100 CALIFORNIA POULTRY PRACTICE 



White Orpingtons. With the exception of color of plumage the 

 same description answers for these. Plumage is white, and the feath- 

 ers must be free from foreign colors, but creaminess, or what is 

 termed brassiness, is not a disqualification, though it is a defect. Our 

 climate is hard on all white birds and the white Orpington is not an 

 old enough breed to have had the defect bred out. Bleaching and all 

 other external methods of changing a brassy bird into a white one is 

 but a temporary change, the brass comes back, but when it is bred 

 out it stays out. 



Black Orpingtons. These are the most majestic of all the Orping- 

 tons, but as I have never bred any I can not speak from personal 

 knowledge. However, they are accredited with all the good qualities 

 of the others and for city dwellers, where there is much dust and 

 dirt, they sure should be the favorite. 



All the Orpingtons are good layers of good large eggs with a 

 brownish color, though many White Orpingtons lay a very light col- 

 ored egg. The winter season is the Orpingtons' summer, for they love 

 cold rainy weather and shell the eggs out as if the sun were shining. 

 They make good mothers usually, commencing to lay before quitting 

 the chicks. In fact, many times they stay with one bunch of chicks 

 until ready to sit again, but if not needed for that chore they can be 

 put in a yard with the male and they will forget all about it. 



