Hatching Eggs
NOTE: Limited availability on HATCHING EGGS for the 2023 season. We will open up our waiting lists again in January 2023 for Spring 2023 shipping with new breed varieties available as well.
We will do periodic hatching of live chicks in Spring 2023, which will be available for local pickup at our farm in PA. Join our newsletter or watch our social media accounts for Spring hatch dates.
Placing Your Order
Our Process
As orders for hatching eggs are placed, eggs are gathered separately each day and carefully stored to keep the air cell in it’s proper position. When the order is complete, the eggs will be packaged and shipped to you. We are no longer shipping to post offices as “hold for pickup” as many post offices were holding the packages and not calling the customer right away, prolonging the shipping process. We are now shipping directly to your shipping address.
This process of gathering specific eggs that are ideal for hatching (such as: clean eggs, no calcium deposits, no double-yolkers, perfectly positioned and healthy air cell, and of course the best coloring) can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks before your eggs are shipped. Please be patient. We will be sure to communicate fully during this process.
Waiting Lists
Because we are a small farm breeder and NOT a large scale hatchery, our supply can be limited at times. Our breeding birds are not kept confined in cages and are allowed to free range on their own fresh pasture whenever they please, just like our other flocks. We believe that just because we are using their eggs for hatching, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t still live the lavish and peaceful life of a farm chicken. Treating our breeding flock(s) this way creates happy hens and healthy offspring and increases the hatching rate of our fertile eggs. The downside of this freedom, however, is that even with our careful precautions and best efforts, these birds are still susceptible to prey attacks and we do lose a few of our breeding hens per year. During a time of low supply or large amounts of orders we are filling, we will have waiting lists available to allow you to still purchase hatching eggs if you are willing to wait in line for these exceptionally healthy eggs.
**As orders come in and the waiting lists spots are filled, our breed lists will close temporarily with a high volume of orders. As soon as the orders are filled and shipped, the waiting lists will open back up again.
CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY: Please note that orders placed on a waiting list cannot be refunded after one week of purchase. If you need to cancel your order that is on a waiting list, for any reason, please do so within one week of placing your order. Orders cancelled within the one week time period will receive a full refund. Orders cancelled beyond one week will not be refunded because your order/name has taken up a spot that another customer could have had, and we may already be gathering eggs for your order by that time. If the eggs we have started saving for your order cannot immediately be sent to another customer instead, the eggs have to be tossed as they will become too old. Therefore, we cannot issue refunds after this period of time. We appreciate your understanding on this. By placing an order for Hatching Eggs, you automatically agree to this refund policy.
Our Packaging
We take great care to ensure the eggs are as safe as possible during their journey from our farm to your home. Each egg is wrapped individually in a double layer of bubble wrap. The wrapped eggs are grouped together in a flower or honeycomb pattern to create a stronger structure for shipping and then “pressure packed” inside a small box. The small boxes are then tightly placed into a larger shipping box and padded to avoid any movement. I also try to reuse packaging material and boxes to help minimize waste.
With all of the preventative precautions we take for careful handling of our shipping boxes, once the package leaves our care and is handed over to the postal carrier, we have no control over how the box is actually handled. We make sure to label the outside of the box as best we can to keep the box upright and handled carefully during shipping. Still, there are bound to be eggs that arrive cracked, broken or crushed despite our best efforts because that is just the nature of mailing fragile items. Please do report these instances to us and send pictures if you can, so that we can investigate what may have happened and further improve our shipping methods.
Note: we do not offer refunds for eggs that arrive damaged and can offer no guarantee that all eggs will arrive intact after they leave our hands. We do try to include a few “extra” eggs in each order if we have any available to increase your hatching odds and to make up for any that may arrive cracked or broken.
Unpacking Your Eggs
•Make sure to wash your hands before handling the eggs as you don’t want any oils from your skin clogging the tiny pores on the eggshells
•Carefully unwrap each egg and set them into an egg carton FAT SIDE OF EGG UP. The larger end of the egg is where the air cell is located and if it moved or detached during shipping, letting the egg settle and rest can help get it back to its proper position before incubating. Do NOT lay an egg with a detached air cell on its side. Keep egg upright and slightly tilted.
