Black Orpington hen

Black Orpington rooster

Head of a black Orpington hen

Orpington hens, Splash, Blue, Buff

Jubilee Orpingtons, 12 weeks, pullet and cockerel

The Orpington is a large bird from the English class of chickens. It is a bold, upright breed with a wide chest, broad back, and smallish head and tail. The Orpington was bred as a dual-purpose breed (meat production and eggs), but its popularity grew as a show bird rather than a utility breed. Their large size and soft appearance together with their rich color and gentle contours make them very attractive. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1984x1488, 647 KB) Summary Orpington chicken. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1984x1488, 647 KB) Summary Orpington chicken. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1984x1488, 613 KB) Summary Orpington chicken. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1984x1488, 613 KB) Summary Orpington chicken. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1984x1488, 383 KB) Orpington chicken File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Orpington (chicken) User:RexNL/Photos ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1984x1488, 383 KB) Orpington chicken File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Orpington (chicken) User:RexNL/Photos ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (919x565, 445 KB) Orpington hens: Splash, Blue, Buff File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (919x565, 445 KB) Orpington hens: Splash, Blue, Buff File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (733x838, 597 KB) Pair of 12 week old Jubilee Orpingtons (large fowl). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (733x838, 597 KB) Pair of 12 week old Jubilee Orpingtons (large fowl). ... Aves redirects here. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A breed is a domesticated subspecies or infrasubspecies of an animal. ...

History

The original Orpington (the Black) was developed in 1886 by William Cook. He crossed Minorcas, Langshans and Plymouth Rocks to create the new hybrid bird. Cook named the breed after his home town in Kent. The first Orpingtons looked very much like the Langshan and were black. Between 1889 and 1905, Cook also created white, buff and blue colored Orpingtons. The breed was famous for its great egg-capacity. William Cook (1932-) is the founder of medical equipment manufacturer Cook Group. ... The Langshan is a German breed of chicken. ... Barred Plymouth Rock rooster. ... Orpington is a place in the London Borough of Bromley. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... The Langshan is a German breed of chicken. ...

Appearance

Some characteristics of an Orpington are:

• Heavy (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 small comb.
• Large and usually tame

Colors

Besides the original colors (black, white, buff, blue), lots of other varieties exist today, e.g. porcelain ( = Jubilee, speckled), red, mottled and birchen. The original colors are still the most widely bred varieties.

Eggs

Orpingtons lay between 110 and 160 eggs a year. They do not stop laying in the winter. The eggs are tinted and range from small to large depending on the heredity of the breed. Hens tend to go broody more than other heavy egg breeds, which is to say occasionally.

External Links

• http://www.mypetchicken.com/Orpington-B80.aspx - Buff Orpington picture and Orpington breed information