Nowadays, poultry farmers are engaged in breeding three main breeds of chickens: egg, meat and meat and egg. All of them are very popular. But nevertheless, poultry of meat breeds, in particular chicken orpington, are considered the most popular. And this is not surprising, since in a fairly short time, it can increase a decent body weight.
Breeding history
Orpington is a breed of chickens that got its name thanks to the eponymous city located in England, in the county of Kent. Its creator is a certain William Cook, who wanted to breed a poultry that meets all then requirements, and the main one was the presence of white skin.
He began his work on the derivation of orpingtons in 1876. At first, the crests of birds had two forms: leaf-shaped and pink-shaped. But then they left only the first of them. William Cook used dark plymouthrocks, minor, and langshans to form the breed.
Most of the breeders liked the new breed so much that the breeders immediately set about improving it. The most successful was the work of Parington, who crossed the black cochin with the hybrid obtained by Cook. As a result, the orpington chicken received a magnificent plumage, which became the hallmark of this breed. The English breeders continued their experiments until the bird acquired the species that is still considered the reference species.
general description
Orpington is a breed of chickens whose representatives have not only a wide chest, but also the same body. Despite this, her head is small, with a scarlet crest. The earlobes in chickens are red, with round earrings.
The body of the orpington resembles a cube in shape, which makes them massive in appearance. It is formed by the width and depth of the body, rather broad shoulders, a short tail and short stature. The impression is further enhanced by the very magnificent plumage that the orpington chicken has.
The legs of birds of dark and blue colors are black. In all other cases, pink and white. The plumage is soft, and the wings and tail are small. I must say that Orpington chickens have a more squat look than roosters. Eye color is completely dependent on the color of the plumage.
Orpington is a breed of chickens whose representatives are considered the most beautiful poultry. In addition, they compete well with other species not only in meat, but also in egg productivity. These chickens have a noble article and look very attractive. Therefore, they can decorate any bird's yard.
Color
There are 11 colors of plumage, according to which the orpington hens are distinguished: fawn, or yellow, black, blue, red, white, birch, black and white, striped, porcelain, yellow with black bordering and partridge.
Black orpingtones were originally bred by William Cook. In addition to excellent productive qualities, they still attracted attention and a rather unusual and bright appearance. Many poultry farmers wanted to somehow improve the new breed, so over time hens and other colors appeared.
White orpingtones were first seen at an exhibition held in 1889. They appeared from the crossing of white leggorn with black hamburg. As a result, the resulting white hens mated with dorkings of the same color.
Fawn orpingtones appeared at the exhibition after 5 years. Such chickens were obtained from the crossing of three breeds: golden Hamburg, dark dorkings and fawn kokhinkhins. From the moment of its appearance until today, birds with this color are considered the most common.
After 3 years, porcelain orpingtons were presented, in time for the diamond anniversary of Queen Victoria. It is believed that they were bred in the same way as fawn, but not with dark, but with colorful dorkings.
In 1899, orpingtons for the first time appeared in black and white. They were also bred by mixing three breeds: silver-spotted Hamburg, striped Plymouth and black Dorking.
In 1900, blue orpingtones were introduced by Parington. I must say that there are very few of them, and they are an amateur variety of this breed.
Egg selection
Experienced poultry farmers know that in order to get a good brood of chickens, you need to adhere to several basic requirements from the very beginning. And the most important of them is the correct selection of eggs. To do this, you need an ovoscope. With its help, the correct shape of the eggs is determined, as well as the presence of cracks in the shell. Only after it becomes clear that there are no defects, they can be attributed to the breeding and choose to breed chickens. After that, the egg is stored for no more than a week in a cool and dry room.
If all these conditions are met, hatched chickens will be strong and viable.
Growing and feeding young animals
For the prevention of various diseases from the 3rd to the 5th day of life, chickens, in addition to glucose, must be given the antibiotic Enrofloxacin. And from the 6th to the 8th, their diet should be replenished with vitamins. After three weeks, you will need to repeat the procedure for using antibiotics.
Next, the primary goal facing the poultry breeder is to ensure a balanced diet of chickens. From the 1st to the 3rd day, they definitely need to give a boiled egg, crushed on a grater. One chicken will be enough 1/30 part. Corn grits and millet are also great. On the 4th day, you can add a little greens to the diet, such as nettles or onions.
Experts advise Orpington chickens to give only boiled water during the first two weeks, and later they can be fed raw.
When the chicks turn 2 months old, they begin to feed them with mixtures of various cereals, like adult birds. It is very good when until the very end of autumn they will receive juicy grass, such as knotweed or dandelion.
