maybe . How long do you keep your breeding cockerel for because obviously your going to be line breeding if they all stay together , so I was thinking mine would have to go eventually after a few breeding seasons .
Hi! I think you're doing the right thing to decide what to do with potential cockerels before the egg development goes to far. Orpingtons are docile so new hatched cockerels raised with an adult rooster should defer in the pecking order to the older cockerel. There's no guarantees on this and it is equally possible, particularly if space is limited, the cockerels will vie for supremacy. They will playfight to test the boundaries but generally without it getting nasty. Having said that it would be best to reduce your cockerels to one head of the flock if you can. We have a video showing our breeding plans and how it works. We replace our breeding cockerel every year with a new bloodline to prevent any in breeding but the video explains it better. th-cam.com/video/JDaMa8FawvM/w-d-xo.html
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you for your kind reply , I just went out to the coop and managed to collect three eggs at the side of ginger the broody hen , she’s either kicked them out and just has one left or , there’s more eggs laid there by my other hens . Shes only just reached a year old and it’s her first broody episode , She’s being super growly lol 😂 so I am being discreet about it I haven’t tried to touch her or make her upset .
I've had many Buff Orpingtons in my time but they don't look like your Buff Orpingtons other than in color. Your hens seem more round and fluffy, but all the ones I've ever had were sleeker in appearance - not as fluffy and more streamlined bodies. I am in the US though - I wonder if there's a different strain of Buff Orpingtons here?
There is quite a difference yes, ours are much closer to the original, utility strain of Buff Orpington. We have selectively bred for size, temperament, hardiness & broody temperament. This creates a large, gentle bird, keen to mate & incubate young. They are reliable layers even in Winter & surplus males make great table birds of 8 to 10 pounds at full size. They aren't for everyone though. If you just want eggs, our strain is not the right breed (we have to tell buyers this who are attracted by the fluffy looks & gentle nature)
Hi, great video love watching your channel.. sorry this question is about Treadle Feeders, I’m trying to teach mine how to use there’s, if I leave it open they use it but as soon as I close it they ignore it.. any chance you can advise please or do a video.. Thank you.
I'll do both! OK, when they're learning to use the treadle feeder you've got them past the 1st hurdle which is to know where the food is. The 2nd hurdle is getting them used to the lid movement. The only way to get past this is to get to the point that their hunger outweighs their fear of the lid moving. For a short period of time remove other feeders and don't give them treats. To begin with there will be lots of jumping back when the lid moves but within a few days they'll be using it like pros. I hope that helps
I'm just getting started, my FIRST birds arrive in a bit over 3 weeks...my coop not ready,nor is my chicken yard, I will be starting with them in my basement in a make-shift brooder...its just the start up, after that I think the hens van do it all...I have 5 roosters (the LEAST amount I could order) and 20 hens coming, all with their vaccines since this is all new for me...I CHOSE Buff Orpingtons for the dual purpose, docile nature and there's very little things to complain about with the breed...I will choose 2 roosters or 3 I keep but the other 2 will become food...im not shy on growing, and butchering, I'm a country girl thats getting back to her roots...I just PRAY the area will be large enough for this many, coop is 8x10, yard is 10x12 feet I hadn't planned on this many so increasing the nesting boxes to 5...they aren't here and I'm getting nervous cuz our 3 generation home is all against 'noisy birds...but I'm 68 and its MY turn to have a life as I see fit and raising these is MY choice...THAT said ANY information PLEASE GIVE IT!!! thank you in advance💗
Hi Judy. Good for you doing something for yourself. Your coop should be big enough, but by UK welfare standards, your outdoor space isn't big enough. The minimum space defined here is 10²ft per bird. You have 120²ft so it's enough for 12 chickens only. These sizes are also worked on a standard mid sized breed eg Warren's. Orpingtons are much bigger so increasing the size of the yard space I would say is an absolute necessity. I'm also sat here listening to DeWalt crowing his head off so you might have some family issues once they get going. Sorry!
@@EnglishCountryLife I just found a way to increase the size of my chicken yard, I now will have enough for all the birds and then some its now going to be 'L' shaped but doubled the size, and they will just have to get used to the sounds...loved ur video on the sounds and what they mean...😊
Hi Tamra, they are a welfare item for active breeding hens called Chicken Saddles. We have a short video that explains them th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the great video.. I'm possibly about to buy a couple of Buff Orpingtons as pets from a local farmer, apparently about 25 weeks old. The farmer says he doesn't know their sex, but he suspects they are hens and don't make any morning cockerel noises. Do you know how I could sex them? I'm not in a position to have any males. Many thanks.
Hi I love your videos learning a lot, just started keeping backyard chicken from this year. How can I get some chicks or fertile eggs from you? I live in London.
Hi Ruhena! We do sell fertile eggs but right now all our hens are broody (either sat on eggs or with just hatched chicks). We don't sell chicks but may have some pullets or point of lay hens available in a few months.
