Russian Orloff Chicken, Poultry Breeder, Northampton

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Welcome

To introduce ourselves we are a family living in Northampton UK. Myself James Heselden, my wife Jai and our three children Adam, Ruby and Katy. We have set up this site in homage to the Russian Orloff and as a reference to our experience in keeping and breeding the Orloff.

We have a passion for this breed and hope that our site can help to promote this fantastic breed and encourage more people to keep them. Here in the UK they are classed as a Rare Breed and in other countries they are on the endangered list. Which I find shocking as we have found them hardy easy to keep and excellent layers of large eggs. The Orloff is a very striking bird and an excellent addition to any flock.

Please feel free to browse our website and find out more about them. Also your participation would be grateful, send us photo's of your Orloffs or use our stock swap page to advertise your stock. Thank you.

Please visit our Society page this will give you information on the newly formed Russian Orloff Society here in the Uk and how you can get involved.

Our Gallery page has photo's of our Orloffs past and present. Plus photo's from other Orloff keepers.

Our News page has updates from our adventures in keeping Orloffs and show information and news from the Society and Orloff World.

Visit our Stock Swap shop to find or place an advert for Orloffs for sale and eggs.

Lastly a quick thank you to those that have helped with our project. David Sanderson who’s constant advice, support and initial Orloffs to which this whole project has been based upon. The Forrester’s who’'s advice on this website and construction help has been invaluable. To my wife for continuing to put up with my Orloff obsession and Adam my son who has been my right hand man throughout.

Breed info

ORLOFF LARGE FOWLOrigin: Iran and Russia.Classification: Heavy Rare Egg colour: TintedThis breed originally came from the gilan province of northern Iran,where it was known as the chilianskaia.Some were taken to Moscow and renamed by Count Orloff Techesmensky. From Russia they became known to British, Dutch and Germany poultry experts in the 1880s and 1890s, and an Orloff Club existed in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s.Orloff bantams have been known in Germany since 1925, but did not reach Britain until the 1970s. As this standard indicates, Orloffs are mainly judged on type and character, especially of the head. Plumage colour is a secondary consideration.General characteristics: male.Carriage: Upright with slightly sloping back.Type:Body broad and fairly long.Flat, slightly sloping back.Breast rather full and prominent.Closely carried wings of moderate length. Tail of medium size with fairly narrow sickles. Carriage rather low but slightly above horizontal.HEAD;Skull wide,of medium size,Beak short, stout and well hooked. Eyes full, and deeply set under well projecting (beetle) eyebrows. Comb: low and flat similar to a rasberry cut lengthways and covered with small/tiny feathers.FACE: Muffled,beard and muffs each side of head.NECK:Fairly long and erect,very heavily covered with hackle feathering (boule).LEGS AND FEET:Moderately long and stout. Thighs muscular and well apart. Shanks round and finely scaled. Toes,four long and well spread.Female: With exception of the beard and muffling being more developed,and the tail, the general characteristics are similar to those of the male. Leg colour in both sexes yellow to pale orange. From The Russain Orloff Society WebsiteRussians (the old APA standard) Disqualifications Combs other than rose; decidedly wry tails; crooked backs; pure white in any part of the plumage extending over one-half of an inch, or two or more feathers tipped or edged with positive white. Standard Weights Cock: 8 1/2 lbs Cockerel: 7 1/2 lbs Hen: 6 1/2 lbs Pullet: 5 1/2 lbs The Male HEAD: Of good size and well formed: BEAK: short, stout, well curved, and black or dark horn color EYES, full, prominent, bright, bay or dark bay FACE, red COMB: Rose, narrow at the rear, without spike, and bright red. WATTLES, EAR-LOBES AND BEARD: WATTLES: long, pendant, well rounded, and bright red EAR-LOBES: of medium size and bright red BEARD: full, heavy under the beak, extending around in a curve to the back of the eyes NECK: Of medium length, well arched, with hackle descending well upon the shoulders BACK: Broad and tapering to the tail SADDLE FEATHERS: abundant BREAST: Round and full BODY AND FLUFF: BODY: broad and compact FLUFF: moderately full WINGS: Of medium size and well folded TAIL: Of medium size, carried in an erect position SICKLE FEATHERS: rather short LEGS AND TOES: THIGHS: of medium length and strong SHANKS: of medium length, strong, and in color dark lead TOES: the same as shanks in color COLOR OF PLUMAGE: Green, glossy black throughout, except fluff and primaries and secondaries of the wings, which are black. The Female HEAD: Of medium size and well formed BEAK: short, stout, well curved, and black or dark horn color EYES: full, prominent, bright, bay or dark bay FACE, red COMB: Rose, similar to that of the male, but smaller, and bright red WATTLES, EAR-LOBES AND BEARD: WATTLES: small, well rounded, and bright red EAR-LOBES: of medium size and bright red BEARD: full on the throat, and extending around in a curve to the hackle NECK: Of medium length, slightly arched, with full hackle BACK: Moderately broad, and tapering to the tail BREAST: Round and full BODY AND FLUFF: BODY: rather broad and compact FLUFF: moderately full WINGS: Of medium size and well folded TAIL: Of medium size and moderately erect LEGS AND TOES: THIGHS: of medium length and strong SHANKS: of medium length, strong, and in color dark lead TOES: the same as shanks in color COLOR OF PLUMAGE: Glossy black, with more or less green lustre, throughout, except fluff and primaries and secondaries of the wings, which are black. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Orloffs/Orl_CraigR.html
The Orloff is a rare breed chicken currently covered under the umbrella of the Rare Breed Society.Originating from Iran and spread across europe in the 17th century. These early birds were referred to as "Chlianskaia". The Orloff as known today got its present name from a russian count Alexey Grigoryevich Orlov, who had helped refine the breed improving its laying abilities and promoted it throughout western europe and the U.S. The Orloff is a tall with an upright stance and a top-heavy appearance. It has thick feathers, abundant saddle feathers and short sickle feathers leading to an upright erect tail. Standing on relatively short yellow legs.The head its striking feature has a walnut/split raspberry comb, a red face with tiny wattles, with full muffing and a long beard. The beak should be dark and well curved. Eyes are bright and bay with heavy lids giving this breed a diminitive look. The neck will be thickly feathered and well arched.Because of its facial features this breed is very hardy in cold conditions and hens are not unknown to lay throughout the winter.It is a very slow growing breed so patience is needed. The males will eventually average at around 3.6kg (8lb). The hens average at around 2.7kg (6lb) and are reported to lay around 160 eggs per year. However from experience I would say that they lay considerable more than this.Colours include spangled of which is the most commonly found, white, black, mahogany, cuckoo and black mottled.The Orloff is a calm and friendly breed, yet I have found that although easy to handle they prefer not to be picked up.

