Orpington chicken breed: description and characteristics, varieties, content rules

Purebred Orpington chickens are popular among breeders. Poultry farmers prefer the English breed, as it is considered universal. Adults reach a weight of 5 kilograms and produce up to 180 eggs per year. At the same time, the bird is not too “finicky”, it is kept in a chicken coop, and cage keeping of Orpingtons is also practiced.

Origin

It all started over 30 years ago, when a breeder from England decided to develop a breed of chicken that would meet all the needs of gourmets. William Cook dreamed of having white-skinned birds in England.

But you can't say that he got what he wanted. Cook managed to breed a breed that was larger, but the characteristics of the individuals were not ideal. After the death of the breeder, work continued, thanks to bold experiments in crossing various breeds, it was possible to bring out a bird that would meet all the necessary characteristics.

It is believed that the breeding took at least 30 years, but in fact it all started much earlier. Thanks to Cook's efforts, they managed to get "material" for work, after his death, scientists continued experiments, eliminating existing imperfections.

The result of the work was a universal breed with impressive size and good egg production.

Description and characteristics of Orpington chickens

According to classical descriptions, the bird meets the following characteristics:

1. Has a short neck, straight and broad back, protruding chest.
2. The chicken body is covered with loose plumage, it has a cuboid shape.
3. Due to the large weight and wings pressed to the carcass, which are also short, the bird does not actually fly.

Chickens are smaller than roosters, but the difference is negligible.

Let's talk about the virtues of the breed:

• not picky about containment conditions;
• are distinguished by high, but not record-breaking, egg production rates;
• not fast, but steadily gaining weight.

Attention! Breeders note as an advantage the fact that representatives of this species are distinguished by a friendly character. They are phlegmatic, do not show aggression.

Orpington also has disadvantages that should be considered when breeding:

1. Chickens are prone to obesity, which affects egg production. Overweight individuals reproduce slowly.
2. If you don't take care of the chicken coop, don't change the layers of the litter, don't follow the food of the birds, then they can get sick.

It is worth controlling the portion size in winter, when individuals do not move much.

Appearance and varieties

There are about 11 varieties of chickens of this breed. Birds differ in color, but not in behavior.

Black

Rooster, like chicken, has a dark color, black feathers can have a greenish or even bronze tint. This is the ancestor of the breed, so the standards are strict. Chickens have dark or brown eyes. But the appearance of spots, white tint, red eyes is considered unacceptable.

Black-bordered

Color means a combination of several colors: brown, black and white. The chicken is a golden-black in color. At the same time, the chest or belly of the bird is black.

White

A large bird, absolutely snow-white, with the same beak. The eyes are orange. The appearance of spots on the body, a change in the color of plumage, red eyes - this is the degeneration of the breed.

Marble

The main color of the color is black, all feathers on the tip end with a white spot, the color is uniform. Reminds me of a marble pattern.

Yellow

Appeared in 1894, when they managed to cross the golden-rimmed Orpington with dark Dorkings. Gold, red or fawn color does not affect its egg production, but among poultry farmers it is believed that the banded Orpington has increased egg production.He has white skin and a large meat carcass.

Porcelain

The plumage is tricolor, each feather has a "pearl" - a white spot. The eyes of individuals are red-orange, but the beak is white or cream.

Blue

Interesting bird color; blue feathers have a dark, black edging. The beak is black or slate. The eyes are brown or dark.

Striped

This color is also called "hawk", because the poultry looks like a hawk. Feathers of two colors, mostly black with a green tint.

Chocolate

Red-brown bird with characteristic white streaks on feathers that merge into stripes. The wings are darker than the neck and tail, the chest is brown.

A bird of any color is eligible for sampling if it has the following traits:

• long body;
• non-standard foot length;
• too long tail with fluffy feathers;
• yellow skin, sunken chest;
• other defects are included in the list.

