Orpington Duck

Orpington Duck

A duck at Hahn Park, California
Conservation status	RBST (UK): at risk
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Use	meat,eggs
Traits
Colour	buff, blond or brown
Classification
PCGB	light [1]
Duck Anas platyrhynchos domesticus

The Orpington ^[2] or Buff Orpington Duck is a British breed of domestic duck. It is a dual-purpose breed used for meat and egg production. It is capable of laying up to 220 eggs a year. Originally created by William Cook of Orpington, Kent, England, from the selection of mis-marked Blue Orpington Ducks; Cook was also the developer of the Orpington chicken. The breeds used in the development of the breed included Cayuga, Indian Runner, commercial Aylesbury and Rouen. It is proposed that Cook's intentions for the breed were to capitalise on the growing demand for the buff colour pattern. ^[3] The Buff Orpington Duck was introduced to the public at the Dairy Show, the Agricultural Hall (q.v.), Islington, London in October 1897. ^[4] It is considered a threatened breed by the ALBC. This breed was admitted to the British Poultry Standard in 1910 and the American Poultry Associations Standard of Perfection as the 'Buff Duck' in the Medium class in 1914. The Orpington duck is available in three colour varieties: buff, blond and brown; all three colour variations appear, but only the buff is described in the breed standard. ^{[5] : 367}

History

Ducks with buff coloration are a cross between Indian Runner, Rouen and Aylesbury ducks. Their origin originates from the renowned Orpington farms in England, which is why they are also known as Orpington ducks. The buff-coloured plumage of the breed was developed by a man named William Cook from the same region. ^[6] During this period, buff was a very fashionable colour. As well as the black, the chocolate, and the blue variations, W. Cook created bibs on the chest that resembled white hearts. The American Poultry Associations recognised them in 1914 after Cook introduced them to the United States at the Madison Square Garden Show in New York City in 1908. ^[6] By 2011, there were 793 breeding buff ducks in North America, with 11 breeders engaged in breeding the species. As of today, there are five primary breeding flocks with 50 or more breeding birds. ^[7]

The Buff Orpington is listed on the Rare Breed Survival Trust Watch List.^{[ citation needed ]}

Characteristics

The Orpington is classified as a light duck. ^[1] Weights are 2.2–3.2 kg for ducks and 2.2–3.4 kg for drakes. ^{[5] : 469} The bird is large and broad, with an oval head and medium-length bill, as well as a gracefully curved neck. The Buff duck's body carries itself 20 degrees above horizontal, and its wings are short and curved. ^[8]

It has buff plumage and has a yellowish snout and feet, as well as brown eyes. Duck's bills are brown-orange, whereas the drakes' bills are yellow. In the US, there existed a blue variety of Orpington duck, but it was most likely absorbed into the Blue Swedish breed. Uniformity is key with regard to colour patterns. Typically, fawn-buff is considered ideal with the drakes having a fawn-buff or seal-brown head. The bill of the drake is yellow while the hen has a brownish-orange bill. They have orange feet and legs. ^[9] Buff Orpington ducks are typically lighter than their khaki-coloured counterparts as a result of a recessive sex-linked dilution factor. ^[10] It was found that a deficiency of vitamin U resulted in widespread deposition of black pigment in the feathers of buff orpington ducks, a breed normally not known for black pigmentation. ^[10]

Use

A productive duck may lay more than 220 eggs per year. ^{[11] : 108} Ducklings gain weight fairly rapidly, and may reach slaughter weight in eight or ten weeks. ^{[11] : 108}

References

1. Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.
2. The Poultry Club of Great Britain: Orpington Archived 15 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
3. Holderread, Dave (2001). Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. North Adams, MA, USA: Storey Publishing. pp. 60, 61.
4. Cook, W.(1897) The Poultry Journal. p.81-82
5. J. Ian H. Allonby, Philippe B. Wilson (editors) (2018). British Poultry Standards: 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, seventh edition. Chichester; Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Blackwell. ISBN   9781119509141.
6. "Thompson, J. M. (2008). The Orpington Ducks" (PDF).
7. Bender, E. F.; Sponenberg, D. P.; Bixby, D. E. (2000). "Taking stock of waterfowl: the results of the American livestock breeds conservancy's domestic duck and goose census". Diversity. 16 (3): 21–24.
8. Malone, P.; Gerald, D.; Walt, L. (1998). The American Standard of Perfection. Mendon, MA: American Poultry Association.
9. Standard Revision Committee; Malone, Pat; Donnelly, Gerald; Leonard, Walt (2001). American Standard of Perfection. USA: American Poultry Association. p. 313.
10. Decker, A.; McGinnis, J. (1947). "Black pigmentation in feathers of buff Orpington chicks caused by vitamin D deficiency". Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. 66 (1): 224–226. doi:10.3181/00379727-66-16044P. PMID   20270735.
11. Joseph Batty (1985 [1979]). Domesticated Ducks and Geese, second edition. Liss, Hampshire: Fanciers Suppliers Ltd. ISBN   9780947647025.

Further reading

• Buff Duck—The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
• Buff or Orpington Duck—The Livestock Conservancy
• Batty, J. (1985). Domesticated Ducks and Geese. Nimrod Book Services.
• Bender, E. F., Sponenberg, D. P., & Bixby, D. E. (2000). Taking Stock of Waterfowl: The Results of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy's Domestic Duck and Goose Census. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. ISBN   978-1887316040.
• Cook, William (1897). The Poultry Journal Vol. 12, No. 138, pp. 81–82.^{[ title missing ]}
• Decker, A., & McGinnis, J. (1947). "Black Pigmentation in Feathers of Buff Orpington Chicks Caused by Vitamin D Deficiency". Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 66(1), 224–226.
• Holderread, D., & Center, P. (2001). Raising Ducks.
• Lancaster, J. F. (2013). The Inheritance of Plumage Colour in the Common Duck (Anas platyrhynchos linné). Springer.
• Thompson, J. M. (2008). The Orpington Ducks.