How is the meat? Do you find you have to cook it differently or confine them for better taste? Looking into options for our small holding as even the best tended Cornish cross is not going to have as good a life as a heritage breed.
We think the meat is superb. Its a slow maturing bird making a small table bird in 16 weeks and a good size in 26 weeks. Being free ranged the birds add muscle easily and we don't confine other than in "flockdown". We predominantly eat cockerels and find it works economically and ethically. We also enjoy a meat quality simply not available commercially.
That very much depends on how many you have and which breeds. We would suggest an absolute minimum of 12m x 12m - but they can strip the grass in a small area
Hi. I have 2 golden speckaldy hens and have been giving them mixed corn during the winter but now the weather is getting warm and I need to buy some feed, should I buy a sack of wheat grain. Many thanks.
We have the sons and daughters of Ramesses and his ladies and this is exactly why we chose them as our first flock. Fantastic informative video as always. Thanks Fiona.
Oh thanks Sali. You'll see how laid back and gentle Ramesses is in a video going live on Tuesday to accompany the Coffee With The Chicken Ladies podcast series
@@EnglishCountryLife Ah right fab
..i shall definitely tune in 👍🙂
One point you overlooked. They're absolutely gorgeous!
No argument here 🙂
@DeathBecomesHer floofiest floof of the floofy floofy fluff fluff butt corp
Yes very gorgeous!
@@Koko-il1go 🤣🤣🤣
I watch this whenever I'm having a bad day. Everything about the woman, the environment, and the chickens is so peaceful
Thank you so much
I watch these videos often also . They give us alot of joy
I have a buff Orpington and she is the sweetest hen and her name is also Willow...since she's an indoor girl after getting attacked by a raccoon last year I just thank God she survived although her right leg was damaged she gets around pretty good I've even seen her run on one leg...now we have a nightly routine with her laying on my chest giving massages and scratches she absolutely loves it and for the past week she's been doing alot of purring and trilling she's our girl and we love her
Lovely to here that there's another Willow 🙂
@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you
How do you deal with a chicken in the house? I don't think they can be potty trained
@@darenleeper1644 I had mine inside for a while. Not worth it.
You mean you kept her inside the house 🏠
My wife and I have 12 Buff Orpingtons and they're wonderful birds. They're so gentle, and they're SO good with small children. Always letting my girls pick them up and hold them. They're one of the most friendly breeds as well.
Totally agree - great soft feathery floofs 😉
I just got 9 buff orpington chicks (hens). They've only been here 14 days and they are the sweetest little things. They are growing wildly fast! I enjoy them so much! ❤
How lovely 😍
They are exceptionally sweet little chicks, I have 2 in a mixed flock and they're the ones who don't run from the hand even as babies. One even flies out to be with me and she's the youngest.
You may think I'm crazy, but I like to play music for my chicken. Music has always been my passion ever since I was little, so I thought I would share it with the bird. I sing, play the piano, the flute and the trumpet. I mainly sing and play the piano though.
I have been told that there are academic studies that show music has a calming effect on animals and birds
You hit the nail right on the head. Not only do I play for them, but I sing to them as well. I just play anything I can think of off the top of my head. Mainly classical music and praise and worship songs. And yes, I also play a variety of Christmas carols.
Buff Orpington are beautiful chickens
Absolutely agree 😁
I love Buff Orpingtons, my favorite Chicken Breed. ❤️
My Mom had one, named Sugar. She would enter the house every day and jump on Mama's bed and lay her egg. Which was odd, but sweet.
Didn't even have to leave the house to get her egg, LOL. Instead, she brought her egg for the day to us.. Lol!
That's a fabulous story. A comfortable place to lay 😁
Buff Orpington chicks are cute little floofs! 😍
I'd have to agree !
We are waiting for 20 unsexed Buff Orpingtons- they're supposed to be hatched in 3 days! We just moved to our piece of land to start our homestead. So, I was really nervous, but now I'm excited after watching you, Willow, and the rest of your flock! Thank you for sharing!
You are very welcome! Buff Orpingtons are wonderful, placid birds - great for eggs and meat and even brilliant at brooding more birds. If you have any questions, leave a comment on any of our videos and we will try to help 🙂. Enjoy them - they are great fun.
We started with Australorps and were super happy with their temprament, laying abilities, and meat. Now we've added 4 buff hens and 2 buff roosters to our mixed flock. So far the buffs have been friendlier than the Australorps and they've been hardier than similarly aged birds of other breeds- Speckled Sussex, Jersey Giants, Salmon Faverolle, and White Leghorns. Your orpingtons are great looking birds!
Interesting that you see a difference between the Australorps & Orpingtons. Do your Australorps go broody much?
This is in the top 2 greatest poultry Videos I have EVER seen. Not exaggerating whatsoever. Thankyou. Concise, relevant and great footage. Beautiful breed.
Wow, thank you!
