Rhode Island Red
New England, USA
$6.40
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Breed · 02
— Heritage Bird
— Kent, England
Orpington · Buff
The English garden bird. Plush, broody, beginner-friendly.
- Price
- $7.10/ chick
- Lay rate
- 220 eggs / yr
- Origin
- Kent, England
- Ship as
- Day-old chicks
Hatched in Vermont · NPIP certified · ships to 48 states
— Field notes
Origin
Developed by William Cook in Orpington, Kent, England in 1886, with the buff variety standardized in 1894. Bred originally for both eggs and table — a true Victorian dual-purpose breed.
Temperament
Gentle, calm, easily handled. The classic "kid's chicken." Often broody — they will sit on a clutch readily, making them excellent natural mothers.
Production
~220 large light-brown eggs per year. Steadier in winter than Mediterranean breeds. Heavy carcass at 8 lb (hens) / 10 lb (roosters) with fine-grained meat.
Climate
Excellent cold tolerance thanks to dense, fluffy plumage. Less heat-tolerant — provide deep shade and ample water above 90°F. The fluff that protects them in winter works against them in summer.
Brooder
Brood at 95°F. Slower-growing than Leghorns; full size at 22-24 weeks. Watch for crushed chicks if a broody hen is in the brooder pen — Orpington hens are heavy.
Best for
First-time keepers, families with children, cold-climate flocks, anyone who wants natural broody mothers for hatching their own replacements.