35-449: The Orpington is a British breed of chicken . It was bred in the late nineteenth century by William Cook of Orpington , at that time in Kent in south-east England. It was intended to be a dual-purpose breed, to be reared both for eggs and for meat, but soon became exclusively a show bird. The Australorp of Australia derives from it. The original Black Orpington was bred by William Cook in
70-623: A flock because it is conspicuous. A complete albino often has weak eyesight and brittle wing and tail feathers, which may reduce its ability to fly. In flocks, albinos are often harassed by their own species. Such observations have been made among red-winged blackbirds , barn swallows , and African penguins . In a nesting colony of the latter, three unusual juveniles—one black-headed, one white-headed, and one full albino—were shunned and abused by companions. Albinism has been reported in all orders and in 54 families of North American birds. The American robin and house sparrow led bird species in
105-433: A few days after fledging replacing the juvenile plumage with an auxiliary formative plumage ; the second a month or so later giving the formative plumage . Abnormal plumages include a variety of conditions. Albinism , total loss of colour, is rare, but partial loss of colours is more common. Some species are colour polymorphic , having two or more colour variants. A few species have special types of polymorphism, as in
140-761: A second Orpington Club. The Australorp of Australia derives from – and resembles – Cook's original black stock, and preserves its productive qualities. In the United States four colours – black, blue, buff and white – were added to the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1960. Seven colour varieties are recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain : black, blue, buff, cuckoo, jubilee, spangled and white. The Entente Européenne recognises thirteen colours, and lists two more. In
175-754: A unique appearance. However, distinct breeds are the result of selective breeding to emphasize certain traits. Any breed may be used for general agricultural purposes, and all breeds are shown to some degree. But each chicken breed is known for a primary use. Many breeds were selected and are used primarily for producing eggs , these are mostly light-weight birds whose hens do not go broody often. Most farms and homesteads use dual-purpose breeds for meat production. Some breeds are raised mainly for meat: The generalist breeds used in barnyards worldwide are adaptable utility birds good at producing both meat and eggs. Though some may be slightly better for one of these purposes, they are usually called dual-purpose breeds. Since
210-914: A weight of some 40 g . It was said that at one time Orpingtons were capable of laying as many as 340 eggs per year. The decline in production was due to breeders selecting for looks over utility. List of chicken breeds There are hundreds of chicken breeds in existence. Domesticated for thousands of years, distinguishable breeds of chicken have been present since the combined factors of geographical isolation and selection for desired characteristics created regional types with distinct physical and behavioral traits passed on to their offspring. The physical traits used to distinguish chicken breeds are size, plumage color, comb type, skin color, number of toes, amount of feathering, egg color, and place of origin. They are also roughly divided by primary use, whether for eggs, meat, or ornamental purposes, and with some considered to be dual-purpose. In
245-400: A year, resulting in a breeding or nuptial plumage and a basic plumage . Many ducks and some other species such as the red junglefowl have males wearing a bright nuptial plumage while breeding and a drab eclipse plumage for some months afterward. The painted bunting 's juveniles have two inserted moults in their first autumn, each yielding plumage like an adult female. The first starts
280-499: Is albino (from the Latin albus , "white") has white feathers in place of coloured ones on some portion of its body. A bird that is naturally white, such as a swan , goose , or egret , is not an albino, nor is a bird that has seasonally alternating white plumage. Four degrees of albinism have been described. The most common form is termed partial albinism , in which local areas of the bird's body, such as certain feathers, are lacking
315-401: Is a genetically conditioned character in domestic fowl ( Gallus gallus domesticus ). Males with this condition develop a female-type plumage, although otherwise look and respond like virile males. In some breeds, one can see males that have a plumage completely similar in all aspects to that of females. The trait is controlled by a simple autosomic dominant gene , whose expression is limited to
350-477: Is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, there can be different colour morphs . The placement of feathers on a bird is not haphazard but rather emerges in organized, overlapping rows and groups, and these feather tracts are known by standardized names. Most birds moult twice
385-572: Is called eclipse plumage . When they shed feathers to go into an eclipse, the ducks become flightless for a short period. Some duck species remain in eclipse for one to three months in the late summer and early fall, while others retain the cryptic plumage until the next spring when they undergo another moult to return to their breeding plumage. Although mainly found in the Anatidae , a few other species, including related red junglefowl , most fairywrens and some sunbirds also have an eclipse plumage. In
SECTION 10