•You’ll notice our marking(s) on each egg “TOF” for This Olde Farm and an abbreviation of the breed. Before preparing the eggs for shipping, we candle each egg to check for a healthy air cell and mark the breed on the side where the air cell is located. We recommend you candle each egg again, before you incubate or place under a broody hen, to check the air cell is still located where we marked and hasn’t shifted during shipping.
Abbreviations for Our breeds:
LW= Lavender Wyandotte
BCM = Black Copper Marans
Red = Red Silkies
CRS= Crele Silkies
LAV/BLK= Lavender/Black split Silkies
BF= Buff Silkies
LC= Lemon Cuckoo Silkies
PLB= Pumpkin Laced Brahmas
BRS= Bresse
•Inspect each egg carefully for any hairline fractures that may have occurred during shipping – if found, discard any of these eggs
•Leave the eggs in a cool environment (65-70 degrees is ideal) to settle for 24 hours after unpacking them
BREEDS WE OFFER
BLACK COPPER MARANS
The Black Pearl of all Chickens ! And ohhhh so chocolatey! This breed originated in France and is named after the historic port town of Marans. Therefore, even a singular bird is called a Marans (with an s) The TOF BCM flock is a purebred line of birds with no hatchery bloodlines. Our flock is of the best bloodlines Greenfire Farms. BCM chicks hatch black with white bellies and mixed black and white faces, lightly feathered shanks and toes. We are constantly working to further improve our BCM flock. We breed for temperament and overall health as number 1 priority, egg color as number 2 priority, and breed SOP (Standard of Perfection) as number 3 priority. Breeding for dark egg color alone can result in birds that lack appropriate temperament or display disqualifying physical features. We strive to breed to the French standard AND consistently desirable egg color. Eggs can be solid dark chocolate brown, dark reddish brown or any of the above with speckles.
A pullet’s eggs when she first comes into lay will be the darkest and will gradually lighten in color until her first molt, after which they will become dark again. We don’t use a hens eggs for hatching until she has laid dark eggs consistently for around 4 weeks for this very reason. Our Roosters come from dark egg genes. The eggs you will receive for hatching are from our carefully selected established layers of high quality BCM eggs. These hens have proven to be the strongest and healthiest of the flock that lay the darkest eggs consistently over time (this is important). The offspring you hatch should lay eggs that are 1 – 2 shades darker than the eggs from which they were hatched (when they first begin to lay) and can be quite large. Since the dark chocolate brown color is essentially like “paint” that is applied to the egg as it’s being laid, egg color will gradually lighten as the hen lays more eggs. After a period of rest, such as a seasonal molt, egg color should darken up again. Our BCM hens begin laying again after their molt or yearly “rest” as early as the first week of January. Their eggs are rich and dark in color and the more eggs they lay, the more the pigment gets lighter. By the time you receive your hatching eggs, our hens are well into their laying schedules. This means that you can’t necessarily judge the color of the offspring eggs by the color of the hatching eggs you receive, as its simply a case of “low ink” not color genetics.
I've heard them referred to as "the most expensive chicken eggs in the world" and until recently they have been fairly hard to come by. They are said to be prized by French chefs and are slightly harder to hatch then other breeds. Many people are only familiar with the name Marans because James Bond was said to only eat the speckled eggs from Marans hens in From Russia With Love. While I can't comment on Mr Bonds particular idiosyncrasies, I've had Marans and I have to tell you, not all those other rumors are true! Here's the big bad secret no one wants to tell you....They taste the same as any other farm fresh egg. OMG I admitted it! lol I can't even count how many people have told me "I've heard Marans eggs are the best tasting eggs in the world" Now, that's just silly! I mean, compared to store bought eggs then yeah...sure, Marans eggs are better. If you compare them to my other free range chickens though, you can't tell the difference. On second thought.......we should probably just keep that last one between us. Especially if Mr Bond asks! However some French chefs are reputed to ONLY cook with Marans eggs, claiming they are superior in taste and quality> They actually might be onto something because according to the French Ministry of Agriculture, Marans eggshells have smaller pores than the shells of other breeds and thicker shells and inner membranes, making them far less likely to contain salmonella and allowing the Marans eggs to stay fresher longer. So its really up to you to decide if they are in fact the best!
Note: This thicker outer layer can make hatching Marans eggs a bit challenging, with a lower success rate than other breeds.
