Content
The Orpington chicken breed was bred in England, in Kent, by William Cook. It takes its name from the town of Orpington. William Cook decided to breed a breed of chicken that was supposed to become universal, and, most importantly, the presentation of the carcass should appeal to English buyers. And in those days, chickens with white skin, not yellow, were highly valued.
These were the selection tasks this man set for himself. And we must give him his due, these goals were achieved. A bird was bred that quickly gained weight, had a high egg production, was undemanding to living conditions, and could find its own food while out on the run.
Performance
The Orpington chicken breed has high production characteristics. The excellent quality and attractive appearance of the meat is especially valued by breeders of the breed.
- Weight of chickens 4-5 kg, roosters 5-7 kg;
- Egg production 150-160 eggs per year;
- Egg weight up to 70 g, dense beige shell;
- High egg fertility;
- Chick hatchability up to 93%;
- The hens have not lost their brooding instinct.
Thanks to the combination of the above qualities, Orpington chickens are gaining popularity in our country. In fact, the breed is universal, which especially attracts domestic poultry farmers.
Description of the breed
Roosters and hens of the Orpington breed look very massive due to their abundant plumage. The head is small in size, the neck is of medium length. It forms a single whole with the head, giving the impression that the head is set low. The chest of Orpington chickens is highly developed, voluminous, but low. The wide back appears short, as it is hidden under rich plumage. The back and saddle immediately merge into the tail. Although it is short, it is very wide and has a lot of feathers. The wings of birds of the breed in question are, as a rule, small in size and tightly pressed to the body. The leaf-shaped comb is erect, red in color, with 6 clearly cut teeth. The ear holes are red. The chickens' legs are strong and widely spaced. The thighs are covered with feathers, the legs are bare. Look at the photo to see what an Orpington rooster looks like.
A special feature of the breed is that hens look even stockier than roosters. They also have a more pronounced dorsal arch. The tail is very short, but thanks to the width of the back and the abundant feathers, it looks quite large. What Orpington chickens look like, look at the photo.
All of the above characteristics refer to breed standards. In most cases, a bird is discarded if it does not meet all the declared characteristics. The reason for culling may be: high chest, high waist, long tail, white or other colored ear holes.
Types of coloring
The Orpington breed is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful among chickens. To date, 11 colors of Orpingtons are known.Some are rare and are found only in amateur farms. See photographs and descriptions of the most famous varieties used for breeding and growing.
Black Orpingtons
The founders of the breed are black Orpingtons. These are the chickens that William Cook bred by crossing Spanish blacks. minors, Plymouthrocks and black Chinese Langshans. The new breed quickly became in demand in small farms. Many farmers have made attempts to improve the properties of the breed. Fortune smiled on Farmer Partington. He crossed black Orpingtons with black Cochins, which produced rich plumage. This is how the hereditary characteristics of the Orpington breed were fixed, which were somewhat different from the parent breed, but became its standards.
White Orpingtons
The following chicken breeds took part in the creation of the new colors: white cochinquin, white leghorn and dorking. The Dorkings gave the Orpingtons the meatiness they needed. White skin color improved the presentation of the carcass. Thanks to the optimal combination of various qualities, white chickens have become no less in demand than the black variety of the breed.
Fawn Orpingtons (golden, yellow black-edged)
The fawn Orpington was bred with the participation of dark Dorkings, fawn Cochins and Hamburg chickens. Hamburg chickens brought good adaptability to external living conditions to the breed. Fawn chickens are the most popular variety, surpassing black and white chickens in popularity. This is explained by the fact that they have a white carcass, gain weight well, are resistant to adverse natural conditions and at the same time maintain a fairly high egg production.
Red Orpingtons
Red Orpingtons were first exhibited at an agricultural exhibition in 1905 in Munich. Yellow Orpingtons with more intense colors were crossed with red Sussex, red Rhode Island and Wyandot. This type of breed, as well as those described below, are not as common as fawn, black or white Orpingtons.
Blue Orpingtons
A special feature of blue Orpingtons is the presence of a characteristic and original blue-gray color. The blue color is as if covered with dust, it is dim. Each feather is edged with a dark slate-colored stripe. The absence of spots of a different color, uniform coloring, dark eyes and beak indicate the purity of the breed.
Porcelain (porcelan, tri-color, chintz)
They appeared in the process of crossing motley Dorkings, fawn Cochins and golden Hamburg chickens. The main color of calico chickens is brick, each feather ends in a black spot, inside of which there is a white spot. That's why another name for chickens is tricolor. The tail feathers and braids are black, the tips of which end in white.
Deviations in color are unacceptable. For example, the predominance of white in the tail or faded plumage.
Striped Orpingtons
The main color is black intersected by light stripes. Light stripes are wider than black ones. Each feather ends in black. The beak and legs are light in color. A distinctive feature is that the down is also striped. Striped chickens are sometimes called hawk chickens.
Marble Orpingtons
The main color is black, turning into green in bright sunlight. The tip of each feather is painted white along the edge. The beak and legs are white.
The presence of a different color or even tint is not allowed.
Content Features
Representatives of this breed love to walk. Be sure to organize an aviary for them next to the poultry house. Fence it with a fence or mesh at least 1.5 m high. Although the bird is heavy, it is better to immediately stop attempts to leave the designated area.
If you want to keep a purebred bird, then keep Orpingtons separate from other chickens.
The presence of a purebred active rooster in the herd is mandatory. Usually they keep one rooster for every 10 hens. But it's better if there are two of them.
Chicken breeders characterize chickens as voracious. Therefore, they must be limited in their diet in order to avoid obesity, which, in turn, leads to a decrease in egg production and egg fertility. The quality of the meat also suffers.
It is better to feed the bird with grain of at least 5 types. It is better to avoid compound feed. Feeding regimen is 2 times a day. Early in the morning and at 15-16 hours.
Other requirements for keeping Orpingtons do not differ from the conditions of keeping other breeds: the presence of fresh water in drinking bowls, clean bedding on the floor, equipped perches and nests.
To ensure high egg production, calcium must be present in the feed. Additional sources of calcium: shells, chalk, limestone.
Clean spacious chicken coop, fresh air flow and lighting are necessary conditions for the life of chickens. The lack of fresh air, especially in winter, leads to temporary sterility in roosters.
Conclusion
English Orpingtons are quite capable of taking their rightful place in any homestead. The versatility of the breed, which is expressed in excellent productive characteristics, attracts many poultry farmers. The original appearance and a large number of different colors of Orpingtons will decorate your yard. You can watch the video about the breed:
