I think this is a variation on an earlier Q you asked about orps' fertility and whether it is necessary to trim the hen's feathers/fluff. I repeat what I said then, that I don't, so from personal experience its not essential, although I am quite willing to believe it might increase the chance of successful mating. However, I know many less backyard/better/more professional orp breeders do trim (including proper breeders who pair breed for several months). I also know that some show standard male orps are hugely heavy and I used to hear stories about AI being required, although I don't know if that is true. At a guess I would say that problems with orp fertility are actually to do with both males and females, in that the boys are large and the hens are fluffy. I also think some strains have been badly bred and some are quite weak because the gene pool is small (I'm thinking less common colours here, even standard ones). In addition some strains are just better 'doers' than others, including fertility. I have successfully bred Sussex males over orp hens, but obviously a Sussex boy is far larger than a Leghorn! My answer would be to give it a go, and if there was a failure, then I would trim the feathers.
