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Golden chicken breeds8/11/2023 ![]() The American Poultry Association recognizes only the Buff, Black, White, and Blue Orpington varieties. Gilbert, they created the additional Orpington color patterns of Blue and Cuckoo. Later with the help of his daughter and her husband A.C. The first was a Black Orpington, then White, Buff, Speckled (Jubilee), and Mottled (Spangled). This gave Cook an idea, and he decided to create different varieties. ![]() Over many years, Cook continued to improve the breed, and the results produced better quality birds and a wider range of colors and patterns. Orpington Chickens first arrived on American soil in 1891 when Cook himself imported a large number to show to poultry farmers personally. Within five years, the Orpington became a great success and started to be exported around the world. His new creation, a black-colored “Orpington” named after the Kent town where Cook lived, was the first to be introduced to the public in 1886. Cook realized this benefit and decided to use it in the creation of his own breed.Īt the time, his methods of cross breeding different chicken species to create a new one were frowned upon, but today it is something that chicken breeders around the world far more routinely accept. What they did provide was a diverse gene pool that could be used to inject new blood into some of the older chicken breeds. Unsurprisingly these birds didn’t fare so well in the English climate, nor did they have the practicality of producing a lot of eggs or meat. ![]() Hen fever had meant that many exotic breeds had been imported from as far away as India and China. His aim, to produce a hardy fast-growing chicken that had white skin, was good for the table and laid abundantly. However, an English man named William Cook began to develop a British bird that had the same qualities as the American ones. This was due to their yellow skin, as the preference there was for white-skinned chickens. A new interest in creating birds of this type became the principal focus of breeders in America.Īlthough the versatility of the American dual-purpose birds was admired in the United Kingdom, they did not become popular. As the fashion passed, a general interest in poultry continued, but rather than looking for exotic species, a desire for utility birds became more prevalent.ĭual-purpose chickens that could provide high-quality meat and lay plenty of eggs were now required. ![]() There was a tremendous public interest in chickens during the early 1800s, known as “Hen Fever.” It swept many English-speaking nations, and any new or unusual breeds of chicken were keenly encouraged. ![]()
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