1) Marans eggs change colors. When a Marans pullet starts laying she will lay very dark brown eggs. As the laying season progresses her eggs get lighter. After a molt or seasonal break, her eggs start out dark brown again.
She will repeat this cycle throughout her lifetime however they will lighten up a bit after the first year or two. They'll still follow the pattern of darker in the spring and lighter by fall though they'll never again get as dark as that first year.
2) The color can be wiped off of a Marans egg. Isn't that odd? If you try to clean a Marans egg and wipe too hard, the color will come right off!
3) The color is on the egg shell, it is not the color of the egg shell. It's a wet mucous like coating which dries quickly after the egg is laid. Sometimes it doesn't dry quickly enough and gets marks on the color from nest box bedding.
4) Some eggs are speckled, some are not.
5) The color of a Marans egg is hereditary. If the parent stock lay very dark eggs, the offspring will also. However if the parent stock lay lighter brown eggs, their offspring will also.
Lavender Wyandottes
I don't really know where to start LOL Purple is my favorite color and Brown eggs are delicious :/ Put the two together and you have the perfect chicken? The Lavendars are a Project variety making them rare when they become an established line. The goal should be to improve quality because they are not up to par with other varieties. So let me explain a little bit further: It Takes years to do this and personally we let them all grow up, pick the best and set up our breeding lines from inside the group. We do not cross them to other varieties. For the Lavender color, we want a silver base and extended black primary color pattern. Progress is going to progress the fastest by working within the closed group.
This is a great dual-purpose chicken if you're looking for one. They do well in winter, and they do well in summer with their small combs. They also lay large, lovely tan to light brown eggs.
The easiest breeding plan is to line breed. Take your best cockerel to the best pullets the first year. The rule of thumb is to only breed the top 10% of the flock. Two hens would be enough and make a nice trio. You can keep everyone else in a laying flock (but not breed them). In the second year you use two pens and put the best pullets (top 10%) back to their father and the best cockerel back to the hens breed in the first year. Then every year after that you put pullets in the pullet pen with a cock over 2 years old and the cockerel in the hen pen with hens over two years old. At the end of the hatching season, you look at the cock and the cockerel and keep the best (the loser can go to the laying flock as back up). You do the same things with the hens. If you have pullets that are better than the hens, you move them to the hen pen if not you rotate pullets to the laying flock. Following the 10% rule, you would need to grow up 10 cockerels and 20 pullets every year to get two breeding pullets for the cock pen and one breeding cockerel for the Hen pen. Takes a while but it is well worth the effort.
Hatching a lot and breeding a few is the only way we know to maintain quality in Lavender Wyandotte's. The Lavenders are beautiful. Takes approximately 3-5 years to see improvements to start to come through if you follow a solid breeding plan.
So how is lavender brought about and where did it originate? Where Lavender originally came from and how it got into chickens I do not know. Lavender is not a double dose of blue. The Lavender gene is a different gene. In the chicken world blue does not breed true.....when bred together will and can produce all three colors, black, blue and splash. Lavender or breeding Lavender...I think works like this.....get a bird that is Lavender (or a bird that is split for Lavender, and breed to a black bird, this should produce all black chicks that are split chicks (which means they carry 1 copy of the lavender gene and 1 copy of the black) and the split chicks need to be bred back to the Lavender parent to produce 50% black offspring and 50% lavender offspring. Those Lavender offspring can then be bred back to the original Lavender parent and will produce 100% Lavender offspring. Lavender is recessive so each parent needs a lav gene to create a visual lavender.
So, this needs two generations.
My understanding of lavender goes something like this: IF you don't have lavender in your breed, it must be introduced from another desirable breed. Usually, people only breed lavender to black, but some use other colors. I would only use black it makes it easier.
lav X lav = 100% lav
lav x black=100% black split (to lav)
lav X black split = 50% lav, 50% split
black split X black split = 50% split/ 25% lavs/ 25% blacks (can't visually tell the blacks, from the splits- they both appear to be black)
black split X black - 100% blacks <---(I think this is correct but not sure)
White Marans
White Marans are eye-catching and extra sweet. Most people who love White Cochins love them for their demeanor more than for their production capabilities and the same is true for White Marans. Are you looking for those brown eggs to round out your egg basket? Look no further! Egg color is what initially draws many folks to the Marans, but they are so much more than a pretty egg. When we first started working with this breed, we were wowed by their friendly and curious temperament as well as their beauty. Our White Marans carry the same genetics as our Black Copper Marans, but with two copies of the recessive white gene. These White Marans can lay just as dark of an egg as their Black Copper counterparts, which generally lay 4-6 on the egg shade chart, although there is always variation from bird to bird and through the year. We breed for temperament and health first, as well as to the Standard of Perfection. Our Marans roosters are friendly, flirty, and protective. Our Marans hens are curious and outgoing., and do not tend to go broody. I think White Marans may just be the sweetest breed of chicken and Their owners would say so! They are docile, friendly, don't try to escape, and make good pets.