I had wanted Buff Orpingtons after reading about how friendly they were. Hard to find them in my area. A few months ago there was an ad for free hens on CL. I emailed the person and was given four 4 year old hens. Two are buffs! They are the sweetest hens, and dependable layers. Plus they are very quiet (most of the time). Important as I live in the suburbs and my lot is quite small. Your videos are perfect for someone like me starting out without a lot of land. Thank you!
That's so kind of you to say. Orpingtons are just the best!
I’m looking into them because I always had chickens growing up but now I live in a hoa and I’m trying to find a sneaky way to keep some🤣
I have 5 buff orpingtons and will be getting 2 next month. Love these birds.
They really are fantastic aren't they?
@@EnglishCountryLife Yes, except my wife gave them all names and treats them like pets, so they'll never be "table birds." We do get eggs from them, at least.
Hi! I love Buff Orpingtons and I have Buff Sussex, Rhode Island Reds, Welsummers and Silkies myself.
That is awesome!
I think you have the most beautiful buff orpingtons I have ever seen!!
Thank you, that's very kind
Watching this video I couldn’t help thinking about how happy they (and you) must be now that they are back in their field. Of course they were happy in the enclosure but there’s nothing like freely wandering around a field!
They are really making the most of it and I love watching them
I truly love all my chicks!!! They are beautiful and great egg layers. I look forward to more chicks!!!
Us too 🙂
Love the buff orpingtons quiet gentle birds
Absolutely, they are a fantastic breed
Your Chickens are beautiful.
Thank you so much!
I have 2 orbotons chickens they are so beautiful
That's great!
Yea, they are just gorgeous birds. Hi from maine USA
You are so kind
I just purchased a dozen hens and one boy. I will pick them up on Wednesday. The personality was important when deciding what breed but the broody hen was the big deciding factor for me. This is a dual purpose breed that my grandson can go into the coop with me to gather eggs and will raise chicks for me also! For me this was the best all around chicken for my backyard coop. Next year we will have fresh eggs and hopefully we will have baby chicks also.
That's lovely of you Arminda. I hope your grandson enjoys them!
Just received my first buff orpington chicks and found your site. Thank you
So glad that you found us!
My Gran kept hens in a small run, but they had access to a large field with some cattle. But every evening my gran would call the hens and they came running, some were sprinting, to get fed and they were locked up for the night.
Our hens run to Fiona in a similar way
The chickens are beautiful 😊
Thank you , 😊
Love the way you handle and raise your chickens! Buff Orpingtons are one of my favorite breeds! Yours are beautiful!
Thank you - they are lovely
We only have buffs and they are amazing!! Very friendly, My roo has a mean streak, but my hens are darlings, and their eggs are so big compared to other breeds we have had in the past!
You should see Thor - our latest cockerel - he sits on Fiona's lap 😂
@@EnglishCountryLife I wish my 2-year-old roo would love me!! I want to love all 12.5lbs of him and snuggle his floof!! He is my Giant Boy standing a full 2ft 3 inches tall... King Hanibal Lector is what we call him... He won the blue ribbon his first year at the county fair this year. The Judges didn't believe he was full-blooded but I had a record of where I bought him from as a chick. He is my pride and pain in my booty... He tries to knock knees out from under you so he can bring you down to his level.. I hand raised a demon chicken...
@@littlefluffybum2073 ouch! W do do dominance assertion with our cockerels from the moment that they hatch to try to avoid that - we deliberately breed for calmness too
@@EnglishCountryLife Have you done a video on Dominance assertion? I feel like have tried everything with this guy, that I know of, he wants to protect his hens from everything.. **he took down a chicken hawk by himself** actually, I believe that is when he started strutting his stuff and throwing his weight around more.
We haven't done one yet - but it's on the list!
Great rundown on the excess roosters. I think that's the best approach.
Its a subject that needs to be thought about before breeding for sure
Thank you. Orpington fan here.
They are a great breed!
Just found your channel, new SUBIE. Really enjoyed your very informative video. I am an old chick, with no flock currently. Well my neighbor has a few and I care for them, and visit them daily. I love chickens.
Hope you get your own flock again! Welcome to the channel
This content was EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge 👍
So glad that it was useful GiGi 🙂
@@EnglishCountryLife Do you perhaps have Buff Orpington pullets for sale at the moment or in the near future? Thank you ☺️
@@gigipetit1988 Hi GiGi, because we breed naturally with broody hens, we can only offer pullets in the Autumn, although we do offer very limited numbers of fertilised eggs at this time of year 🙂
Buff & chocklat Orbington are my favorite breed
We love them too!
Great point about breeding/buying hens vs table birds Fiona. Great video!
Thanks Harry 🙂
They're so beautiful
Thank you - we really like them 😊
Thanks so much , btw your burgundy hair is gorgeous
Oh thank you!
