Great Chicken Breed: Orpington

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The Orpington is a breed of chicken named after the town of Orpington, Kent, in South-East England.

Created by British poultry breeders at the turn of the 20th century by crossing Minorcas, Langshans and Plymouth Rocks to create a new hybrid bird. The Orpington chicken was made to be a hardy breed that can survive England’s most bitter winters, while still laying at a good rate. They lay around 160 good-sized brown eggs annually.

Orpington chickens are fluffy, friendly, and beautiful. A double purpose breed, they are quite hardy, and come in many colors (blue, lavender, buff, black, and white). Buff Orpingtons are colored like a shade of gold. The lighter colors of white or buff Orpington chickens may make them easier targets for predators.

If you’re after chicken breeds that also make good pets, the Orpington is a great choice. They are one of the few chicken breeds that like being handled and petted, and they favor human contact and attention, which makes them a perfect family chicken. They are very calm and docile birds which sometimes can unfortunately mean they are subjected to being bullied by other birds, so be wary of this when mixing them with your flock. Despite this, they are one of the more practical chicken breeds-tolerating confinement well, foraging when necessary, and are very cold tolerant. They are richly feathered which makes them extra soft and cuddly, and they come in both buff or white varieties.

These heavy-set, fluffy and cuddly chickens will be a figure of grace and dignity in any coop. Orpington chickens may seem homely and commonplace however these powerhouse egg laying wonders will make a great addition to any chicken lovers flock.

Video by Sonya Schaffer

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpington_chicken

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