#1732884872338420-423: Is imbalanced it produces colour shifts that are termed schizochroisms (including xanthochromism – an overabundance of yellow – and axanthism – lack of yellow – which are commonly bred in cagebirds such as budgerigars ). A reduction in eumelanin leads to non-eumelanin schizochroism with an overall fawn plumage while a lack of phaeomelanin results in grey-coloured non-phaeomelanin schizochroism. Carotenism refers to
455-452: Is often brighter than the basic plumage, for sexual display, but may also be cryptic to hide incubating birds that might be vulnerable on the nest. The Humphrey–Parkes terminology requires some attention to detail to name moults and plumages correctly. Many male ducks have bright, colourful plumage, exhibiting strong sexual dimorphism . However, they moult into a dull plumage after breeding in mid-summer. This drab, female-like appearance
490-441: Is rare, occurring to any extent in perhaps one in 1800 individuals. It involves loss of colour in all parts including the iris of the eyes, bills, skin, legs, and feet. It is usually the result of a genetic mutation causing the absence of tyrosinase , an enzyme essential for melanin synthesis. Leucism (which includes what used to be termed as "partial albinism") refers to loss of pigments in some or all parts of feathers. A bird that
525-555: Is refracted. Dilution regularly occurs in normal plumage (grey, buff, pink and cream colours are usually produced by this process), but may in addition occur as an aberration (e.g., all normally black plumage becoming grey). In some birds – many true owls (Strigidae), some nightjars (Caprimulgidae) and a few cuckoos ( Cuculus and relatives) being widely known examples – there is colour polymorphism . This means that two or more colour variants are numerous within their populations during all or at least most seasons and plumages; in
560-751: The Dairy Show in Islington in 1886, and also at shows in The Crystal Palace in Sydenham and in Birmingham . A separate show class was created for them in 1888. From the early 1890s, large black Langshan– Cochin crosses were being exhibited and marketed as Orpingtons by Joseph Partington of Lytham in Lancashire and other breeders. These birds were unrelated to Cook's and although similar in appearance, did not have
595-642: The Guianan cock-of-the-rock or birds of paradise – retain their exuberant plumage and sexual dimorphism at all times, moulting as ordinary birds do once annually. There are hereditary as well as non-hereditary variations in plumage that are rare and termed abnormal or aberrant plumages. Melanism refers to an excess of black or dark colours. Erythromelanism or erythrism is the result of excessive reddish-brown erythromelanin deposition in feathers that normally lack melanin. Melanin of different forms combine with xanthophylls to produce colour mixtures and when this combination
630-399: The incidence of albinism. Albinistic white appears to replace brown pigments more often than red or yellow ones; records suggest a greater incidence in crows , ravens , and hawks than in goldfinches or orioles . Several kinds of albinism in chickens has been described: A complete albinism controlled by an autosomal recessive gene and two different kinds of partial albinism. One of
665-440: The superb and splendid fairywrens , very old males (over about four years) may moult from one nuptial plumage to another whereas in the red-backed and white-winged fairywrens , males do not acquire nuptial plumage until four years of age – well after they become sexually mature and indeed longer than the vast majority of individuals live. In contrast to the ducks, males of hummingbirds and most lek-mating passerines – like
700-529: The 1880s in Orpington , which at that time was in Kent in south-east England. He crossed Minorcas , Langshans and Plymouth Rocks to create a new hybrid bird. It was bred as a dual-purpose utility chicken, to be reared both for eggs and for meat; Cook chose black as a colour that would not show the soot and grime of London. He was also the breeder of the Orpington Duck . Black Orpingtons were exhibited at
735-413: The 19th century, poultry fancy , the breeding and competitive exhibition of poultry as a hobby, has grown to be a huge influence on chicken breeds. Many breeds have always been kept for ornamental purposes, and others have been shifted from their original use to become first and foremost exhibition fowl, even if they may retain some inherent utility. Since the sport of cockfighting has been outlawed in
SECTION 20
#1732884872338770-686: The 21st century, chickens are frequently bred according to predetermined breed standards set down by governing organizations. The first of such standards was the British Poultry Standard , which is still in publication today. Other standards include the Standard of Perfection , the Australian Poultry Standard , and the standard of the American Bantam Association, which deals exclusively with bantam fowl. Only some of
805-400: The abnormal distribution of carotenoid pigments. The term "dilution" is used for situations where the colour is of a lower intensity overall; it is caused by decreased deposition of pigment in the developing feather, and can thus not occur in structural coloration (i.e., "dilute blue" does not exist); pale structural colors are instead achieved by shifting the peak wavelength at which light
840-531: The above-mentioned examples a brown (phaeomelanin) and grey (eumelanin) morph exist, termed "hepatic form" particularly in the cuckoos. Other cases of natural polymorphism are of various kinds; many are melanic/nonmelanic (some paradise-flycatchers , Terpsiphone , for example), but more unusual types of polymorphism exist – the face colour of the Gouldian finch ( Erythrura gouldiae ) or the courtship types of male ruffs ( Philomachus pugnax ). Albinism in birds