Here at TOF, our white Marans line came from GFF. There are 4 colors listed in the The American Poultry Association (APA) for breed standard. Today the complete list of color varieties accepted into the American Standard of Perfection are white, black, black copper, and wheaten. With so many different color varieties, it can be a bit hard to chose, can’t it?
Ten colours are recognised in the French breed standard for large fowl: white, wheaten, silver cuckoo, golden cuckoo, black, copper-black, silver-black, copper-blue, black-tailed buff and Columbian. In the United Kingdom only five are recognised – black, copper-black, dark cuckoo, golden cuckoo and silver cuckoo. The Australian Poultry Standard recognises both feather- and clean-legged. The American Poultry Association only recognizes feather-legged.
Pumpkin Laced Brahmas RARE!
This variety is rare and unusual!! Imagine a rich, brilliant spiced laced plumage color combined with a graceful carriage, sweeping tail, white ear lobes, and yellow shanks and toes. This is another fine variety for showing! The hens lay a tinted egg and Chicks are are born yellow with feathered shanks, as all brahma's have. On range they are splendid foragers. The breed is prolific, highly fertile, and hardy. Try some of these handsome birds for an interesting and beautiful addition to your flock. They are noted for hardiness, vigor; and producing more eggs with less food than any other breed. Today a majority of Brahma chickens come in a variety of colors and this one by far supersedes them all in our honest opinion! The breed offers many wonderful attributes: high rate of egg production; high level of fertility; hardiness; vigor; chicks are easy to raise and feather quickly; the breed can be raised on almost any soil type. Unlike some project birds they don't breed true however we worked endlessly on our variety and will back the statement up: THESE BREED TRUE! They are exotic and beautiful.
Soo why did I want to add a new breed to my flock? When I already had so many. I fell in love with the Lemon Cuckoo Neiderrheiner however after having them for many many years and still had so many difficulties and inconsistences with the breed I chose to add another that was just as beautiful. I purchased my LCN from an original importer and it was still a mess of things and it's the very reason why that importer gave up on selling the breed. I now see some hatcheries offering the breed and there is a lot of disappointment from the buyers as well because of the inconsistancies. I then turned to the laced Brahma and developed my own line the Pumpkin Laced Brahma !
The great thing about this breed is they are docile, and they breed true! The PLB's also lay large, tinted eggs. We also hope you love this breed to as much as we do.
Black Ameraucana
Black Ameraucana Chickens are a popular producer of blue eggs and are known for their heat and cold hardiness and persistence in laying- especially in hot weather. When this breed was being developed, the breeders focused on utility and today this is what they are known for. Not to be mistaken for “Americana” or “Americauna”…..yes the spelling difference matters!! Americana is a commercial name given to Easter Eggers by the big box companies to increase sales. True Ameraucana carry 2 copies of the blue egg gene, Easter Eggers typically carry one, which allows for any egg color to be laid. Ameraucana lineage traces all the way down to Chile. Back in the 1500’s Spanish invaders were first to write about the Mapuche Indians and their chickens, the Collonia and Quetero. Over time these breeds were bred together by the natives to form what we know today as the Araucana. But you’re probably wondering what this has to do with Ameraucana? Araucana are the direct parents to our modern day Ameraucana. In 1920 Araucana were brought to the United States in small batches by audiences to a conference held for the Araucana in Chile held by Professor Salvador Castillo. One breeder of the Araucana, Mr. Keller, of the Pratt Experimental Farm in Pennsylvania is the founding father of our beloved Ameraucana. They were created by crossing various breeds to the Araucana. Over time he reached uniformity to the breed and they quickly became an American favorite. Ameraucana were accepted by the American Poultry Association in 1984. Ameraucana are a winter hardy bird and bred to be a dual purpose breed. Ameraucana can lay various shades of blue AND light to pale greens. All shades of colors located on the breeders color card are accepted egg colors of true Ameraucana. Color cards can be purchased through the breeders club. Ameraucana have pea combs and wattles are small to almost non-existent. They have both beards and muffs. Eyes are a reddish bay color. Tails should be upright and at a 45-degree angle to their body. Legs are a slate color and free from feathers. Pads of feet and skin are white.
