Chickens & Eggs

Orpington Chickens

Pastured Poultry & Brown Eggs

There are so many reasons why I picked this lovely heritage breed. They are large dual-purpose chickens, good for both meat and egg production. Unlike most modern breeds, the hens will set their own eggs and raise their own chicks. They have a quiet, docile temperament; are not energetic flyers (so they are a bit easier to contain); and when they do make noise their voices are relatively low and pleasant, not shrill and screechy.

They were developed in Kent, England in the 1880s and came to the United States in the 1890s. They are currently listed as a “recovering” breed on The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s list of endangered poultry.

Orpingtons come in four color variations: Buff, Black, White, and Blue. The Blue variety doesn’t breed true, but produces Blue, Black, and Splash colored birds. Other colors are now being developed by some show breeders.

So far, we only have a small flock. Most of our hens are Buff, but we were fortunate to be able to get some of the rarer Blue variety. The rooster and one hen are Blue; two other hens are a beautiful and unusual Blue/Buff cross. This summer we are hatching out lots of Blue and Blue/Buff cross chicks.

I realize that there are probably lots of Orpington breeders out there who have worked long and hard breeding strains of Buffs, Blues, and other colors that come out a pure, clean, solid color. But personally, I love the fascinating color variations on my mixed-color birds. They have all the advantages of the Orpington breed, in a much more interesting array of shades.

I have no interest in taking my chickens to shows. I just want healthy, hardy birds that have good qualities for a small homestead-type farm. Over time, I'll be breeding and selecting for utility traits like build, hardiness, growth rate, and egg production. But as a matter of personal enjoyment, I'll also try to encourage a variety of interesting colors!

Our chickens are let out to free range during the day, and they go back into the safety of their large, airy chicken house overnight.

We have limited numbers of eggs, chicks, and chickens for sale. Please contact me to ask about availability.