Farmers and private farm owners have recently increasingly turned their attention to meat-and-egg breeds of chickens, which not only boast high egg production but also are early maturing and heavy. Orpingtons, a bird still considered exotic but with promising potential for breeding in our country, fit into this group.
Description of the breed
Orpingtons differ from most of their relatives in their skin color—it's white, not the usual yellow. This isn't a side effect of selective breeding, but a deliberate result. This was a top priority for English geneticists when developing the breed, as this type of bird was highly prized at the time.
But there were other goals.
You may be interested in:Breeders wanted to create a chicken breed that would meet the following criteria:
- unpretentiousness in care and maintenance;
- high egg production rates;
- large weight, providing a large amount of meat at the output;
- decorativeness.
Modern Orpington chickens meet all these parameters.
Appearance
The Orpington's massive body is covered with thick plumage, which gives the bird a particularly important and respectable appearance (photo).
Description of characteristic features:
- the body is cube-shaped, large, deep-set, with a muscular, deep and wide chest and a harmoniously folded belly;
- short wings fit tightly to the body;
- the metatarsus is strong, medium-sized, its color is determined by the general color of the feather;
- the tail is short, wide, with a lot of braids;
- the plumage is lush and soft;
- the head is small in relation to the body;
- medium-sized earrings and earlobes, red;
- the face is red, covered with light fluff;
- eye color varies from black to red-orange;
- the red leaf-shaped comb has 5-6 tips, erect;
- The neck, covered with lush plumage, is powerful and curved.
As for females, they differ from males only in their smaller size, short tail and more rounded belly.
You may be interested in:Representatives of the breed can have the following colors:
- black;
- white;
- fawn (yellow);
- tricolor;
- marble (black and white);
- blue;
- striped;
- partridge.
Performance
But their luxurious appearance is not the only reason why more and more farmers are choosing to keep and breed Orpington chickens.
This variety is prized primarily for its high productivity. The hens produce fairly large eggs, averaging 60-70 grams, and have very strong, thick-walled shells.
With proper care, a single hen can produce 160-170 eggs per year. A distinctive feature of Orpingtons is their long egg-laying period—practically their entire life.
Roosters of this breed are distinguished by their massiveness and large weight (4-5 kg), so they produce more meat than hens.
You may be interested in:But, despite the many advantages, this breed of bird also has a number of disadvantages:
- slow growth - chickens take a long time to gain weight, and, accordingly, more feed is required to raise an individual;
- relatively small amount of egg production per head per year.
Care and maintenance
One of the key requirements for proper chicken care is having a coop that meets the needs of Orpingtons. According to the breed's description (photo), this breed appears to be quite large, which should be taken into account when building a shed.
The room must be spacious, dry, and well-ventilated. Lack of ventilation can lead to the accumulation of harmful gases, which can lead to increased illness among the chicken coop's inhabitants. This is especially true during the winter, when chickens spend more time indoors. Furthermore, under such conditions, cockerels become less active, which impacts the hens' productivity, leading to unfertilized eggs.
Because Orpington hens have a fairly large body and impressive size, making them unable to fly, perches should be placed close to the floor. Even then, a ladder should be provided. The heavy birds often fall from their perches, so it's recommended to lay a layer of straw on the floor to prevent injury to the hens.
To reduce humidity levels, the floor of the poultry house is sprinkled with a thick layer of lime and only then is bedding laid, which can be wood shavings, straw, sawdust, or any other material intended for this purpose.
You may be interested in:Nutrition
Caring for chickens also involves providing them with adequate nutrition.
Orpingtons are a unique breed of poultry. According to descriptions, they are prone to weight gain (photo), especially in winter. In such cases, experts recommend restricting their diet, or putting them on a diet. This requires reducing the amount of heavy feed (grain) and feeding them lighter mixtures.
This is perhaps the only peculiarity of Orpington feeding. In general, they are considered to be fairly undemanding eaters.
Breeding
Orpington chickens are usually kept in a separate room, not allowing them to come into contact with other chickens.
As for breeding, to obtain high-quality incubation material, it is recommended to keep males and females in a ratio of 1:10.
However, experienced poultry farmers also acquire a few more males, which they release into the main flock at the right time. This trick can significantly increase productivity.
Hens of this variety have proven themselves to be excellent brood hens. However, it's important to keep in mind that hens, while smaller than roosters, are still quite large—a hen can easily crush unborn offspring. To prevent this, it's important to monitor the hen, provide her with appropriate living conditions, and regularly clean her nest.
The hatching egg must meet the following criteria:
- the surface of the shell is perfectly smooth, evenly colored, without spots;
- The material is stored horizontally for at least 5 days.
It's recommended to use clean eggs for incubation, as the future chick breathes through the shell. However, it's highly recommended not to wash the incubation material.
Orpington chickens, judging by photos and descriptions, are magnificent, stately birds with a cubic body shape and lush plumage. They are easy to care for, but require considerable investment. They eat a lot, but grow and gain weight very slowly. Despite this, many backyard owners prefer to breed this breed, as it has generally good characteristics.
Reviews
Evgeniya Sorokina, 32 years old, Orenburg
I first saw Orpington chickens at an agricultural exhibition held in the regional center. I was struck by the bird's appearance—its luxurious plumage, combined with its large size, gave it a certain dignity and grandeur. I almost immediately wanted to acquire such a beauty, fortunately, we live in a private house. We bought a dozen hens and a male. They quickly adapted to their new home and began laying eggs. I should also mention that Orpingtons are completely unafraid of people. We noticed this when almost all the neighbors came to see them. We plan to breed these birds in the future, and I hope everything will work out.
Elena Kovaleva, 45 years old, Troitsk
One day, my mother saw an article in a magazine about chicken breeds. The photos showed mature chickens. Her eye fell on a photo of Orpington hens, and after reading the description, she decided she had to buy them. She bought two dozen chicks (thinking it would be cheaper), but in reality, it turned out to be the opposite. The chicks grew rather slowly, but they ate regularly and in large quantities. They didn't reach their full weight until they were about 10-11 months old. But they started laying eggs at about six months old, which was very pleasing. Now they've grown into such beauties, it's a joy to behold. It's worth the effort and feed.
Oksana Vydrina, 39 years old, Vologda region.
A friend of mine has been raising this breed of chicken for many years. I particularly liked these birds, and I bought some grown chicks from her. Olga (that's my friend's name) warned me that they take a long time to grow and gain weight, so they're quite expensive to maintain. But I haven't regretted buying these sweet little birds at all. They're already grown and laying eggs, quite large ones at that. They're easy to care for and maintain, and have a very calm and quiet disposition. I plan to breed the breed, but I've heard that to maintain the breed's characteristics, it's necessary to periodically replace the roosters.
Valentin Osipov, 53 years old, Chelyabinsk
We've been keeping these large, yet decorative, chickens for several years now. Overall, we're happy—the meat is incredibly tasty, and the eggs are large. They don't require any special care or maintenance—they're easy-to-care-for birds and get along well with other yard animals.
Olga Mansurova, 44 years old, Astrakhan
Orpingtons aren't particularly agile even when they're young, but I've noticed that my sweet little birds refuse to budge. I was advised to reduce their food intake because the hens are already bloated with fat, which could lead to decreased egg production and poorer meat quality. I've put them on a diet to help them lose weight. Overall, keeping hens isn't much of a hassle.
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