Blue Orpington Chicken | Facts, Size Care, Baby, Lifespan

The Orpington is the most loved and desired chicken breed these days. It was developed around 1800 by William Cook. William joined several breeds to make something new, creative and innovative. Although it was criticized a lot at first, now this method is adopted everywhere. All the Orpington breed we see today are the result of the same connection. The blue Orpington breed was created from the Black Orpington rooster with splash Orpington hen. 

Blue Orpington chicken is very friendly, extroverted, obedient, engaging, and caring in nature. They love to engage with others and enjoy the company of those who own them. They are considered pets more than other chicken breeds and love eating. Maybe, this is the reason why they are more inclined towards obesity.

These are fun-loving. They have large feathers which help them stay hot during cold months. This chicken love winters and hates summers. They lay almost 200 eggs on an annual basis which makes them a special breed. These are peace-loving and don’t fight like other birds. They are easy to handle, most economical, and even more productive than the normal breeds. 

Blue Orpington chicken Facts

Some key facts about blue Orpington are as follows:

Blue Orpington care

This special breed requires the same attention as other normal breeds do. All they need is food, water, and a coop to live. It doesn’t take special efforts and goes the extra mile to grow these chickens. To keep them safe from predators, and warriors they can be kept in a locked cage or a box. If there is no external threat then they can be free-range and wander wherever they want.

However, it is recommended by the researchers that free-range areas should be protected by wires to avoid any possible threat and entry of warriors. Dogs are the biggest threat to them.

Cage Size

While building a cage for Orpington, you need to make sure it is spacious.  The minimum space recommended by the researchers is 6 Sqf. It means the cage should be designed in a way that Orpingtons can walk, run and do exercise easily. You can also throw some wood chips for bedding if needed. It is observed that chickens remove these wood chips, so there is no benefit of doing the same. They will do their bedding with the grass and surface.  

Blue Orpington loves eating very much. It is not advised to give them food all day. They won’t stop eating, even if you present dozens of meals to them. Grains, vegetables, and fruits should be given for their healthy diet.  In addition to a healthy diet, they can be dewormed occasionally. If there are some threats of prevailing illness and viruses, they should be vaccinated first.

Blue Orpington Lifespan

Are you thinking of raising blue Orpington and want to know how much they live? Blue Orpington lived for almost 8 years. It depends on so many factors. Some Orpingtons fall prey to predators due to their lovely feathers. Some of them die because of poor diet and unhygienic conditions.

You can enhance their lifespan by focusing on their diet, food, and living. Provide proper shelter and a safety cage to them and their life will increase by 2-3 years. In the past, these chickens used to live with other animals. But luckily nowadays, farmers and farm owners provide separate coverage to them.
In the past, people threw whatever they wanted to but now studies and researchers are available to everyone. Farmers arrange special food for each stage of the chicken’s life.  Proper medication and vaccination can also increase their life. Even a healthy one will die after 1 year without proper medication, and even a poor one can live up to 8 years if they are raised with intense care.

Blue Orpington Size And Weight

Chickens have different sizes. It depends on many factors like age, breed, and gender. Blue Orpington chickens are massive in size. They look heavier than their actual weight due to their feathers and physique. You will be amazed to see their actual weight when holding them in your hands. Their feathers are 12-15 inches in length. They are quite larger when compared to other chicks.
Male chickens are much larger than female chickens. This is because of sexual dimorphism. Male chicken’s size helps them to save female chickens from predators. It normally takes 12 months for a baby chick to get to its full size.  The weight of female chickens is 2.7 to 3.6 KGs. Male chickens are 3.6 to 4.6 Kgs.  

Blue Orpington Baby

Their eggs are light brown, and off-white color. They have big feathers and dark eyes. They mostly look like soft toys. Blue Orpington is wanted for his looks and friendly behavior. When breeding blue Orpington chickens, the resulting baby won’t be blue all the time. There are 50% chances they would be blue, 25% black, and 25% splash chicks. So, if you only want blue chicks you need to wait for the right match.

A recent study carried out on the breeding time of blue Orpington chickens shows the following matches.

Conclusion

Blue Orpington chickens are one of the most desired breeds in the world. It was created between 1800-1900. They are calm and love to interact with others. They required the same attention and care as other breeds. Feed, Water, and a proper living cage are all they need. Blue Orpington lived for almost 8 years. Their weight is around 2.6 to 4.6 Kgs. Their eggs are of light brown, off-white color. When breeding blue Orpington chickens, the resulting baby won’t always be blue. There are multiple color combinations. If you only need a blue one, you need to wait for the right time and combination.

If you want to learn more about pets visit us at petshoods

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://petshoods.com/blue-orpington-chicken/" }, "headline": "Blue Orpington Chicken | Facts, Size Care, Baby, Lifespan", "description": "Blue Orpington Chickens Are Large-Rounded And Fluffy Rare Chicken Breeds. They Are Docile And Friendly In Nature. Their eggs are light brown, and off-white color.", "image": "https://petshoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Blue-Orpington-Chicken.jpg", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeremy" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Petshoods", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://petshoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/13925402_1502331219793083_1620090286454245017_n.jpg" } }, "datePublished": "2021-07-29", "dateModified": "2021-09-07" }