Ameraucanas lay pastel blue to a blue-green egg and are excellent layers. This breed can lay up to 250+ eggs per year; average 3-4 eggs a week and medium to large size. We are actively participating with the ABC group and ensuring we are raising quality Ameraucanas. This Olde Farm is registered with the Ameraucana Breeders Club (ABC) and The Ameraucana Alliance to ensure those who are purchasing from us that you are receiving true Ameraucanas.
So, why do people like myself enjoy the breed so much?
Well, for starters, there’s nothing like watching a Black Ameraucana strut across the yard in a stately posture, sunlight revealing the green iridescence hidden in those black feathers. Our line of Black Ameraucanas comes from breeders who focused on quality exhibition type Ameraucanas. We are working on selecting the best traits for breeding qualities while adhering to the breed’s APA standards. Our group of breeders, consists mostly of the 50/50 split black and blu variety.
When ordering from this pen you will receive 50/50 Blue and Black Ameraucanas. The Black Ameraucanas most-loved feature is its temperament. Quiet birds with a disposition often described as “shy,” a flock is less likely to disturb the neighbors with broody tantrums.
An easy-going bird with a friendly personality and no major health concerns and the best part is....... it never gets old collecting their sky blue eggs :)
Silkies: Red , White, Black, Crele, Lavender and Buff
The exact origin of the Silkie chicken is partially a mystery - no one's really sure of when the chicken that we know today first originated. However, the breed may have begun in China, India, or possibly elsewhere in Asia. Somewhere, the Silkie was created, and the chicken gradually made its way into North America.
Cool fact: Silkies were written about by Marco Polo in the 13th century, who wrote of 'chickens with fur-like feathers' in logs from his Asian travels.
Today, Silkies are present in North America, Asia, and Europe. Many breeders now focus their programs on developing and enhancing the unique characteristics of the Silkie chicken. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four. They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and appear in various colors. Silkies are among the most docile of poultry, and considered an ideal pet. Silkies appear in two distinct varieties: Bearded and Non-bearded. Bearded Silkies have an extra muff of feathers under the beak area that covers the earlobes. They also are separated according to color. Colors of Silkie recognized for competitive showing include Black, Blue, Buff, Grey, Partridge, and White. Alternative hues, such as Cuckoo, Lavender, Red, and Splash also exist. The standards of perfection call for all Silkies to have a small Walnut Comb, dark wattles, and turquoise blue earlobes. In addition to these defining characteristics, Silkies have five toes on each foot. Other breeds which exhibit this rare trait include the Dorking, Faverolles, and Sultan.
🐣My Crele/Partridge🐣 pen consists of both satins and silkies. I love satins because they are not only super soft, they have such beautiful patterns clearly defined on their feathers.
🐣RED 🐣: I currently have 8 red pens with approximately 30 plus hens in each. I’m very passionate about this color as it is my FAVORITE. however, it’s a new color with a very small gene pool and it does require a lot of work to perfect. I’ve been breeding them since 2018 and I’ve secured lines from Bobbi , Sharon and Tracey. So I really hope your here to continue the work as well. There is only a few of us breeding reds and I can count them on one hand. it’s a work in progress and I am now up to F3’s and F-4 generations but will still occasionally get all of the following colors >>>>> buff , smutty buff , light red, Red Pyle and Dark Reds.
I get a lot of requests for my red silkies.I really don’t do a whole lot of advertising of my project colors. Particularly my red silkies.While I certainly do take ALOT of pictures of them I rarely will list availability of them in contrast to my other breeds. The reason? It’s disheartening for me to see fellow Silkie breeders being put down because the buyer is less than happy with the hatching results, or the color, or for whatever reason be as it may their expectations are WAY too high. The truth is everyone has flaws and defects in their project colors. They are still being perfected and it doesn’t happen overnight. Even with my own I experience flaws. Some might be buff, some smutty buff, some light red, some very red. Some don’t have great wings some don’t have great toes And of course not all of them come out to be hens either. Which takes even longer to get to the goal. Red Hens are also typically lighter than the Red Roos and they don’t get darker I’ve noticed until much much later. Some almost two years old. It’s important for me to mention the work doesn’t stop with me, you’ll need to continue the work in this color as with any project color.
