AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Have to agree good reading soozorps

Thats ok maybe I could give you the info and you could write it up, bit like doing my home work for me

Very impressed with this I have just got my first trio so it is very useful

what colour are the trio Lorry? I am assuming they are Orps

Yes they are buff and as of Sunday I have a black hen which I will keep on her own for now as I do not what to mix black into my buffs

Good common sense there – Black into Buff is not a good idea – but a nice Blue or even a Splash or better still all 3 would make a nice Black/Blue/Splash pen and as the 3 colours are related it would save on the number of pens needed
once the Orp Nats are over there should be some top quality birds available

the link below will give info about the show itself



viewtopic.php?f=21&t=8740&hilit=+Orpington+Brahma+National+Show

It is good to read comprehensive information on orps from someone with first hand experience

Hi dyson, I see this is yr 3rd post = to the forum

Thanks for the comment = wait for the next part – it will give more info

# This is all my own work acquired after much research and another part of the 'article'. It is written after much research and consultation with other breeders of high standing within the exhibition world, also Judges who specialise in the breed
As the breed was developed in England there is significant content from that country as well as an amount from here in Australia. Written with license as to the knowledge of the author only.

A bit of background
In the nineteenth century William Cook decided to keep chickens. He rose to prominence as an enterprising poultry developer of the day. He became a prolific journalist in poultry matters. He was a lecturer, adviser and consultant. He took in students, sold appliances, medicines, poultry foods, fattening powders and published the “Poultry Keepers Account Book”, the most complete of its kind at the time, and it sold for one shilling (5 pence).
William Cook is immortalised for his development of the Orpington. So named for the town he lived in. This put William on the poultry map and the breed has given pleasure to generations.
In 1880 William Cook started mixing various breeds to produce a black fowl ‘of handsome appearance and a good winter layer’.
By 1886 these black fowl had made their appearance at the three big Dairy, Crystal Palace and Birmingham shows in England.
It was two years later that a separate classification was given for the Black Orpington. This was at the 1888 Dairy Show at Islington where there were 14 cockerels and 19 pullets in the two classes.
The Orpington Club [British] was formed in 1887 and afterwards promotion of the breed was accelerated, but it was not until 1900 that the black approached a distinct kind. Joseph Partington and some friends are credited with transforming the Black Orpington, by increasing the body bulk and feather to the standard we are used to seeing today. To achieve this they incorporated the Cochin, with these new profusely feathered birds becoming the ‘show’ Orpington.
A quantity of these Black Orpingtons were taken to Australia. Originally they were launched as a utility fowl and ‘the breed’ prospered well in that form in this country.
Some Australian families developed these early Orpingtons into the now world famous Australian breed and a number were returned to England under its new briefer name, taken from the import company, Australorp Farms Ltd.
However, in 1937, one Australian family acquired some of the Black Orpingtons from England and have maintained and exhibited the line ever since as an excellent example of this magnificent breed. This line has been integrated into some later imported lines with great success. Walter is the name of the gent in question.

Following the single comb the Rose Comb Black variety was debuted in 1888 in England. Its origin was similar to the one preceding it, so presumably either the Plymouth Rock or Langshan threw some Rose Combed progeny. This Rose Comb variety is not currently recognised in Australia, but potentially will be recognised in the 2nd Edition of the Australian Poultry Standard, bringing the Standard into line with overseas.

Next, as a distinct variety, came the Buff Orpington. Believed to be produced to meet the by then large demand for Buff plumaged fowl. Original work first commenced on the Buff in 1886 with its first public appearance at the 1894 Dairy Show [England]. The Buff captured the imagination of the public even more than the Black. For many years the Buff was both one of the most popular exhibition fowl and by far the most popular heavy breed for utility purposes. Since the winner of the class of 56 pullets was awarded the Silver Medal at the 1899 Dairy Show [England], there has never been a time when Buff Orpingtons have not been seen at shows around the country. This is due in part to the support of the Buff Orpington Club [UK] which, founded in 1898 has given continuous service ever since. The Rose Combed Buff variety appeared in England in 1891.

The Buff Orpington was the favoured breed/colour of the late H M Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The first of these Royal birds was presented to The Queen Mother in 1977 and Mr Arthur Hammond Browne became ‘Stud Master’ at Sandringham. A farm in North Yorkshire was chosen as the base for Her Majesty’s exhibition birds and Mr Will Burdett became ‘The Keeper of the Royal Buff Orpingtons’. The Buff has been the most popular colour in Australia for many years in both std size and bantam. Its attractive hue and red eyes give a regal look contributing to this popularity.

The first White Orpingtons to appear in 1892-93 had Rose Combs. Very few of these birds were exhibited making it virtually impossible to trace them in those early days. They were revived in 1912, leaving only questions about those early three varieties of Rose Combed Orpingtons. Curiously, none of the specialist UK Clubs deleted them from their Standards. 100 years later, the British Black Standard still lists the Rose Comb variety.
The lasting White Orpington was the single comb that first appeared in 1899. Their inventor Godfrey Shaw dubbed them ‘Albions’. However, Orpington enthusiasts claimed them as their own, as they resembled in most details an ideal White Orpington. At sometime a White Orpington Club was formed in England, but no details are traceable. The White is still an ‘infant’ in Australia but is fast becoming as popular as the other colours available, with numbers of excellent birds being exhibited.

