USA APA: Buff, Black, White, BlueSplash in not recognized at this time.Also there are a few other colors of Orpington Projects under way in the USA as of today.
Breed Size
Large Fowl
APA/ABA Class
English
Color
The original breed colours/varieties are black, white, buff, blue and splash
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.
Orpington hen with chick
Orpington chick
Orpington hen
Orpington juvenile
Orpington rooster
For more about Orpingtons and their breeders's and owners' experiences with them, see our breed discussion here:
My orpington has the softest feathers ever and I love the color of the feathers too, she is big and cuddly. She is VERY hard to catch and hates me and the new chicks I introduced to the flock, though.
My BO chicks followed my daughter around the yard like she was "mom". They would scratch under her feet for a bug or grass clippings. They are friendly and if they are handled frequently, they will remain so. I'll also say that my egg production is down due to the short days even though I do have supplemental lighting. You'll enjoy your BOs.
I love the video! LOL How long did it take to train them? Thanks for sharing all the great pictures as well too. And the costume was absolutely adorable! lol
Thanks Diamondale. It really didn't take long. You can teach them to follow you by using treats. Soon, they will just come running because they think they'll be getting treats and before you know it, they are just obeying commands. They are smart little chickens!
Wow. How sad. I have all Buff Orpingtons and they are by far the sweetest, most loving hens that I could ever imagine. They have such great personalities, love to be held and petted. They play with my kids all the time (swimming, sledding, etc...) and they know their names! They follow us like little puppy dogs and come "run flying" when we call them. I agree with Whittni that maybe she needs some love?
I'm already planning to get 3 buff orps to add to my 2 marans... I just wanted to say that your photography is absolutely STUNNING! Wish I could take pictures that nice!
I agree, my buffs are just wonderful. I have 6 buffs, 1 chocolate bantam orp & 4 2 week old lavender orps & my buffs are my favorite, DH has taken the chocolate & lavs are just getting to know us though. People are really drawn to my buffs too.
Thank you very much! Photography is a hobby of mine. I really enjoy it. You are really, REALLY going to love your Buff Orpingtons. Ours are so much fun, and so lovable. They will be great pets for your children as well. ✿◠‿◠
I have a couple of Orpingtons who are always at my side in the barn. They always have to check things out and are friendly . When I sit they come and sit in my lap or sholder and are constantly rubbing my face for affection.
Awww! Thank you very much fatcatx! You are so nice. I have to admit. I was really scared that my cats would be an issue. The have always been outdoor animals, and very proficient hunters. It was shocking to see how young the chickies were when they dominated the cats! I hope you are able to get a couple BO's for your small flock!
They have been good layers. They did start late(November even though they were born in early April), and there was a period of several months that none of our chickens were laying, but now Ruthie is going strong again, and even more reliable than our RIR and red sex lik(who are even younger than Ruthie).