Breed productivity

Orpington hens have moderate egg production, which declines over the years. In the first year of life, the chicken lays up to 180 eggs, in the second year the figure drops and amounts to 140-150 eggs.

If the bird is obese, then the indicator decreases, but it can be restored if you pay attention to the diet: exclude compound feed, preferring germinated wheat.

The average size of a bird depends on its gender:

1. Chickens, on average, weigh no more than 4 kilos.
2. But roosters reach a mass of 5 kilograms.

Character of chickens

Such birds are phlegmatic, they do not show aggression, they are very friendly towards people.

Conditions and care

To keep this breed of birds, the chicken coop will have to be reconstructed to meet the needs of orpingtons.

Coop Requirements

By their nature, birds practically do not rise into the air - they are too heavy, and their anatomical structure is special. And this means that the poles are located close to the ground. The ideal option is the shape of the poles in the form of a ladder, along which the chicken can move freely.

Reference: you can completely remove the perch by preparing bedding for chickens.

How to make bedding, recommendations:

• sprinkle lime;
• line it with straw, hay or dry grass;
• bedding should be as dry as possible.

As soon as it gets wet, the risk of developing infectious diseases increases significantly. To prevent this from happening, change the top layer of your bedding regularly to keep it dry.

During the process of decay, bacteria warm the litter, which helps maintain a certain temperature in winter.

Playing yard

According to the rules, its size exceeds the area of the chicken coop by 2-3 times. You can fence the yard using mesh or other material. It is advisable to prepare something like a paddock where the birds will feel comfortable.

Feeders and drinkers

Often, poultry farmers make a common mistake when keeping chickens - they pour feed on the ground. This leads to increased feed consumption.

It is better to organize feeders by following these rules:

feeders of 10-12 centimeters will be enough.For young animals:

For an adult:
	depending on age, up to 2 weeks - 2-5 centimeters.

The size of the feeder and drinker depends on the number of chicken coop, it is necessary to provide individuals with free access to food and water.

Diet

In terms of fundamental principles, feeding Orpingtons is not much different from similar procedures carried out in relation to other chickens. But it is worth considering that representatives of the breed are prone to obesity, so their diet, as well as the portion size, is regulated.

Chickens

You should follow the following rules:

• fed until the age of 2 weeks with compound feed;
• on the 3rd day add a grated chicken egg;
• on day 5 - boiled millet and corn grits.

On the fifth day you can give greens: onion feathers, dandelions, young nettles. To prevent protein deficiency - fat-free cottage cheese.

Adults

You can use compound feed, vitamin mixtures. If the bird has significantly gained weight, then it is “put on a diet” - germinated wheat is added to the diet, and the portion size is reduced.

How to propagate?

So that they do not mix with other breeds, a separate enclosure is being built for Orpingtons. One or two roosters are left for the winter so that the hens are not left alone in the spring.

Chickens of this species are good hens, but they crush eggs in nests due to their large mass. The poultry farmer will have to inspect the nests and clean them.

Common diseases

Chickens have good immunity, if they follow the rules for care and feeding, they rarely get sick. Some diseases are disturbed due to lack of vitamins. Also, avoid contact of poultry with wild birds, as this may result in the death of laying hens.

Don't forget that pet Orpingtons need to be vaccinated against diseases:

1. Tuberculosis.
2. Avian flu.
3. Marek's disease, Newcastle.

The prospect of breeding Orpingtons in Russia

In our country, this breed is only gaining popularity. In England it is much more common. The advantages make its breeding promising, because as a result you can get what you want: meat or eggs.

In addition to productivity, chickens are unpretentious, they do not require special conditions for keeping. However, there is one drawback - it is unlikely that you will be able to buy chickens and adults cheaply.

English chickens and roosters are considered the best option for keeping them at home. A small number of Orpingtons will easily overwinter in a chicken coop, and in the spring will bring offspring. By autumn, the poultry farmer will have young birds that can be left for breeding or used for other purposes.

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