Large fowl

Origin: Great Britain

Classification: Heavy, soft feather

Egg colour: tinted to brown

Weight: Large fowl; male 3.85 – 4.55kg, female 2.95 – 3.6kg. Bantam; male 1020g max,
female 790g max.

History

Abbreviated from ‘Australian’ and ‘Orpington’ whence it came around 1921 having been developed from the black Orpington. It offers a true utility type; being an excellent layer and a good meat bird, with white skin.

Characteristics

Male

Carriage: erect and graceful, denoting an active fowl. Head carried well above the tail line.

Type: body deep and broad, showing somewhat more length than depth. Back broad across shoulders and saddle, sweeping curve from neck to tail. Breast full and rounded, carried well forward without bulging. Breastbone long and straight. Wings compact, carried closely in, ends covered by saddle hackles. Tail full and compact, rising gradually from saddle in an unbroken line. Sickles gracefully curved but not long and streaming.

Head: fine, with round skull. Beak slightly curved, strong, of medium length. Eyes large, prominent and expressive, high in skull, standing well out when viewed from front or back. Comb single, medium-sized and erect, with four to six even serrations, blade tending downwards without touching the neck, texture fine but not polished. Face, full, finely textured, clean, free from feathers, wrinkles and overhanging brows. Ear-lobes small and elongated. Wattles medium in size, rounded at bottom and with same texture as comb.

Neck: fairly long, fine at junction of head, with gradual curve out towards the back, widening distinctly at the shoulders.

Legs and feet: legs medium in length, strong, rounded in front and well-spaced apart. Hocks nearly covered by body feathering and the whole of the shanks showing below the underline. Shanks and feet (four toes) free from feathers or down.

Plumage: fairly tight.

Female

Similar to the male, allowing for normal sexual differences. Pelvic bones should be pliable, no excess of fat or gristle. Abdominal skin pliable without excess internal fat.

Colours

Black, blue, white.

Defects

Black and Blue; red, yellow or white in feathers. Permanent white in ear-lobes.

White; red eyes, white legs.