The first chicken I decided I wanted to own was a Buff Orpington. I watched several YouTube videos about selecting good starter chicks, and these golden beauties were highly recommended. They were described as being fantastic layers of large brown eggs, tolerant to climate extremes of both hot and cold, and getting along well with other chickens. They have a tendency to go broody – my neighbor has a broody Orpington on fertilized eggs right now – but, we shall see! I do think they are very friendly and sweet chicks!
The first Orpington, the Black, was developed in England, so we chose an English name for ours, “Tuppence” (I am a fierce fan of Agatha Christie, and especially fond of Tuppence Beresford). We purchased her through Wagon Train Feed & Tack in Orange, CA, as a two-day pullet (hatched 4/15/2015) from a hatchery in New Mexico.
She was the dearest little ball of fluff, reminding me so much of the peeps for sale in the Five and Ten — in my Pennsylvania hometown — every Easter season of my youth. Those peeps were colored in luscious pastels of blue, pink and green, but they were no cuter than our own Tuppence! If Golden Retrievers were chickens, they would be Buff Orpingtons.
This photo, left, was taken when Tuppence was three days old. She was one of three chicks we received the day before — the rest of our clutch (or, just as accurately, “peep”) would arrive in another week’s time.
The chicks were kept in a makeshift brooder, a Rubbermaid container we kept in a warm, unused guest room of our home. We found the chicks to be in excellent health, taking immediately to the offered Organic Chick Starter and Poultry Grower Crumbles and fresh water, with just a small amount of added sugar for an energy boost.
Tuppence and her sisters at home in their brooder
Picture Day: 5/16/2015, Tuppence @ 4-1/2 weeks
Picture Day: 5/20/2015, Tuppence @ 5 weeks
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The chicks are getting a little big for their brooder. It has worked very well ever since we moved the chicks out of their Rubbermaid home in the guestroom, when the younger chicks were about a week old. We added a small roost a couple weeks later, and now see a few have taken to roosting at night (mostly the older chicks). We need to pick up the pace on their coop and run, as they are very close to being fully feathered and the weather is really warming up.
We have really enjoyed having the chickens in the kitchen! We get to visit with them all day and evening, until we put up the cardboard in front and “tuck them in” for the night. I hope our visits to the coop will be as welcome!
Her comb and wattles have remained small; no red, yet.