CHAPXBR IX 



Orpingtons As Utility Fo>^l 



Belaflve Value of the Three Standard Varieties as Lay^era and Meat Producers 

 Carefully and Clearly Presented 



Edward Brown, F. I.. S., EnAland 



Editor's Note:— The following excellent article, giving the relative merits of the Black, White and Buff Orpingtons 

 •as utility fowls, was written by Professor Brown, who has devoted many years to the study of the practical qualities of 

 all domesticated races of poultry and which appeared in "The Illustrated Poultry Record," December, 1908. 



POPULARITY is a fickle jade, with liens as with 

 humans. The fact of a race of poultry attaining 

 a large measure of public favor for a time is no 

 proof of its virtues. Breeds rise and fall in gen- 

 •«ral estimation without any apparent reason. Some are 

 'boomed into prominence, ascending with meteoric bril- 

 Uancy, and, after a shower of pyrotechnics, disappear, 

 • coming down like the proverbial stick. Others have to 

 >-fight for their recognition at first, and only succeed when 

 ■ithey have proved their merits. Yet more are slow in win- 

 ■tiing a place, but hold it for a considerable period when 

 secured, ultimately descending into semi-oblivion with 

 slow and graceful steps. A few appear to withstand both 

 prosperity and adversity, reasserting themselves again and 

 yet again. All, however, serve a purpose — if we can but 

 recognize it — contributing their share to the progression 

 of the poultry industry. The final court of appeal with 

 respect to any breed is not its beauty or its coloration, but 

 the practical nature of its qualities. Otherwise the popu- 

 larity attained is limited or evanescent. 



Many, nay most, breeds have suffered more from their 

 supporters than their critics. "Save me from my friends" 

 may be the cry of all grades. Some years ago, when writ- 

 ing to an American friend, I said that "if we believed every- 

 thing claimed for the Orpington we should expect to find 

 it the only breed on the Plains of Heaven — -if fowls are to 

 be found there." This was not stated with any desire to 

 tminimize the economic qualities of the race, which are 

 sgreat, but to show that exaggeration is met with even 

 'where it is least needed. And certainly no breed has re- 

 ■quired such exuberant advocacy less than the one under 

 review. Its sterling merits have been widely recognized, 

 snore in one variety than in others. They speak for them- 

 selves, which is ever the best form of advertisement. 

 Idealism is necessary, we suppose for progress. We like 

 to hi:g our vain conceits. But when those who are less 

 blinded by personal predilection or interest humbly ven- 

 ture to point out that there may be weaknesses which we 

 'had omitted to notice, surely these gentle souls should not 

 be regarded and attacked as if they were minions of the 

 Evil One. I can say this with respect to the Orpington, 

 a race for which so much that is favorable can be stated, 

 in the hope that even if the conclusions arrived at may 

 not be entirely and completely favorable, I may receive a 

 -measure of absolution. 



For the purpose of the present review it will be neces- 

 sary to confine our attention to three varieties, namely, 

 the Black, the Buff, and the White. The others, whose 

 number I am frankly uncertain about, are at present 

 purely exhibition stock and have yet to prove their 

 economic value. However, much fanciers may wish to 

 multiply varieties, utility poultry breeders are well ad- 

 -vised to abstain from speculations of that kind. Hence I 



do not propose to burden these remarks with details of no 

 real value. "Handsome is as handsome does," and we are 

 specially interested in the "does" side of things. If the 

 exhibitor will kindly improve these sub-varieties on prac- 

 tical lines we shall be glad; but we want to know as soon 

 as he has done so, and before he has had time to ruin 

 them by undue exaltation of arbitrary and useless points. 

 Probably they may never be of any real service, in which 

 case we are content to leave them to him entirely until 

 the crack of doom. 



Taking the last three of the varieties named first, by 

 reason of the fact that there is least to be said respecting 

 it, as it has yet to prove its value fully, up to the present 

 it has not been adopted widely. A few breeders have in- 

 troduced it, but hitherto it has been mainly in the hands 

 of specialist breeders or exhibitors. Last year, when in 

 Denmark, I was interested to find that at a breeding center 

 in that country the White Orpington was exclusively kept 

 and was being distributed with the object of securing 

 tinted shelled eggs and improving winter laying, both of 

 which had been achieved. On that side it is more than 

 probable that the White Orpington will prove of great 

 service, although it has fairly good table properties. Like 

 the Blacks, it is heavier in bone than the Buffs, and conse- 

 quently takes longer in attainment of a killing condition, 

 whilst the structure of body indicates more thigh develop- 

 ment than is desirable in a first-class table fowl. Hence, 

 in spite of its white legs, flesh, and skin, the Danes appear 

 to be right in regarding the fiesh qualities of this variety 

 as of less importance than its productiveness as a layer. 



For the spring chicken trade it is less serviceable than 

 as a well grown winter fowl. At the Danish breeding 

 center 'of Sejling, as recorded in my "Report on the Poul- 

 try Industry in Denmark and Sweden" a flock of White 

 Orpington hens averaged 74 eggs from November 1, 1905, 

 to March 3, 1907, that is in four months. There was con- 

 siderable variation in the laying, varying from 93 to 210 in 

 the twelve months. But, the report states, "out of 46 

 hens trap-nested, five produced less than 120 eggs and nine 

 less than 130, so that the average was good." The eggs are 

 excellent in size and nicely, though not deeply, tinted. 

 My own judgment is that the breeders will be well ad- 

 vised to pay special attention to the development of egg 

 production in this variety, even though the flesh properties 

 are sacrificed to some extent, rather than attempt to run 

 both together, as I do not anticipate that it will ever be 

 of much service as a table breed. It is the direction named 

 that the greater profit will be obtained. 



The first of the Orpington family was the Black, in- 

 troduced twenty-two years ago, the popularity of which 

 grew very rapidly indeed. There can be no question that 

 they met admirably a need arising from the great exten- 