875-400: The absence of pigment in the irises . The beak , legs, and feet are very pale or white. Albino adults are rare in the wild because their eyesight is poor resulting in greater risk of predation. They are likely easier targets for predators because their colour distinguishes them from their environment. Falconers have observed that their trained birds are likely to attack a white pigeon in
910-856: The bantam, only the colours black, blue, buff and white are recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain, but several others have been bred; the Entente Européenne lists sixteen, of which eleven are recognised. The British poultry geneticist W.C. Carefoot bred a chocolate-coloured bantam in the 1990s, a colour previously unknown in chickens, caused by a sex-linked recessive gene . The bantam rarely takes flight. Body weights for large fowl are approximately 3–3.5 kg for hens and 4–4.5 kg for cocks; average weights for bantams are 1.3 kg and 1.5 kg respectively. Orpington hens lay about 180 light brown eggs per year, with an average weight of 53 g ; bantam hens lay about 110 eggs, with
945-418: The breeding season, known as the pre-basic moult . This resulting covering of feathers, which will last either until the next breeding season or until the next annual moult, is known as the basic plumage. Many species undertake another moult before the breeding season known as the pre-alternate moult , the resulting breeding plumage being known as the alternate plumage or nuptial plumage. The alternate plumage
980-499: The definition of a breed . Most crossbreed strains are sex linked , allowing for easy chick sexing . Roberts, Victoria (2008). British Poultry Standards . Oxford, UK: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424 . Complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Plumage Plumage (from Latin pluma 'feather')
1015-440: The developed world, most breeds first developed for this purpose, called game fowl, are now seen principally in the show ring rather than the cock pit as fighting cocks . denotes a breed primarily used for exhibition, but which is still used for utility purposes. denotes a game breed. Most large chicken breeds have a bantam counterpart, sometimes referred to as a miniature . Miniatures are usually one-fifth to one-quarter
1050-1336: The known breeds are included in these publications, and only those breeds are eligible to be shown competitively. There are additionally a few hybrid strains which are common in the poultry world, especially in large poultry farms. These types are first generation crosses of true breeds. Hybrids do not reliably pass on their features to their offspring, but are highly valued for their producing abilities. By place of origin : Afghanistan • Albania • Australia • Austria • Belgium • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • Chile • China • Croatia • Cuba • Czech Republic • Egypt • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Iran • Italy • Japan • Korea • Kosovo • Malaysia • Myanmar • Netherlands • Norway • Pakistan • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • South Africa • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Thailand • Turkey • Ukraine • United Kingdom • United States • Vietnam By primary use : Eggs • Meat • Dual-purpose • Exhibition Other : Bantams • Hybrids See also • References • Sources All chickens lay eggs , have edible meat , and possess
1085-401: The male ruff which has an assortment of different colours around the head and neck in the breeding season only. Hen feathering is an inherited plumage character in domestic fowl controlled by a single gene. Plumology (or plumage science ) is the name for the science that is associated with the study of feathers. Almost all species of birds moult at least annually, usually after
Orpington chicken - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-446: The partial albinisms is sex-linked and the other is autosomal recessive. A fourth kind of albinism severely reduce pigmentation in the eyes, but only dilutes the pigment in the plumage. Abnormally white feathers are not always due to albinism. Injury or disease may change their color, including dietary deficiencies or circulatory problems during feather development. Aging may also turn a bird's feathers white. Hen feathering in cocks
1155-474: The pigment melanin . The white areas may be symmetrical, with both sides of the bird showing a similar pattern. In imperfect albinism , the pigment is partially inhibited in the skin , eyes , or feathers, but is not absent from any of them. Incomplete albinism is the complete absence of pigment from the skin, eyes, or feathers, but not all three. A completely albino bird is the most rare. The eyes in this case are pink or red, because blood shows through in
1190-594: The same productive qualities. They were larger and had fuller feathering, and won numerous prizes at poultry shows; some were sold for very large sums. A bantam buff Orpington was bred by Herman Kuhn in Germany in about 1900. A breed society , the Orpington Club, was started in 1887. Several clubs were later formed for individual colour varieties; in 1975 many of these merged with the Orpington Bantam Club to form
1225-438: The size of the standard breed, but they are expected to exhibit all of the standard breed's characteristics. A true bantam has no large counterpart, and is naturally small. The true bantams include: Many common strains of crossbred chickens exist, but none breed true or are recognized by poultry breed standards ; thus, though they are extremely common in flocks focusing on high productivity, crossbreeds do not technically meet
#337662