The Diamond Jubilee Orpington owes its name to the date of its first public appearance [1897]. This was the Diamond Jubilee year of Queen Victoria. It obtained a certain ‘vogue’ as a farmers fowl with its red/chocolate ground colour and its black and white markings. Sadly, the emergence of a similar coloured Sussex fowl depleted its popularity. The Variety Orpington Club adopted the Diamond Jubilee in 1903 until the Jubilee Orpington Club was formed in 1908. To the authors’ knowledge they are not being re-created in Australia at this time.

The Spangled Orpington was introduced in 1900. It was possibly 1902 before it was first exhibited. Until 1905 very little was known about the colour as it was almost exclusively retained by the one family. At the Variety Orpington Club’s first show, held in conjunction with the Grand International at Sheffield in 1904, there were 14 entries in two classes all from the same owner. At the second show, at Alexandra Palace in 1905, there were 13 entries but only one other than from William Cook and sons. The Spangled with its green sheen and pure white spangles is arguably the most striking. It has not enjoyed the popularity it deserves, only recently being recreated in Australia. It is finally enjoying a surge in numbers and well deserved popularity.

The Cuckoo Orpington was developed by Elizabeth Clarke [daughter of William Cook] and it is believed her brother W H Cook may have helped with the development, although this has not been established. The Cuckoo made its debut at the Dairy Show of 1908 where 17 birds were exhibited. These birds were not so much an exhibition variety, but a duel purpose type. They were mainly for meat and good egg laying. It was believed the Cuckoo did not survive the First World War. However, a strain is now believed to have either survived or the colour re-created in England as there is a line of these birds that were brought to Australia from England in 1947 [along with a few Blacks]. They are being maintained and exhibited regularly on the East Coast of Australia. The colour is fast becoming one of the more popular ones and the largest exhibition so far in Australia was at the 2010 National Orpington Show where the Blue and Slate Cuckoo variations of the colour were also on display. Several other colours in the Cuckoo exist in Australia and overseas, most are exhibited regularly or recently debuted.

The Blue Orpington was slow to gain wide acceptance as the blue colour in poultry was not popular until 1910 onwards. It was not until the fine lacing and striking ground colour of the Andalusian was adopted that this variety took hold of the English fancy. In 1912, at the show of the Cuckoo and Blue Orpington Club held at Crystal Palace, for the second time in succession, a Blue won the trophy for Best Orpington over a Buff. Beating the old established Blacks and Whites, as well as the Jubilee Spangled and Red. In the 1920’s and 1930’s Blues came into their own. With the Blue Orpington Club’s specialist promotion Club Shows, 80 plus entries were frequently benched. The Blue holds a special place in the hearts of most Australian Orpington Breeders wether they own the colour or not as the size of the bird always draws the eye. There is usually a number on display around the country and often they are considered for the highest prizes at the shows they attend,

The Red Orpington variety was claimed by W Holmes Hunt and appeared in 1910/1912. Early specimens were seen at the Crystal Palace in 1911. A specialist breed club was formed in 1912. It had two well established rival breeds to contend with:- the Red Sussex and the Rhode Island Red. Red Orpingtons were first seen at the 12th German National Show held at Nuremburg in 1908. Two separate breeders are re-creating the colour in Australia with good success, the first were shown at the 2010 National Orpington Show to rave reviews.

A more recently recognised colour in the Orpington is the Chocolate. Believed to be exported from Australia to England by one Dr Clive Carefoot some time around 1993-94. The colour exists in both std size and bantam and is fast becoming a popular colour due to its uniqueness. The colour was first seen from an all Black mating and is believed to be a rare sex linked recessive gene. To the author’s knowledge, only one breeder in Australia has birds that carry this gene.

The [Australian] Crele was debuted at the 2010 National Orpington Show where three distinct colour variations were exhibited.
Many other colours exist in the breed both overseas and here in Australia, including, Partridge [in various colours], Gold Barred Buff [Australia only at this time], Ermine [as per Sussex], Blue Buff Columbian, Birchen and many more. These [including the Crele] have to be exhibited under AORC at this point.

The Bantam Orpington:-
John Burdett bantamised the Black in 1929 and they were debuted at the 1936 Dairy Show. The White bantam appeared in 1946 and was debuted at the Dairy Show in 1950.The Blue bantam was first exhibited at Bradford in 1953. Development of the bantam accelerated with the formation of the Orpington Bantam Club in 1950. Classes from then on were guaranteed at the big shows. By 1952 the bantam standard was accepted by the Poultry Club. The Orpington Bantam Club also produced its first year book in 1952 and held the first club show were all four colours were represented.

Resulting from the decline of various Orpington Clubs, a move was made in 1975 to amalgamate the Large Fowl and Bantams under one administration called The Orpington Club [UK], named after the very first club.

The Orpingtons will always be regarded as special due to their utility attributes and also for their gentleness and beauty. When metropolitan councils virtually ‘banned’ owning poultry [predominantly roosters] in the early 1960s the numbers of Orpingtons [and all other breeds] was seriously depleted. And until the early 1990s the numbers of birds decreased to the point the breed had to be considered as ‘endangered’. But - - - -
Thanks to a few breeders from the central west of NSW and some in SA and WA the breed has continued and survived as a ‘rare breed’.
The Orpington Club of Australia was formed in 1985 and promotes and supports the breed. In 1988 a Show was held in Wellington NSW with 310 Orpingtons on display.
The most recent Orpington Show, the 2010 National, had 238 birds on display comprising 191 Standard and 47 Bantam; this included various developmental colours in both sizes.

Dam that is good reading soozorps would be good to see more experienced breeders doing this