The Orpington originates from Great Britain in the late 1800’s during the end of the “Hen Fever” that ignited an interest in peculiar breeds of chickens. This breed was developed by William Cook, a coachman who lived in Orpington, Kent. The Orpington was developed by crossbreeding a Minorca and a Black Plymouth Rock. From that offspring chickens were bred with clean-legged Langshans. William Cook set out to develop a breed of chicken that has a dual-purpose in eggs and table meat.
Unique Features of Orpington Chickens
The Orpington chicken comes from the village of Orpington in Kent County, England. William Cook originally bred them in the late 1800’s. The American Poultry Association accepted the breed in 1902, and the American Bantam Association later recognized the bantam variety of the breed.
Orpington chickens have several distinct features that make them fairly easy to distinguish from other breeds. They have broad, full feathers that lay smooth against their body, though the fluffy down feathers give them a full appearance. Quality Orpingtons will be so well feathered that many of the normal angles of their body shape (neck to back, back to tail) appear rounded or indistinct. Underneath all those feathers, Orpingtons should have a broad back and a full breast.
Orpingtons have medium-sized combs and bright red wattles. Both sexes should have single combs that stand upright and have five points. Nevertheless, the combs and wattles on cocks will get larger than those on hens. Orpingtons have short legs, four toes on each foot, and are clean-legged.
A standard-size Orpington hen should weigh eight pounds and a standard cock should tip the scales at ten pounds. The bantam version of the Orpington breed is mostly raised as pets or for show, with hens weighing 34 ounces and cocks 38 ounces.
There are several varieties of Orpingtons, which can make for a fun and colorful flock. However, the American Poultry Association does not recognize them all–only buff, black, blue, and white. Unrecognized Orpington varieties include lavender, splash, diamond jubilee, red, and spangled.
The buff Orpington remains the most popular and easiest to source, though their high demand has caused them to become overbred and lack quality. Hatchery buff Orpingtons rarely meet the standards set for the breed. While they are still friendly and have good layers of feathers, they often lack the size and fluffiness of standard-bred Orpingtons.
History of the Orpington
According to Home, Garden and Homestead, the first Orpington chickens were bred by William Cook in the 1800s, who named them after the small town of Orpington, England. Cook bred them to be the perfect dual-purpose bird, meaning great egg layers and great meat birds for the dinner table.
Cook took his prized Orpingtons to U.S. poultry shows, and the breed was an instant hit. Before long, the original black-colored Orpington was joined by several other colors, including white, red and the American favorite: buff.
During the mid-20th century, when small homesteads were replaced by large-scale poultry farms, the Orpington breed fell out of favor. Orpingtons were eventually placed on the “threatened” breed list. But during the past 30 years or so, the breed has seen a resurgence as a family and show breed.
Today, Orpington chickens are more popular than ever. Lavender Orpington chickens are a more recent addition to the Orpington family. The color, introduced in the late 1990s, is technically a very diluted black. It resulted after decades of breeding in the U.K. This color breeds “true,” so two Lavender Orpington chickens will produce all Lavender babies.
Suitability for Backyard Flocks
Orpingtons are a great chicken breed to add to a backyard flock! Because of their unique build, they do well in regions that experience cold winters and mild summers. They adapt well to both confinement and free-range, although they don’t tend to be strong foragers due to their large size.
If kept in confinement, Orpingtons need plenty of space to stay active and healthy. Make sure your backyard chicken coop is big enough to accommodate a large chicken breed. Allow at least four to five square feet of coop space and 10 to 12 square feet of covered run space per Orpington. If you have restricted space for your backyard flock, you may consider a different, smaller chicken breed. Or, consider getting bantam Orpingtons if you just want a pet!
Orpingtons are also known to go broody. These hens will happily sit on a clutch of eggs and raise chicks if given the chance. When hens go broody they stop laying, which may be undesirable if you are raising your flock for egg production. However, broody hens become an excellent asset when you have fertile eggs that you want to hatch. If you have a broody Orpington but no fertile eggs to give her, you will need to break her of her broodiness so that she starts laying again.
0 Comments