Have recently started watching your videos and absolutely love them. Just adore chickens ans my dream is to have them one day. Thanks so much Fiona, you have a fan for life :))
Awwww, I'm blushing! Thank you
Helped me chose the right choice! Thank you!
You’re welcome 😊
My husband and I love these videos. I call them Social Buffs or Buffs. We just found a family who has them and I can't wait to visit them using your instructions. We would love to have our own...maybe some day. Love the Cockrels by the way! Hi Gannett! Hi Willow!
So glad you enjoy them. It will be hatching season soon so lots of fuzzy chicks as well 😁
Great info. They are beautiful!
Thanks - we love them - chicks due next week!
I selected some Bielefelders, Whiting True Blues, Cuckoo Marans, Speckled Sussex, Black Australorp, Ameraucana, and yes, a Buff Orpington. They are about eight to ten days old, just adorable. I’m in love with my babies. I was a freak waiting for them to be shipped, but in realty, they only spent about 36 to 42 hours in travel time from Iowa to Salt Lake. I used McMurray hatchery, if you want to see pics of their stock you can visit their site. I have a tiny lavender bird, I’m assuming either the true blue or Ameraucana, it’s just a lovely shade. The buff is also a lovely golden color with beautiful shading. I only wish they had a mom hen, but, they have a big human poppa doing his very best.
If you're lucky your Orpington will brood next year and she could hatch for you. I wish you luck.
I've seen the McMurray hatchery website. It's very different way to obtain chickens in the UK. Buying day old chicks is rare. It's much more common to either buy hatching eggs and hatch at home or to buy older hens at point of lay.
❤❤❤🥺 this is so wholesome, go chicken daddy!
1 year new to keeping chickens and they are so funny and entertaining. I have 2 left out of the 4 Isa Browns first bought hens. Lovely birds, very friendly and great egg layers. Year later I get 4 Rhode Island Reds, one turns out to be a cockerel. I was worried that these would dominate my Rosie and Masala (Isa browns)...Nope, these ladies are bosses, then I get 4 Buff Orpingtons. Such darlings these are. 5 weeks old and one of them I've named Maggie immediately runs up and jumps into my lap for cuddles. Today I have 3 of them in my lap and I'm so happy. I cannot kill anyone of them, but I'm not experienced enough to keep the male Rhode Island. Plus I do not have enough housing for more. He's 10 weeks old named Peanut. I'm hoping my neighbour will give him a home.
Orpingtons really are lovely birds
Buff Orpingtons are great birds, when I had chickens in the UK, we had about twenty, the rest of the flock was whatever took our fancy to try out.
My favourite for egg quality and size was the Wyandotte, as a pet Perkins had a lot of character and would lay well and go broody over any egg.
The Buffs were definitely the top all rounder though.
They all have their charms but we do love our floofy Orpingtons 😉
Lovely video! One video that I'd like to see is an overview of different popular chicken breeds in the UK based on your experiences or what you know
Thanks Lewis. That might be one for a collaboration with other chicken keepers to get a good cross section!
Just ordered my buff ladies ❤
How exciting!
Very informative video, thank you so much - Greetings from Zimbabwe
Thank you and Merry Christmas 🎄
Well presented points, certainly agree with their nature our Buffs are the only chickens my partner actually likes because of this. Hope the latest Avian Flu outbreak there does not delay your Buffs taste of freedom.
They're out!!! Running around the field. It's great to see them run across grass again.
Hi Trev! They are out today & loving it - fingers crossed it stays that way 🤞🤞
Great video, thanks
Glad you liked it!
Great video. I hatched 7 eggs this past summer and ended up with 3 silver-laced Orpington's and 4 gold-laced. They are all big, beautiful, friendly birds. I have ended up with 5 cockerels and 2 hens. I have grown attached to all of them and they all have individual personalities. Putting them to bed in the shed of an evening is a real joy, as is letting them out in the morning. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage having so many cockerels, but we'll have to find a way as we're not going to eat anyone. In fact, I've cut down my meat consumption to almost nil and am moving to vegetarianism. I'm getting accustomed to it and it isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Now...what to do about the crowing? So far, only two crow, but I don't know what the neighbours will think when all five start.
Do be careful for the welfare of the hens. Generally we advise against more than one cockerel per ten hens. Orpingtons mate enthusiastically and often and with a higher proportion feather wear can quickly become apparent leading to welfare issues
All very interesting!! Well done!! Why do you have little jackets on the hens and why seemingly only some of them???
