# Buff Orpington hen



## brandon_thomas247 (Feb 25, 2016)

I have a BO hen and I want to know why she looks so different from other hens of her breed, she's meatier and not as fluffy as the others I've seen


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

Different hatcheries different production blood ??
Where is she from?


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Chickens are like people and come in all shape and sizes.Some are bigger,meatier,different colors and patterns,fluffier feathers,etc.Take a look at your siblings-you all look different and it's the same with chickens.Sometimes the difference is more subtle and harder to notice.It's also molting time and as they lose their summer feathers they look smaller and the feathering looks rough until the winter feathers come in.


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## brandon_thomas247 (Feb 25, 2016)

No she's always looked like this even through winter


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

She could be a cross. However I think I would put her on a higher protein diet, such as all flock or feather fixer. How old is this hen? Does she lay eggs? If higher protein doesn't work (give it a few months), then she might just have genetic flaws.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I think Karen hit on it, I don't think she's purebred. There are just too many points that are not right for a BO. 

My first thought was White Leghorn because her physical appearance is so reminiscent of a WL.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

My BO from Meyers looks different than my BOs from Townline.
The Meyer one is more of a Blonde than Buff.
My RIRs from Meyer and Townline look different from each other./


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## brandon_thomas247 (Feb 25, 2016)

She shouldn't be a cross I got her from a hatchery, she's a year and a half and lays more eggs than my leghorn,and they've been on feather fixer for 2 months and there hasn't been any change


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## brandon_thomas247 (Feb 25, 2016)

And she's 11 pounds so I don't think she's cross with a leghorn, she's real meaty and less poofy


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Probably a genetic flaw.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The thing is, when buying from a hatchery there is no guarantee that the birds they get from farms are purebred. I've seen that happen more than once.


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## aapholz (Jul 7, 2016)

That's an interesting thought, Robin. And probably why my "brahmas" and "Ameracaunas" from the feed store are all Easter Eggers.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Hatcheries breed birds to pump out the most eggs possible. The best way to do this is to occasionally cross whatever they have with white leghorns who are -the best- at this. Normally they probably do not sell those first generation hybrid chicks but they absolutely sell the ones who have been bred back to the said breed for one or two more generations because those go back to looking like whatever it is they're selling... I think you got a BO WL cross, perhaps accidentally. This doesn't mean she can;t be meaty. Of my barnyard mixes I got some leghorn crossed with Cornish... some had that long slinky leghorn body, some had the stocky meaty Cornish body.


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## brandon_thomas247 (Feb 25, 2016)

Well she was blood tested and passed to be 100% BO hen,then she proceeded to win reserve champion of English breeds at state fair


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Congratulations on reserve champion.Your hen does not look happy about it at all.She just wants to go home.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I had one like that. Actually it's the bird in my avatar. Simply putting her in my truck had her collapsing.

And yes, congrats on placing.


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## brandon_thomas247 (Feb 25, 2016)

Yes she was not happy,in fact she had to stay there for a week and by the end of the week she was bushed and so happy when she made it home


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