The Orpingtons were created in 1886 by William Cook in Kent.

It is a heavy breed bird with a short wingspan so it can be contained with low fencing.  They do need space to keep fit as they are greedy birds.

Our Orpingtons are either black or blue or 'splash' which is a black/blue cross.

They are great mothers, and tend to go broody.  They lay cream coloured eggs.   They weigh in at a heavy 7-8 lbs and take a longer time to mature than other breeds.

They are also very docile in nature and become lovely pets.  One woman talked to me about her 8 year old Orpington Rooster as though he was a member of the family so be warned you may not be able to eat them.