Hi Brian, they are chicken saddles - a welfare item that we use if a breeding hen shows signs of feather wear. We made a short video to explain them
th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
I really enjoyed the video, and I hope I can keep some chickens. I live in the city but it have some land. Hopefully I can figure it out :3
Let's hope so 👍
Hi Fiona, We have have 3 Hybrid hens (Speckledy Gold, Lohmann Brown and a Rhode Rock) all nearly 3 years old. They have all under gone a molt last month, have been wormed with flubivet, 2 have had visits to vet one from flystrike spotted and treated within 3hours, before that the other had a respiratory infection treated with antiboitics followed up with Berlys friendly bacteria, the current issue is that we have not had any eggs for over 2 months and all three seem to have runny poo sometime colored green, mustard colored not solid, they are also not as active as they once were, they still free range across whole garden, eating their layers pellets and treats of mixed seeds along with special treat of a few super seeds. We have now added Avopro to their drinking water and they get weighed weekly which seems to indicate slight weight loss over last 3 weeks, Their feathers are regrowing and they get up and go to bed as normal. they do seem to spend more time resting, preening and dust bathing. could their behavour be down to weather turning colder, still replacing feathers? or is there something else going on, coop has also been cleaned and treated with smoke bomb plus sprayed for mites no sign of any. their combs and wattles are a nice heathy red colour and no sign of impacted crop of egg bound. Any ideas please. Sorry for the comment being so long.
From what you have described it sounds to me like this is moult. During moult they need vast amounts of energy and protein to grow new feathers. This does result in some weight loss. They also drink significant amounts of water, more than normal as it helps move dried food through their system plus they need a lot for the replacement feathers. This results in runny poo too as poo includes urate and excess water as they have no other way of expelling it. Preening is normal as the new feather shafts grows through the skin with a keratin sheath over the end. The hen has to nibble the top off to allow the feather frond to grow out of the shaft.
I do have to say that I'm not a veterinary professional and it's very difficult to say for certain from a distance. If the weight loss is pronounced or you see evidence of parasites or worms in the poo, or even if you are still worried please visit your vet for advice.
Lovely birds. What is the purpose of the little jackets they are wearing? Many thanks
@@gilliansaddington7624 Hi Gillian! We made a short video to explain them
th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
Loved your video! We live in Sacramento California, USA, and have a small mixed flock. We now have 3 17 week old Buff Orpingtons, but wish they were friendlier. TRhey will fly into my lap, but don't like being petted or held. TGhey love pecking at my purple-painted fingernails and toes. I love Buffy, Butter and Bailey, but wish they liked me back. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi! We have a video on this subject that we hope might help!
th-cam.com/video/l0Xf5JiDaO4/w-d-xo.html
very nice
Thank you!
I grew up in England and had Buff Orpingtons for years. I now live in Sweden and they are like gold dust to source so I don't have any. I don't know what the laws are about shipping eggs abroad, but if I find out it's legal I will definitely be coming back to England to buy some hatching eggs.
The tricky part is getting them there alive. The low pressure & temperature of aircraft holds wrecks viability
@@EnglishCountryLife that's a real shame, I remember I never done well in the UK with eggs that were sent in the post too.
Looks like I'll have to go without unfortunately.
@@Vvitchofthesoutheast See if they have any poultry clubs in Sweden. From there, ask around for any breeders. Failing that, find out about live import regulations.
@@davinasquirrel7672 I'm a part of a poultry club in Sweden, and I only know one person right up in the north that breeds them, but the waiting list is so long. And I was told I could get the eggs over to Sweden, I'd just have a reduced hatch rate. I brought some Dorking eggs over last time and I got 9 out of 12, so it wasn't too bad to be honest.
I am too Urbane to have a rooster,I really don’t want to upset my neighbours , I just buy in pullets.
My older hens go on birth control ,but only once they start laying weird looking eggs,they are still valuable flock members and their closest flock friends treat them just the same,there just as friendly and sweet ,just in egg retirement .
If that works for you, thats great
Good. Clear. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Hi Fiona, nice video about orpingtons. Hoping to get our own first ever orpingtons soon. Cheers.
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
@@EnglishCountryLife No doubt about that.👍
My buff layed her first egg on my lap while I was petting her
How lovely
Hi Fiona. Love your channel. I’ve learned so much! How long do Buff Orpingtons roosters stay fertile? My boy is such a gentleman after some very difficult roosters.
We only keep ours for one year to prevent genetic problems from interbreeding but they should stay fertile for nany years. Our hens have lived to older than eight!
I ordered some eggs of these chickens. im going to put them under my Broady Wyandot hen.
Good luck!
I did some research and wanted buff Orpingtons bantams, but can't find any in my area. We pick up two speckled Sussex and 1 polish next week. Thank you for your videos🐔❤️
How exciting! Do let us know how you get on & remember we are always here to answer questions!
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you so much, there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. After finding you, especially in the UK, I feel a bit more confident. Hubby is extending a coop we bought, that wasn't as big as advised 🙄 but it's fine he's very handy😂😘🐔
@@ASmileAdayful Hugh gave up on commercial coops & just makes them now for the same reason!
@@EnglishCountryLife yes lesson learnt🙄😂🤦♀️
Love the jackets on the chickens! Where can one find those?
If you search for "chicken saddles" you should find them - they are a welfare aid to avoid feather wear when the cockerel is amorous
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
at 2:06 why does the chicken let you take the egg while others react aggresively? does she consider you part of her flock, like a superior? Thanks for your videos, chickens are the best.
