Orpington vs austrolorp

[Chickenpoonumber2]

Can someone explain to me the difference between black austrolorps and orpingtons? I have 2 chocolate orpingtons that came from hoover hatchery. 1 looks very much like an orpington, getting the fluffy butt and the other....not so much.

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

ALSO does anyone know when they would start to look more "chocolate"? To me they just look black.

 

[ella2025]

ALSO does anyone know when they would start to look more "chocolate"? To me they just look black.

They are chocolate, I believe. Chocolate is a very very very dark brown, basically black. But if you take a black chicken and compare it to the chocolate one it's gonna look much darker, much shinier feathers

 

[DSJMHenDen]

My black chickens have a green sheen to them. I have no chocolate girls though, so nothing compare to... side note...I see you have a white chicken, was it also from Hoovers? What was it sold as?

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

They are chocolate, I believe. Chocolate is a very very very dark brown, basically black. But if you take a black chicken and compare it to the chocolate one it's gonna look much darker, much shinier feathers

Thanks! I need to stop looking at Internet chickens I guess, because they are these huge fluffy brown chickens and then I start having doubts.

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

My black chickens have a green sheen to them. I have no chocolate girls though, so nothing compare to... side note...I see you have a white chicken, was it also from Hoovers? What was it sold as?

Those are my white leghorns!
Edit- yes they were also from hoovers.

 

[Pukkits]

We got five chocolate orpingtons this year, our first chocolates. Mine are all very dark brown, like 90% cocao. I agree with others statements, they aren't black as all black chickens I've had had an iridescent green in the sun. These girls are matte super dark brown.
I agree on body type too, ours are like yours. The chocolates are much more streamlined than I expected. They don't look like orpingtons compared to our waddly buff or the three new lavenders, that look like ruffled rainy cumulus clouds, super fluffy butts.
I'm hoping our chocolates puff with age, as I think they'd be adorable all floofy.

 

[Chickenpoonumber2]

We got five chocolate orpingtons this year, our first chocolates. Mine are all very dark brown, like 90% cocao. I agree with others statements, they aren't black as all black chickens I've had had an iridescent green in the sun. These girls are matte super dark brown.
I agree on body type too, ours are like yours. The chocolates are much more streamlined than I expected. They don't look like orpingtons compared to our waddly buff or the three new lavenders, that look like ruffled rainy cumulus clouds, super fluffy butts.
I'm hoping our chocolates puff with age, as I think they'd be adorable all floofy.

Lol yes I thought there would be so much more fluff! That's why I was starting to think maybe they are actually austrolorps or something. I am glad that they look like they should.

 

[Sally PB]

I have 5 Australorps: 3 black and 2 blue. I have one Jubilee Orpington.

I once read the description of Orpingtons as "fluffy bowling balls, with a head and legs," and that fits my girl. My Australorps are much more sleekly shaped and narrow. My Aussies walk. My Orp waddles.

My Orpington (aged 4) is also the bird I have that goes broody. Twice this year already. My 5 year old Australorps have never gone broody.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

The different colors of Orpingtons have different genetic backgrounds. Australorps are the most distant of the Orpington family because Australians mixed in several new breeds for utility purposes