Chicken Breed Focus - Orpington

[sumi]

The popular Orpington breed originated from the town of Orpington, Kent, in south-east England, where the original black Orpington was bred by William Cook in 1886. (Mr Cook also created the Orpington duck breed). Mr Cook crossed Minorcas, Langshans and Plymouth Rocks to create a new hybrid breed, from which he selected to breed a black bird, that would also exhibit well, by hiding the dirt and soot of London.
The breed was shown in Madison Square Gardens in 1895 and its popularity soared. Its large size and soft appearance together with its beautiful colours make it very attractive breed and as such its popularity has grown as a show bird rather than a utility breed. Hens are fairly often broody and are good mothers. Although rather heavy, they are able to fly small distances but rarely do so.
The original breed colours/varieties are black, white, buff, blue and splash. Although there are many additional varieties recognised throughout the world, for example the Jubilee Orpington, only the original colours are recognised by the American Standard, the Buff being the most common colour. In the beginning of the twentieth century, Herman Kuhn of Germany developed a Bantam variety of Orpingtons and the Bantam retains the appearance of the LF Orpingtons, but in a smaller size. There is a large variety of colours in the Bantam version, including black, blue laced, white, buff, red, buff black laced, barred, buff Columbian, and birchen.

Details:
Purpose: Dual; Exhibition
Egg laying: 175-200 eggs annually
Weight: Cocks: 7.9-10 lbs; Hens: 5.9-7.9 lbs
Colours/Varieties: Black, Buff, Blue, White, Red, Splash, Jubilee (and more)


Pic by @lauralou


Pic by @allaboutdemchicks


Pic by @cherylcohen


Pic by @Fowl Visions


Pic by @wilds of pa

BYC Breed Reviews:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/orpington

BYC Breed Discussions:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/495402/buff-orpington-thread/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/386051/the-imported-english-orpington-thread/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/426353/the-bantam-orpington-thread/0_30


Do you own Orpingtons? Are you an Orpington breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

We have a bunch of other awesome breed-focus threads for you to enjoy. You can see all of them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-project.975504/

 

[atravers]

I chose a Buff Orpington for its "cold hardiness" because I live in CT and its blonde like me! Hazel is one of three hens I ordered. Little did I know she would be the most affectionate chicken ever! I sit in the coop everyday for a chat with the girls and Hazel always hops up onto my lap. Once she has settled into her comfy position, I rub around her ears, she purrs and falls asleep. If I'm looking for a little love, Hazel is my go to gal. I have nine hens - all are pets. This is Hazel.

 

[machinfarm]

I raise and breed buff orpingtons. I chose them primarily because I wanted a meat bird that was also broody to be more self sufficient. I Love their friendly and inquisitive personalities, their little 'bloomers' it looks like they are wearing, and their general good health.

 

[pvidaurri]

I have two pet chickens, one is a Road Island Red named Nadine, the other, a Buff Orpington named Millie. Both are hysterically comical ..... from listening to them bickering with each other, to watching them dirt bathe in the deepest holes, to seeing them frolic in the mud looking for bugs. Millie loves to be picked up and would sit in your lap for hours if you'd let her.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

I absolutely adore my Buff Orpingtons! They are, by far, my favorite breed. Their friendly, affectionate, curious and sweet dispositions are my selling point.

I have three (Sunny, Daisy and Gracie) currently with hopes to get many more one day. Sunny is loud, curious, very soft and very friendly. Daisy is curious, friendly and very goofy. Gracie, my absolute favorite, is affectionate, sweet and every kind of friendly...towards me at least. When I reach to pet a chicken that isn't her, she runs over, gives them a swift peck on the head and jumps in my arms. She's not very fond of being held by others, so she definitely is her mama's girl. I love her to bits! I recommend Buff Orpingtons to every chicken owner looking for a hardy, friendly bird who will lay many eggs.
Gracie


Sunny


Daisy

 

[machinfarm]

I already submitted pictures but I just wanted to also show off my two roosters who, we were told when we got them, were twins from the same egg! I can't verify it but it's a good story and they sure do get along oddly well for two grown roosters.

 

[kfintoni]

These are our 4. We are brand new to chickens and I wanted a breed that was friendly with a good temperament.The picture on the bottom is when we got them 12 days ago. The picture on the top was a few days ago along with the 4 other chicks we got, two Black Australorps and two Silkies. They are growing fast.
Karen in MA

 

[CheyenneChick]

I picked my Buff Orpington for her hardiness...we live in Wisconsin. She turned out to be the prettiest and most lovable chicken of my brood! She was also a great egg layer!

 

[fullerfamfarm]

- we purchased buff orpingtons because we were told by friends that they were very docile. We have children so this was very important to us! For the most part they are, though our rooster gets a bit pecky from time to time

-We purchased our buffs for egg laying purposes.

-I like the temperament of our orpingtons, they are the most easy going of all our flock.

-I can attest to the flying abilities of orpingtons... they seem to grow their flying feathers back at a faster rate than our other breeds. Our buff rooster has a HUGE wing span, he seems to be half eagle!

2 of our Orpington ladies gossiping in the yard

​

Our resident chicken whisperer


Our Orpington rooster, King Aragorn


The King again

​

 

[RezChamp]

I just found out the original was black. cool

I've owned Orps for a few years now. Unfortunately only the Buff coloration. I would love to have maybe a cpl cocks and a dzn hens in every available color of the standard size.
Reason is because of all the chickens I've had the Orps have got to have the sweetest temperament. Yes there are other breeds that are personable, heavier/meatier, better layers, rousers when foraging for themselves, colorful(physically and characteristically speaking), but my Buff Orpinigtons have spoiled me. They are such good moms, good layers of good sized eggs right up till -20*C, gentle, friendly, seemingly intelligent, tec. If I am digging in the garden or picking up old staw and poop to make a smudge for the horses or raking at the wood pile or..or... they are the first to come running looking for Earthworms and other tasty morsels. They show the other chickens I am not a hazard to be around and actually quite benifitial to their digestive tract. The roosters are also gentle although not quite a trusting as the hens. Their combs aren't so very big thusly making these guys a bit more cold hardy than say an Australorp or RIR much less a Minorca or Leghorn. I've seen the Orp cocks are not as big on defending their harems as the RIR tho. But a nice carcass and easy to clean even though they have lots of feathers. And the color of these Buff Orpington cocks is gorgeous in the morning sun.....and the noon sun.........and the sunset... That almost metallic gold shimmer...gleam....sheen.. shine
So... anyways... if the other colors of Orps have the same "chicken"ality as mine then I want them all.

Play with me here...Imagine a 2 story house on a 200 yard diameter, 8ft high hill, in a bluff of new (60yrs)growth (mixed hardwoods, flowers, berry bushes of all kinds all sorts of shrubbery(all endemic species to Central Manitoba)) in the middle of a 1/2mile by 3/4 mile meadow surrounded by low grassland/sloughs bordered by mixed softwood& hardwood forest on 270degrees with an old(now drained) swamp stretching 10 miles on 90degrees..throw in a floorless, tin-roofed, log housing structure(on skids) in the middle a fenced area of about 7or8 acres of afore mentioned landscape filled with a veritable flower garden of free-range Orps.

This is so do-able but dang that's a lot of chicken fence...

Yes definitely something to consider.