Great question. Our hens don't react aggressively to us because they've been handled from day 1. They are used to me gently putting a hand underneath them looking for eggs. It's just learning that that particular action doesn't result in harm.
We also deliberately selecting breeding hens and cockerels for their calm, friendly nature which makes it more likely the next generation will be calm too.
They are gorgeous hens. I have 3 x Burford Browns free rangers who also lay 65-70gm eggs all year round. It looks like Buffs are slightly larger than Burfords? 🙏🏻
Our Buffs are very large. Hens weight up to 3.5kg, Cockerels much larger
I have 4 hens and two roosters right now (hoping the Roos won’t fight but if they do we’ll have to rehome one) and all the girls lay through winter. Two are mixed breed and two are Pekins. All bantams. They’re not the most friendly birds but I’m training them currently (using Fiona’s great video about How to make your chickens friendly).
I was born in Orpington and have wanted Orpington chickens since I first heard of them. Unfortunately it’s hard to find bantamised Orpingtons, especially in my area of the UK. And I don’t want to mix standard sized birds in with my bantam flock in case of fighting etc.
Hoping at some point I can find some bantams of this amazing breed! 🥰
Fingers crossed - they are out there!
@@EnglishCountryLife Well, in an incredible coincidence, I've just discovered somebody who sells bantam Orpingtons!! They're not in my area, but they're near some extended family, so I could pick up hens while visiting family.
I'm super happy to have finally found some! Not sure when I'll be able to get them but hopefully as soon as I can 🐔
@@ripplemoon249 Fantastic!
I have some of those fuzzy eggs with legs running around right now. Hope some of them grow up to be a wonderful broody hens.
They never stop being wonderful do they?
They are lovely breed of chickens. I love that they are pretty chill when you carry them, and this video has been very informative!
Question though, do they do well in tropical climates?
Orpingtons were bred to cope with the mild weather in the UK. They are very heavily feathered and may struggle in very hot climates.
Where did you get your boots!! I absolutely love them! Please, tell me! Thank you and I love your videos 😊 And I have lavender Orpingtons. Love them!!
Hi! They are Ariat Berwicks. I've had them for years - absolutely love them 😀
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you! My search is on 😊
شكرا جزيلا.
You're welcome
what bedding do you use in the coop, love your videos
Hi Geoffrey, we use wood shavings by Snowflake Supreme 🙂
That's so helpful video! I am just hoping for broody hen (I have some mixed hybrids sussex, silverwing, marsbar, Bluebell and brown layers rescue ones) and have been looking into breeds which do well as egg layers and table birds and are broody! I have seen some information about them but wasn't sure if it is worth the money for eggs. So thanks for all the information. It is extra benefit that they don't need high fencing 😁
We've tried many breeds over the year and have honestly never found better as a dual purpose breed that is naturally broody 🙂
Orpingtons are a great choice for your flock. Up to half will develop a personality (or maybe a poultry-ality since they're not really completely persons) to such an extent that you'll enjoy having them around to hang out with.
The one minus, here in california anyway, is that they can have short lifespans due to cancer. That's extremely sad because they so often become adored pets that bring you breakfast.
I think American Orpingtons are different to UK - ours do well for age (8 or 9 years certainly). We've not had a case of cancer in the birds we've raised (and that's several thousand)
@@EnglishCountryLife Like I wrote: this might be a california... or even a northern california problem. It's a sad problem too, because they are cooperative and solid members of the flock that will hop right up onto your knee and try to eat your buttons. But here: these adorable birds are dying at between 2 and 6 years old. BTW: three of four of my Buffs died with the same symptoms and I had my favorite autopsied. It came back as ovarian cancer.
How come some of your chickens have little aprons on? Thanks! And also, what do you think of chicken harnesses?
Hi! They are chicken saddles, a welfare item. We describe them here. We like our chickens to be free range so wouldn't use a harness
th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
Fiona, our Orpingtons jump a lot higher than 3 feet tall! The 3 ft electric fence didn't do the job at all, so we installed a six feet high one. Problem solved.
Wow that's the first time I've known someone to need tall fencing for Orpingtons!
Your farm is very nice ma'am can you tell me if you need people to work in your farm👍🌹🙏
It's only small so it just needs us
@@EnglishCountryLife thanks for your reply ma'am🙏
What's the best feed for these babies if there isn't enough land for them to forage on? I am brand new to this. This is my second video about chickens. I've wanted them for many years. I want to be prepared to take care of them properly.
