Orpington Chickens Gallus gallus domesticus

Blue Orpington chicken Cockerel, blue
Blue Orpington chicken Hen, blue
Blue Orpington chicken Hen, blue
The Orpington chicken was developed in Orpington, Kent, England, in the 1800s as a dual purpose egg and meat provider with white meat. Hens lay some 200 light brown eggs a year.
Blue Orpington hen
Blue Orpington hen
Blue Orpington hen
There are several colour varieties, including blue (2 rows above), black, white, buff, spangled and jubilee (speckled tri-colour).
Buff Orpington chicken
Buff Orpington or Buff Cochin chicken
Black Orpington chicken
The Buff Orpington above left and centre and the Black Orpington above right. They are active, docile and good mothers.
Australorp or Cochin chicken
Australorp chicken
Australorp chicken
The Australorp above with its beautiful green iridescence on black was developed in Australia. While the Black Orpington was prized in UK for its white meat, the Australians prized its large brown eggs. In the early 1900s, imported Black Orpingtons were crossed with Rhode Island Red, Minorca, White Leghorn and Langshan to improve egg-laying. The resultant large table chicken with exceptional laying qualities of large brown eggs, while retaining the quiet, docile disposition, was later exported to UK, Europe and USA.
black line