Chicken Feeding Rules
In order for the brood to grow strong and healthy, you need to pay attention not only to feed. The intervals between meals should also be observed. Feeding chickens, whose age does not exceed 10 days, is performed every 2, and up to 45 - every 3 hours. For adult chickens and orpington chicks that have grown up, the interval between feeding is 4 hours.
Despite the excellent and balanced daily feeding, some individuals can sometimes lag behind in development. This does not mean that they will not survive. Just such chickens need to pay more attention than the rest, to feed them additionally.
Growing Features
For chickens of this breed, it is not necessary to make an aviary too large, since their content does not require much space. This is due to the fact that they almost do not run, do not fly. Despite this, you still have to take into account some features of the breeding of orpingtons. Here are the main ones:
● Young growth . Chickens are quite demanding in terms of feed, especially chickens.
● Power . Before you get these chickens, you need to know that they always eat a lot. Most of them may suffer from obesity from this. Therefore, the owners always need to ensure that the birds do not gain excess weight and feel good.
● Ventilation of rooms. Due to the lack of air exchange, chickens can suffer from anemia, especially in the cold season, which can affect their reproduction.
● Growth . Orpingtons are late-ripening birds. After all, their chickens grow very slowly. As you know, orpington is a breed of chicken that belongs to the meat species and, according to the logic of things, should give a quick increase. But in this case, this pattern does not apply. The owner will have to be patient and wait until the chickens have reached puberty.
● Haircut . In order to improve breeding, it is necessary to cut feathers around the anus in the form of a small funnel.
Feeding
Before you purchase chicken feed, you must first ensure its good quality. Whenever possible, it is best to buy whole grains, since they have a fairly long shelf life, and besides, there are no any impurities in it. It’s best to mix bird food on your own rather than take it from untested manufacturers.
As you know, the high-quality breeding of Orpington hens directly depends on the proper selection of food for them. Food should consist of at least 6 components. This will greatly facilitate rapid weight gain, and also provide their body with the necessary trace elements and vitamins.
Feeding adult chickens and roosters is preferably done at the same time: in the morning - at 7-8 hours, and in the evening - 1 hour before the lights go out. Particular attention should be paid to water. When there is heat, it is necessary to change the water in the drinkers at least 3 times a day. Otherwise, various pathogenic bacteria begin to multiply rapidly in it.
Do not forget that orpington chicken also needs a separate feeder, which should be filled with egg shells, shells and limestone. This is necessary for laying hens to restore the necessary amount of calcium in the body, because in order to lay an egg, she will need 14 times more of this element than she gets from food. But for roosters such feeding is not needed at all.
Room and feeders
On private courtyards, the chicken coop can be built from cinder block, while the ceiling height should be at least 2 meters. It is better to concrete the floor, and then cover it with bedding. In the cold season, its thickness should be at least 8 cm, and in the warm - about 6 cm. And most importantly, the litter should always be dry, otherwise not only young animals, but also adults will suffer from excess moisture.
Drinkers for chickens should be installed at the level of their breasts, and feeders should be 3 cm higher. With this arrangement, birds sprinkle less feed on the litter.
Prices
The poultry breed Orpington is very popular in many countries. Hens in Ukraine and Russia have taken root quite a long time ago, their farmers breed with pleasure. It is not surprising that this bird is very popular, as its meat is very tasty. Therefore, Orpington chickens, the price of which, in comparison with others, is slightly higher, are in demand even in the most prestigious restaurants.
The cost of birds depends on their color. In Ukraine, adult individuals cost from 300, daily chickens - from 50, and an incubation egg - from 15 UAH. a piece.
In Russia, there is also no difficulty in acquiring orpington poultry. Chickens, the price of which varies for one incubation egg from 100 to 350, for a 7-day-old chicken - 230-450, and for an adult - from 600 rubles, perfectly take root both in private farmsteads and in large farms.
Opinion
Orpington is a breed of chickens whose reviews vary. I must say that the opinion about it depends more on the views and habits of the breeders themselves. Many of them more than positively evaluate the productive qualities of these poultry.
Those owners who hold orpingtons for more than one year, say that this is one of the best meat breeds. Keeping and raising these chickens is a good option for large families, because the weight of live weight of one bird can reach 5-7 kg. Each hen can lay up to 150 eggs per year weighing approximately 53 g.
Those owners who have kept them for years say that one of the best meat breeds is precisely the orpingtons. Reviews indicate that this bird gives dense and tender meat, and the broth from it turns out to be rich.