English Orpingtons
English Orpingtons are what started it all for our farm. They are great dual-purpose chickens with the sweetest personalities. They are very docile and are great birds to have around children. We personally call ours lap birds because of their friendly pet nature. English Orpingtons are a heritage breed, which is beneficial because their genetic traits are predictable. When breeding, we know exactly what to expect as far as plumage, weight, personality, eggs, and disease resistance. They are slower to mature, but they lay eggs longer than a hatchery bird and typically live longer as well. They are a heavy bird, so you don’t have to worry about them flying, and have the softest feathers, making them enticing to pet. They are also hardy for winter and bear confinement well. They lay large light brown eggs and lay around 200 eggs/year. The hens tend to go broody and make great mothers. Our hens usually weigh around 7lbs, while roosters weigh around 10lbs.
Production: Dual-purpose
Egg Color: Light Brown
Eggs per Year: 200-210
Broodiness: Medium
Temperament: Docile, Friendly, and Loves Attention
Health: Hardy, Robust and Tolerates Hot and Cold Climates
Confinement: Tolerates Confinement and Enjoys Free Ranging/Foraging
Mauves and Chocolate Splashes
Mauves and Chocolate Splashes are a beautiful combination of chocolate and blue genetics. They’re brand new colors to the English Orpington world and are one of our proudest accomplishments - only a handful of breeders in the United States have them! In 2017, it took days of genetic research (and lots of punnett squares) for us to create a breeding plan to obtain them. We are now on our 6th generation of breeding! Mauves have a light brown feather with blue undertones, and typically have darker feathers around their head. They’re similar to lavenders in the way that they both have diluted color genetics. Chocolate Splashes are a mostly white bird with Chocolate feathers “splashed” throughout their plumage, which create a very artsy, yet elegant appearance.
Breeding Chart:
Mauve x Chocolate Splash (and vice versa) = Mauve and Chocolate Splash offspring
Chocolate Splash x Chocolate Splash = Mauve and diluted Chocolate Splash offspring
Mauve x Mauve = Mauve, Chocolate, and Chocolate Splash offspring
Blue and Blue Splashes
Blue and Blue Splashes are a tried and true color of the Orpingtons. They are APA recognized colors and are really stunning birds. Blues have darker slate blue feathers around their head with a slightly lighter shade of blue for their bodies. Blue Splashes are a mostly white bird with Blue feathers "splashed" throughout their plumage.
Breeding Chart:
Blue x Blue Splash (and vice versa) = Blue and Blue Splash offspring
Blue Splash x Blue Splash = diluted Blue Splash offspring
Blue x Blue = Blue, Black, and Blue Splash offspring
Chocolate Mottled
Chocolate Mottled is another new color variety to the Orpington world as well as to our farm! We brought in our first batch of chicks in 2024. The mottled gene is recessive, so each parent needs a mottled gene for their offspring to appear as mottled. Chocolate Mottled birds have Chocolate feathers with White tips. Patience is a must for this variety because it takes time for them to show their true color. After their first molt, the majority of their white tips fill in. Darker juveniles tend to have a better proportioned mottled after their first molt.
Breeding Chart:
Chocolate Mottled x Chocolate Mottled = Chocolate Mottled offspring
Chocolate Mottled x Chocolate split Mottled (vise versa) = Chocolate Mottled and Chocolate split Mottled offspring
Chocolate split Mottled x Chocolate split Mottled = Chocolate Mottled, Chocolate split Mottled, and Chocolate offspring
**Chocolate split Mottled birds can be recognized by tiny specks of white in their neck feathers.
Chocolate Mottled birds can also be bred to Black Mottled birds to increase diversity:
Breeding Chart:
Chocolate Mottled x Black Mottled = Chocolate Mottled pullets and Black split Chocolate Mottled cockerels
Black Mottled x Chocolate Mottled = Black Mottled pullets and Black split Chocolate Mottle cockerels
Our 2024 Season
Available colors: Blue, Blue Splash, Mauve, and Chocolate Splash (Blue and Blue Splash males will be split to Chocolate)
This year, we have two pens of English Orpingtons. Our first pen has our Blue split Chocolate rooster over our Chocolate Splash hens. Our second pen has our Blue Splash split Chocolate rooster over our Mauve hens. This means that both pens produce ALL of our colors. Eggs cannot be sorted into specific colors. When you order eggs, they will have the chance to produce Blue, Blue Splash, Mauve, and Chocolate Splash chicks.
We have also brought in new Chocolate/Mottled bloodlines (Fancy Chick/EWE Crazy/Bill King) and are currently growing out those breeders. We appreciate your patience as we take the time to set our pens up properly. We are very picky with our birds that we keep as breeders, and we know you will appreciate that in the long run!
Our 2024 Waiting List is OPEN!
To be added to our waiting list, please fill out this form.
***As of January 2024, we are filled through March 2024.***