Orpington (chicken)

Orpington
A Black Orpington hen
Conservation status	Recovering
Country of origin	England
Classification APA English ABA
Traits Weight Male 10 lbs / 4.5 kg (Large) Weight Female 8 lbs / 3.6 kg (Large) Egg Color Light brown Comb Type Medium Single
Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

The Orpington is a breed of chicken named after Orpington, England,^[1] which was made famous in part by this breed. Belonging to the English class of chickens, it was bred to be an excellent layer with good meat quality.^[2] Their large size and soft appearance together with their rich color and gentle contours make them very attractive, and as such its popularity has grown as a show bird rather than a utility breed. They go broody very often, and make great mothers. Being rather heavy, they are able to fly small distances and rarely do,^[3] so they work well as backyard birds. Due to their build they do well in very cold climates. The fluff of their feathers allows rain water to penetrate, so they must be kept out of the rain.^[4]

History

Buff Orpington hen

The original Black Orpington was bred by William Cook in 1886 by crossing Minorcas, Langshans and Plymouth Rocks to create a new hybrid bird. Cook selected a black bird that would exhibit well by hiding the dirt and soot of London.^[5] The first Orpingtons looked very much like the Langshan. According to the British Poultry Standards, the White was bred in 1889, the Buff in 1894, and the Blue in 1905. When the breed was shown in Madison Square Gardens in 1895, its popularity soared.^[6]

The original colors are black, white, buff, blue and splash. Although there are many additional varieties recognized throughout the world, only the original colors are recognized by the American Standard, the Buff being the most common.^[7] In the beginning of the twentieth Century Herman Kuhn of Germany developed a Bantam variety.^[8] The Bantam retains the large appearance, but in a smaller size. Like the Standard varieties, there is a large variety of colors in the Bantam version (i.e. black, blue laced, white, buff, red, buff black laced, barred, buff Columbian, and birchen.)^[9] The Bantam retains the friendly personality of the Standard breed, and seldom or never flies, so it too makes for a good backyard breed.^[10]

Appearance

Lavender Orpington hen

The Orpington has a heavy, broad body with a low stance, and the down from their body covers most of their legs.

Some characteristics of an Orpington are:

• Heavy weight (7 to 10 pounds),
• Soft, profuse feathering, which almost hides the legs of the bird,
• Curvy shape with a short back and U-shaped underline,
• A small head with a medium single comb.
• Large and usually easily tamed
• Fluffy feathers making it look distinctively large.

Approximate weight (metric)

Rooster	4.5 kg
Hen	3.6-4.8 kg
Cockerel	3.8 kg
Pullet	3.2 kg

Bantam Variety Orpington

Rooster	2.0 kg
Hen	1.6 kg

Utility

Orpingtons lay about 175 to 200^[11] medium to large^[12] light-brown eggs a year. They do not stop laying in the winter.

It was said to at one time lay as many as 340^[13] eggs per year. This decline in production was due to breeders selecting for looks over utility.^[14]

The chickens also get large, so they are suited for eating also. They are also great mothers. All of these qualities make them perfect Homestead chickens.

Footnotes

1. ^ (Percy 2006, pp. 115)
2. ^ (Percy 2006, pp. 115)
3. ^ (Verhoff 2003, pp. 158)
4. ^ (Verhoff 2003, pp. 159)
5. ^ (Verhoff 2003, pp. 158)
6. ^ (Percy 2006, pp. 115)
7. ^ (Ekarius 2007, pp. 98)
8. ^ (Verhoff 2003, pp. 254)
9. ^ (Verhoff 2003, pp. 254)
10. ^ (Verhoff 2003, pp. 254)
11. ^ (Verhoff 2003, pp. 158)
12. ^ (Percy 2006, pp. 115)
13. ^ (Percy 2006, pp. 115)
14. ^ (Ekarius 2007, pp. 98)

References

• Ekarius, Carol (2007). Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. 210 MAS MoCA Way, North Adams MA 01247: Storey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58017-667-5. 
• Percy, Pam (2006). The Field Guide to CHICKENS. Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885: Voyageur Press. ISBN 0760324735. 
• Verhoff, Esther (2003). The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens. Lisse, Netherlands: Rebo International. ISBN 9789036615921. 
• PoultryHub.org Orpington