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Valkyrie

Countdown to 3 Orpingtons!

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Hi all

At last I've done it - I've gone and ordered our birdies! I was told it may be 12 weeks because the Buff ones are about to hatch, and the Splash and Black ones have hatched already and are a week old - yay! :D

With OH's blessing - double yay! :D:D

I have just asked Barbara one final question with regard to a cube, and we will have a green one for the girls to live in.

Nearly three months sounds shorter than 12 weeks doesn't it? Mustn't panic - got to get garden sorted. Must pen off veg patch (not much in it at the moment with this grotty weather). Must sort out permanent run patch. The hens can do the weeding and earn their keep! Got to finish my ironing and stay away from the computer! :oops:

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Yep Eyren, a Buff, Black and Splash - would have liked Blue as well, but will see how it goes with 3 (and then Brahmas - oops getting carried away again!).

I can't get a song out of my head at the moment:

"It's my birthday and I'll add more chicks if I want to" - dreadful! :silenced:

Chelsea, I have read all about you not being allowed to have them! :lol::lol: :lol: Definitely - camera will be poised and the battery will probably run out! Will I have to warn you first so that you can prepare with lots of tissues or a bucket to dribble in? :wink:

 

Kerry

Rats broadband keeps switching off, bah humbug!

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This BT broadband is almost making me lose the will to live - 3rd time lucky! Good job I copied before it shut down again! Now where was I?

 

They're coming from Wylye Valley Chickens near Salisbury. We chose them because they looked so healthy and it was lovely and clean. Although they were inside, they will be put into the fields later.

 

www.wylyevalleychickens.co.uk

 

There aren't many photos on the site for some varieties, but she also has some breeds that aren't listed, such as the Splash Orpington - they are new. If there's anything in particular you're after, it's worth ringing up. I would like a gold laced orp, but she doesn't have those (yet - and just as well).

 

My daughter said that I didn't sound excited, but I told her that I was controlling myself - then I kept bok bokking round the door at her - MUUUUUUUUM! :roll:

 

Regards, Kerry

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hi im looking into getting some orps as well, bit worried the accomm we have for them will be too small though. Saw some at thornes the other day and they were just massive. I wondered about getting some bantam orps instead. any of you got those?

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Don't worry about the sparrowhawks with the orpie bantams they would still be too big - the pigeons are the largest hawks would go for (and that would be the female hawk - males are smaller and eat the little birdies). Although they might go for something like the Seebrights and the smaller banties. Also pigeons are considerably more dippy - I think hens would know well in advance and likely to square up to an attack so the hawk goes for an easier target (or that's my theory-ish so don't take it as Gospel).

Regards, Kerry

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thanks pam thats useful to know. im also worrying if our local sparrowhawk will pick up the banties anyway. Seen him head off with a few pigeons off our fence already.

Where did you get your orps from?

 

I've got my Buff Orp, Light Sussex and a Blue Egg Layer on order from

 

www.lphpoultry.co.uk

 

Lovely chap called Leon, very knowledgeable and helpful :D :D :D

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cheers thats made me feel a little better.

So what` sort of run and coop size do you reckon for say 3 orps then? I will let them free range some of the time but not always. And can they flap up onto roosting bars and nest boxes or do i need something nearer the ground? my mendleshams only went on the floor in their coop to eat and drink, everthing else was up a little higher.

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cool thanks i was on their website earlier, i think one of the chaps from there was on the pekin forum. Looks like a nice place and they deliver. Was just a little worried as too far for me to go and check out the place. Did you go and pick them up or get them delivered? how are you finding them on the egg production front. Sorry lots of questions. Not everyone has orps on here to ask

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My chooks are on order - expected in July so can't say much about egg production apart from they will start laying later around 35 weeks old as they are pure breed and they will also lay less than Hybrid egg layers.

 

LPH is only 20 mins from me so I actuallly went to see them, to see what they were like, what the conditions were and to chose which chooks I wanted to order (you get to see the breeding stock - all are prize winning birds). I have to say the conditions and the birds were both excellent. 2 people actually recommended LPH to me as they thought he was a good supplier.

 

When my girls are ready, I will collect them as they are so near :D :D :D can't wait, July seems so long away

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Yup.........all his pure breeds are to order only.

 

My new additions will go in with my exsisting girls which are 3 hybrids, 2 ex batts and 2 banties who have all been living together very happily since last summer. I did have 2 eglus and a 'bantam beehive' but they all free ranged togther during the day and eventually all decided to live together in 1 eglu :roll::lol::lol:

 

So I turned the bantam beehive into a very pretty storage box and sold my spare eglu and now have a lovely lilac cube arriving on Monday. Hope they don't mind having more space at night as in the cold weather they have looked very happy all snuggled in a big feathery heap :D :D

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You definitely have to look at the breeders in order to suss out whether you consider their birds to be well looked after. Recommendations are also a very good sign for healthy birds. We will be collecting ours. I've just had a dreadful thought - supposing all the chicks are boys? Then it will take even longer ARGHHHHHHHH! :shock:

I've even started dreaming about them - lots of brown chickens squashed all over the road - but they turned out to be molehills. I don't know what the heck that is supposed to mean!

I've just noticed in the Practical Poultry mag for this month that someone has been trying to breed lavender orpies - oooh another for the must have collection.

Chelsea - get me back to Earth please!

 

Kerry

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well fingers crossed they all come out hens, then there might be some left for me. LOL. :lol:

im driving my husband crazy at the minute, all i keep talking about he has even been cooking the dinner as i cant concentrate on anything else.

 

yes those lavender orps are beautiful asrent they, would love to get my hands on one of those

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Our cube comes on 7th May :dance::clap::dance:

Hayley was so helpful that I gave her the credit card details! Payment will be made 3 working days before dispatch - OH happy with that, and it will be a green one for him. Although lilac sounds nice, especially with colour co-ordinating lavender orps - next house maybe!

Pickles, I am crossing everything - makes driving a bit hazardous though! :wink:

I think my nightmare must be telling me that I must rescue ex-bats, again that will be a future must. Otherwise we could be getting a mole problem in the garden!

I've just remembered the delights of cleaning out the rabbit hutch in all grotty weathers and getting hailed on so many times - WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!!

 

Regards, Kerry

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