Orpingtons
The Orpington is named after the town of Orpington, Kent, in south-east England, which was made famous in part by this breed. It was bred to be an excellent layer with good meat quality. Its large size and soft appearance together with its rich colors and gentle contours make it very attractive, and as such its popularity has grown as a show bird rather than a utility breed, although their production is good at about 150-180 eggs per year. They are very gentle and friendly, and cold-hardy due to their fluffy plumage. They are not very good flyers and can be easily contained with an 18" fence.
There are two types of Orpingtons currently available in the US, the pure UK or English variety (imported recently from England) and the American utility hybrid, commonly sold at most hatcheries. The American version is typically less heavy and loose feathered than the English style which leans more toward the exhibition standard. English roosters have been known to top off at close to 12 lbs while hens upward of 9.5 to 10 lbs. The American utility orpingtons are significantly lighter.
We exclusively breed the English type, and currently have several varieties that we are working with and plan to add more. Be careful as you check out all the beautiful colors - they can be quite addicting! They are kind of like potato chips and horses - you can't have just one!
There are two types of Orpingtons currently available in the US, the pure UK or English variety (imported recently from England) and the American utility hybrid, commonly sold at most hatcheries. The American version is typically less heavy and loose feathered than the English style which leans more toward the exhibition standard. English roosters have been known to top off at close to 12 lbs while hens upward of 9.5 to 10 lbs. The American utility orpingtons are significantly lighter.
We exclusively breed the English type, and currently have several varieties that we are working with and plan to add more. Be careful as you check out all the beautiful colors - they can be quite addicting! They are kind of like potato chips and horses - you can't have just one!