Hi Rachel! We have a playlist called "Chicken Keeping for Beginners" that works through what you need topic by topic (feed, shelter, drink, bedding etc.). There's one episode devoted to feed and all you need to know. Take a look but please know that we are happy to answer all your questions
th-cam.com/play/PLDluIIoNPsldJo1GHNzIyHupbMBgQue-p.html
I would love to find out more information on the 3 ft. electric fencing. I am in need for this idea.. I have not been on here for a long time. We moved from Montana mountains down here to north Texas.. So this this is so different. I have had chickens every place I have lived. We have just had a problem, I put my 6 juveniles out in a pen right next to the big Chickens.. everything went as normal, then one morning I was missing 1 little chick. I was devastated. Then we put the camera so it could pick it up.. We caught a cat! Okay, we kept watching and then we caught a possum.. OMG! so now that I'm down to 2 babies. the camera has caught nothing else, I think we are okay.. But I would love to put that electric fence in. Does all the wire get electricity only the top wire or all the wire?
Thank you, Rae
Hi Rae,
hopefully this video will answer all your questions
th-cam.com/video/GyVM1N3ltbI/w-d-xo.html
There are also other colors of orpintons too I have lavender orpintons
There are, although we find not enough people keep them for us to get unrelated cockerels each year
Why are they wearing an apron on their back? (Love you channel! I am binge watching as we speak..) :)
Hi Helen!
This video explains everything
th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
Great video !!! Ckuld anyone guide me to who can i turn to purchase hatching eggs pleass ? Much appreciated !!!!
Thank you. If you tell me where you are based we will see if we can help with eggs
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you Fiona . Living in Old London ! I sent you msg few hours ago on instagram by following you ! Perhapa it's a better place to communicate .
Thank you Fiona !!!
@@ferydounfareed6930 Hi! Hugh here, there are a few sellers on eBay still offering hatching eggs, but I would wait until Spring if you can. Fertility is higher in Spring and the weather is warmer meaning the chicks will do better. We only offer hatching eggs in Spring for these reasons
What do you use as a floor cover. Thank you
We use dust extracted wood shavings.
Lovely channel 🌷🪻🌷
Thank you very much!
How do you sex chickens upon hatching? And, do you periodically have to get new cockerels in order to avoid over-inbreeding?
Hi Linda! Great questions 🙂
Some breeds of chicken (called auto sexing breeds) have distinctly different appearance between males and females - Cream Legbars are an example of this.
Most breeds are extremely hard to tell apart (e.g. Buff Orpingtons) until six or seven weeks. Some highly trained people can do it but its very skilled work.
We introduce a new, unrelated cockerel, every year for genetic reasons. We cover the process in this video
th-cam.com/video/eYVXNz044E0/w-d-xo.html
Hi , I have been watching and you have a beautiful house and setting for the chickens . I myself have two Jubilee Orpington’s , one of which turned out to be a male and was sold to me as female . My female is now brooding over a small clutch of eggs , approximately 4 eggs and as a new chicken owner I am nervous about what to do , whether to leave her be and watch what happens , but I am worried over more cockerels and how this affects them , I do not think my cockerel is fully Jubilee Orpington as I contacted the UK Orpington for advice and showed pictures , he has a few stray feathers on his legs and his back has some greens in the tail feathers . I also am unsure how to go about birds for meat for my family or just use the eggs , it seems difficult to overcome attachments maybe . How long do you keep your breeding cockerel for because obviously your going to be line breeding if they all stay together , so I was thinking mine would have to go eventually after a few breeding seasons .
Hi! I think you're doing the right thing to decide what to do with potential cockerels before the egg development goes to far.
Orpingtons are docile so new hatched cockerels raised with an adult rooster should defer in the pecking order to the older cockerel. There's no guarantees on this and it is equally possible, particularly if space is limited, the cockerels will vie for supremacy. They will playfight to test the boundaries but generally without it getting nasty. Having said that it would be best to reduce your cockerels to one head of the flock if you can.
We have a video showing our breeding plans and how it works. We replace our breeding cockerel every year with a new bloodline to prevent any in breeding but the video explains it better.
th-cam.com/video/JDaMa8FawvM/w-d-xo.html
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you for your kind reply , I just went out to the coop and managed to collect three eggs at the side of ginger the broody hen , she’s either kicked them out and just has one left or , there’s more eggs laid there by my other hens . Shes only just reached a year old and it’s her first broody episode , She’s being super growly lol 😂 so I am being discreet about it I haven’t tried to touch her or make her upset .
I've had many Buff Orpingtons in my time but they don't look like your Buff Orpingtons other than in color. Your hens seem more round and fluffy, but all the ones I've ever had were sleeker in appearance - not as fluffy and more streamlined bodies. I am in the US though - I wonder if there's a different strain of Buff Orpingtons here?
There is quite a difference yes, ours are much closer to the original, utility strain of Buff Orpington. We have selectively bred for size, temperament, hardiness & broody temperament. This creates a large, gentle bird, keen to mate & incubate young. They are reliable layers even in Winter & surplus males make great table birds of 8 to 10 pounds at full size. They aren't for everyone though. If you just want eggs, our strain is not the right breed (we have to tell buyers this who are attracted by the fluffy looks & gentle nature)
Hi, great video love watching your channel.. sorry this question is about Treadle Feeders, I’m trying to teach mine how to use there’s, if I leave it open they use it but as soon as I close it they ignore it.. any chance you can advise please or do a video.. Thank you.
