A fine example of a mature male
(weighing in at over 12lb)
The Buff Orpington
The Orpington was created by William Cook and named
after the village in Kent where he lived. The first variety to be introduced
was the Black Orpington in 1886, followed by the White Orpington in 1889, and
the Buff Orpington in 1894, with the Blue and Jubilee in later years. Within a
very short time the breed became popular with exhibitors, and as a result
various crosses were made with the Cochin and the Langshan; the result being
that most strains had greatly increased size and quantity of feather but lost
the dual-purpose ability of the original birds.
A fine example of a mature
male
(weighing in at over 12lb)
The Orpington is undoubtedly one of the 'gentle giants' of the Poultry world, it is a very placid, docile breed and does become exceedingly tame. They are very sedate birds with rather small wings, and clearing even a two-foot high fence seems to be beyond their capability and most certainly beneath their dignity!! The Poultry Club of Great Britain classifies the Orpington as a Heavy breed and the Breed Standard recognises various colours.
In the early days of the breed it was a very popular dual-purpose breed with a very good reputation as a layer, especially during the winter months, as well as for producing large fleshy white skinned table-birds. As time passed the utility strains lost ground and today it is basically a 'show breed', the laying ability has been largely ignored, and even the best utility strains rarely achieve 150 eggs a year. The eggs which are a light tint are surprisingly small in comparison with the large body size of the hen.
Eggs or no eggs they are great characters, very amusing to
watch, and look really great strolling around the place. If that wasn't enough
the Orpington cock must surely have the deepest most sonorous crow of any
breed! Unfortunately the massive weight and heavy feathering is not suited to
hot summer weather and over a two day period of very high temperatures during
the hot summer of 2006 four of our birds succumbed to the heat, despite being
in the coolest and most shaded house. With the possibility of summers becoming
warmer there is no intention of replacing them. But they certainly were great
to have about the place .....
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| Two young pullets out for a stroll ..... |
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| . | The Poultry Club of Great
Britain Breed Standard for the Buff Orpington |
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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS : MALE Carriage: Bold, upright and graceful; that of an active fowl. Type: Body deep, broad and cobby. Back nicely curved with a somewhat short, concave outline. Saddle wide and slightly rising, with full hackle. Breast broad, deep and well rounded not flat. Wings small, nicely formed and carried closely to the body, the ends almost hidden by the saddle hackle. Tail rather short, compact, flowing and high, but by no means a squirrel tail. Body wedge shaped, wide at the shoulders and narrowing slightly to root of tail. Back long, flat and sloping slightly to the tail. Breast prominent, and breast bone straight. Wings large, carried tightly and well tucked up. Tail moderately full at an angle of 45° from the line of the back. Head: Small and neat, fairly full over the eyes. Beak strong and nicely curved. Eyes large and bold. Comb single, small, firmly set on the head, evenly serrated and free from side sprigs. In the Black variety the comb may be single or rose, the latter small, straight and firm, full of fine work or small spikes, level on top (not hollow in centre), narrowing to a distinct peak lying well down to the head (not sticking up). Ear lobes small and elongated. Neck: Of medium length, curved, compact with full hackle. Legs and feet: Legs short and strong, the thighs almost hidden by the body feathers, well set apart. Toes, four, straight and well spread. Plumage: Fairly profuse but close, not soft, loose and fluffy as in the Cochin, or close and hard as in the Game Fowl. Handling : Firm. FEMALE The general characteristics are similar to those of the male. Her cushion should be wide but almost flat, and slightly rising to the tail, sufficient to give the back a graceful appearance with an outline approaching concave. COLOUR Plumage, Buff Variety, Male and Female: Clear even buff throughout to the skin. In both sexes: Beak white or horn. Eyes red or brown. Comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles bright red. Legs, feet and toe-nails white. Skin white. Standard Weights : Mature Cock: 8 to 10lb. Mature Hen: 6 to 8lb. Old birds are sometimes heavier. |
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Serious Defects : Side spikes on comb. White in ear-lobes. Feather or fluff on shanks or feet. Long legs. Any deformity. Yellow skin or yellow on shanks or feet. Coarseness in head, legs or feather. Disqualification : Trimming or faking |
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