News

Click on the top right hand corner to turn the pages!

News

20th December 2011Hey Welcome to the all new russianorloffs.com website. Here in this section I will try to keep you updated on how my own personal Orloff adventure is going. Show news, developments in the Orloff world and anything else I can think of. If you have anything you would like me add here please get in touch. Either use the contact form or email myself on heselden_ntlworld.com.
Gallery

Gallery

Society

The Russian Orloff Society

Here in the Uk the Russian Orloff currently falls under the umbrella of the Rare Breed Society. However In November 2011 The Russian Orloff Society GB was given a twelve month probation to form their own breed club.

Having not had a breed club since the early 1900's this is a fantastic chance for all those currently keeping or wanting to keep Orloffs to share their experiences, find stock, enter shows and help this magnificent breed prosper.

I would encourage any of you interested in this breed to click on the links provided on this page and either visit the website or join the facebook group and see if it something you might like to get involved in.

The website is http://www.russianorloffclubofgreatbritain.co.uk/

Facebook page is

http://www.facebook.com/groups/orloffsociety/

Photos taken from the Russian Orloff Society website. Bantam Orloffs belong to Stuart and Crystal Clarke. Large Orloffs belong to Steve Gilliver.

Contact

Contact

Alternatively you can e-mail me on heselden_ntlworld.com or call me on 07817375557

Stock Swap

Stock Swap

Welcome to the Stock Swap page. Here you can advertise your birds for sale, eggs or place wanted adverts. It is free to place a basic advert. No photos can be added. But if you get in contact with a photo I will add it to this page for you. Please use the adverts box your adverts.

Links

Links

The Orloff Club of Great Britain

A website set up under the guidance of the Rare Breed Society for all Orloff enthusiasts here in the UK.

Home of the Bantam Orloff.

A website dedicated to the Bantam Oroff. Covering breed standards, colours, shows and much more.

The feathersite.

This website covers most poultry breeds very well illustrated with photos and links for each breed.

Northampton and District Poultry Club.

The Rare Poultry Society.

The poultry club for all rare breed poultry including the orloff.

Faverolles and Orloffs.

An excellent faverolle and orloff breeders website.

24 St. Georges Restaurant

My brothers restaurant located in Brighton.

Bagforce UK

The stockist of Garvo for Northamptonshire . Plus they stock many other poultry related products. Where I got my rubber chippings too.

Poultry Pages

Help and information on keeping chickens and other poultry at home with a helpful chat forum to answer your questions, bookshop etc.

Poultry Talk

Online forum and poultry keepers community.