Orpingtons from Sunnyside Up Micro-Farm
Large Fowl: Blue, Lavendar, Chocolate, Crele/Legbar,
English Blue & English Lavendar
Bantams: Chocolate
The docile, quiet, calm dual purpose Orpington breed is a large, heavy bird weighing
from seven to ten pounds. The soft, abundant plumage almost hides the legs. The
head is small with a single, erect comb having five distinct points. The darker
colors have dark eyes and legs, while the paler colors have red eyes and white legs.
The chickens are not particularly fast to feather up. Their docile nature makes
them popular for families with small children. There is a bantam variety.
From the side, the impression is of a U shape underbody and a short back
which appears somewhat concave. The tail is compact and short, the feathers
rising high and sweeping over to the rear. The gentle curves and soft
feathering make for a very attractive bird. They are friendly and with such
fluffy plumage continue to thrive and produce well in cold weather.
The Orpington continues to lay through winter. Broodiness is
a trait with the Orpington and they are good mothers and they cope well when
confined. There will be no doubt there is a visible difference between the
American and English Orps. The English tend to have a shorter back and are much
fluffier with fuller skirts.
Information on Lavendar Genetic Breeding:
Lavender x Lavender = Lavender
Lavender x Black = 100% Black split Lavender
Lavender X Split = 50% Lavender, 50% Split offspring
Black split Lavender x Black split Lavender = 25% Lavender/ 50% Black split
Lavender/ 25% Black
Lavender breeds true so in its pure form Lavender mated to Lavender will always
breed Lavender. Lavender can also be used to create lots of new shades and colors
as it is a diluting gene as long as the bird is carrying two doses of Lavender. All
black coloring will become Lavender and any red pigment will dilute to a straw color.
The Lavender gene is very closely linked to a gene that causes retarded feather
growth, especially in the tail area.
It is important to select and breed only from stock that shows normal feather
growth and with the use of split parentage were one side ,either the cockerel or
hen has been split out to another color ( normally Black ) then this will help to
increase the strength of the gene pool while still maintaining the Lavender
breeding line.
Pictured here 100% English Lavendar Orpingtons