The Orpington duck was developed in Kent, Great Britain by William Cook, who was also developing the Orpington chicken in the late 1800’s. The Orpington is probably the result of cross-breeding between the Indian Runner, Aylesbury, Rouen, and Cayuga. They were sold and distributed throughout the late 1800’s and early 1700’s. The Buff Orpington was standardized in 1910. These ducks should follow the Pekin in size and shape. The Orpington is a medium sized water fowl, weighing around 7-8 lbs. It lays around 220 tinted eggs per year, which are incubated for around 28 days. The Orpington has large eyes set in an oval shaped head. The neck is of medium length. The tail runs straight in line with back. They are considered gentle and friendly, easy-to-handle as pets or for breeding.

 

Varieties

• Buff
• Blond
• Brown

 

Uses

The Orpington is used as pets and ornamental purposes as well as eggs and meat.

 

 

References

All Breeds of Poultry, Origin: History: Description, Mating and Characteristics, by Frank L. Platt. Published by AMERICAN POULTRY JOURNAL, Chicago, Illinois.

 

Johnson, Sibylle. "Orpington Ducks." Beauty Of Birds. Avianweb, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015.

 

Roberts, Victoria. British Poultry Standards (6th Edition). Hoboken, NJ, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 14 July 2015.