I'll do both! OK, when they're learning to use the treadle feeder you've got them past the 1st hurdle which is to know where the food is.
The 2nd hurdle is getting them used to the lid movement. The only way to get past this is to get to the point that their hunger outweighs their fear of the lid moving. For a short period of time remove other feeders and don't give them treats.
To begin with there will be lots of jumping back when the lid moves but within a few days they'll be using it like pros.
I hope that helps
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you very much appreciated, I just worry they will go hungry and get poorly but I’ll definitely follow your advice
I'm just getting started, my FIRST birds arrive in a bit over 3 weeks...my coop not ready,nor is my chicken yard, I will be starting with them in my basement in a make-shift brooder...its just the start up, after that I think the hens van do it all...I have 5 roosters (the LEAST amount I could order) and 20 hens coming, all with their vaccines since this is all new for me...I CHOSE Buff Orpingtons for the dual purpose, docile nature and there's very little things to complain about with the breed...I will choose 2 roosters or 3 I keep but the other 2 will become food...im not shy on growing, and butchering, I'm a country girl thats getting back to her roots...I just PRAY the area will be large enough for this many, coop is 8x10, yard is 10x12 feet I hadn't planned on this many so increasing the nesting boxes to 5...they aren't here and I'm getting nervous cuz our 3 generation home is all against 'noisy birds...but I'm 68 and its MY turn to have a life as I see fit and raising these is MY choice...THAT said ANY information PLEASE GIVE IT!!! thank you in advance💗
Hi Judy. Good for you doing something for yourself. Your coop should be big enough, but by UK welfare standards, your outdoor space isn't big enough. The minimum space defined here is 10²ft per bird. You have 120²ft so it's enough for 12 chickens only. These sizes are also worked on a standard mid sized breed eg Warren's. Orpingtons are much bigger so increasing the size of the yard space I would say is an absolute necessity.
I'm also sat here listening to DeWalt crowing his head off so you might have some family issues once they get going. Sorry!
@@EnglishCountryLife I just found a way to increase the size of my chicken yard, I now will have enough for all the birds and then some its now going to be 'L' shaped but doubled the size, and they will just have to get used to the sounds...loved ur video on the sounds and what they mean...😊
@@Damselfly54315 Excellent!
What are the pads on the back of chickens for?
They are chicken saddles (a welfare item for breeding birds). We explain them in this short video
th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
May I ask what those little apron type things are on them? Thanks!
Hi Tamra, they are a welfare item for active breeding hens called Chicken Saddles. We have a short video that explains them
th-cam.com/video/bRxkXWjJ-Ns/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the great video.. I'm possibly about to buy a couple of Buff Orpingtons as pets from a local farmer, apparently about 25 weeks old. The farmer says he doesn't know their sex, but he suspects they are hens and don't make any morning cockerel noises. Do you know how I could sex them? I'm not in a position to have any males. Many thanks.
@@jojitsu56 They should be easy to sex visually at that age. If you send us a picture englishcountrylife@outlook.com we can have a look
Hi I love your videos learning a lot, just started keeping backyard chicken from this year.
How can I get some chicks or fertile eggs from you? I live in London.
Hi Ruhena! We do sell fertile eggs but right now all our hens are broody (either sat on eggs or with just hatched chicks). We don't sell chicks but may have some pullets or point of lay hens available in a few months.
How long a hen be broddy if they are not given eggs to sit on. And how will it take for her to lay Again?
It could take 2-6 weeks following them STOPPING exhibiting broody behaviours that they typically will come back on to lay.
How is the meat? Do you find you have to cook it differently or confine them for better taste? Looking into options for our small holding as even the best tended Cornish cross is not going to have as good a life as a heritage breed.
We think the meat is superb. Its a slow maturing bird making a small table bird in 16 weeks and a good size in 26 weeks. Being free ranged the birds add muscle easily and we don't confine other than in "flockdown". We predominantly eat cockerels and find it works economically and ethically. We also enjoy a meat quality simply not available commercially.
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you!
@@darthfiende1 You're very welcome Faith! We are always here to answer any queries as best we can 🙂
How much space do they need to roam? I’d love to get some but not sure if my garden is too small…
That very much depends on how many you have and which breeds. We would suggest an absolute minimum of 12m x 12m - but they can strip the grass in a small area
Wonderful
Thank you 😊
Hi. I have 2 golden speckaldy hens and have been giving them mixed corn during the winter but now the weather is getting warm and I need to buy some feed, should I buy a sack of wheat grain. Many thanks.
Hi Les! As the weather warms up we do generally switch from mixed corn to whole wheat as the dried maize is more to keep the birds warm.
@@EnglishCountryLife many thanks for replying and your advice. Love all your videos.