EVERY bird is important because they will carry half the gene (half the gene to red, half the gene to body type, half the gene to perfection, simply put half the gene). To end up later with a higher percentage and being closer to the goal. Even very red silkies don’t all make SOP birds. Right now, the gene Pool is very limited so it will take someone who can afford to make a very long commitment to the color. I think I can literally count all the red Silkie breeders that I know of on one hand. It’s very costly, did I mention how expensive this is 🥴 but all jokes aside IT IS! Just like breeding sheep I consider it the breed-up program. I do selectively $ell to people who understand how important this is that they may not end up with very red or very correct birds. Some people back out because of this. And I’m okay with that. I take no offense. We are all in different places in our life. And some just can’t afford it. I know I sound like a downer which really isn’t my intention. I am extremely thankful to those of you who do take the jump into this color. My biggest reason: God forbid I ever have a fire here my entire line would be lost. They would all be gone. ☹️ So that’s why I do appreciate those of you who have purchased from me, the little I make them available. Knowing that some of their offspring are out there either with flaws or not they are still important to the red gene pool.
When red becomes available its typically in the winter when I offer them. In the beginning I focused on color than body type and then correct wings and feet etc. . I am further along from where I started … body type is great in my red lines. 4 years later the Color is coming along very nicely but line breeding only goes so far until you have to do something…… which is where I’m at now. No matter what color of Silkie it is, HEALTH should be more important than any of the above. there’s really a lot more thought and work that people don’t completely think about and I just think it needs to be said, because it really discourages us breeders to even offer project colors to the public when buyers become disgruntled or unhappy about the purchase. And it’s sad to see a great breeder out there getting ripped apart for something they made very clear from the beginning. Have I gotten less than stellar hatches when I purchase from other breeders? Absolutely! But I didn’t complain. I didn’t exploit it on Facebook. I picked myself back up and made another purchase and just kept going even from the same breeder I previously purchased from. If you can’t afford to gamble or lose money don’t do it. Don’t take the risk. If you can’t make a long-term commitment to the color don’t get started. So please keep this in mind anytime you buy project colors.
🐣BUFF 🐣: I have two pens of Buff that have approximately 10 hens in each.
🐣LAVENDER/BLACK 🐣: This pen consists of Satins, Silkies, and Frizzles. They are all very beautiful. I have two separate breeding pens of Lavender and Black split to lavender as well as two pure black hens. Approximately 4 Roos and 9 hens in each pen and growing! I will frequently breed back my lavenders to blacks. It is necessary for vigor, feather quality and overall health. Many lavenders appear washed out even almost white! Because breeders are not breeding them back to blacks. This color variety is very difficult to keep alive as it is. And then add frizzle to the mix and it becomes even more challenging! They need special attention, and you really need to be on top of your chicken game so please observe them closely for any changes.
🐣WHITE 🐣: I have one white Pen of Silkies that consists of 5 hens and 2 Roos.
What is their purpose? OMG!! just look at that fluffy butt?! Aside from that Silkies are excellent mothers. These wonderful mothers are known for being broody hens and happily sit on a clutch of eggs until they're ready to hatch. Many people choose to keep silkies as they make such fantastic mothers, and will often sit on less maternal chickens eggs through to hatching- perfect if you're wanting to breed lots of baby chickens for many years to come! I just love them because they are sweet and adorable.
You can free range these birds, as they are hardy despite their appearance. And they're calm and docile, too! We have good lines and work hard to produce good birds. Before purchasing, please read more about this breed and educate yourself because there is a lot of information. They do require extra care during the incubation process. We keep them separate from the rest of the flock because they are so timid, they tend to get bullied by the others. Here at TOF we also have color specific breeding pens.
Jubilee Orpingtons
Jubilee Orpingtons Chickens are a rare color pattern of everyone's favorite chickens, the sweet and personable, Orpingtons. The Jubilee color was developed around 1897 by crossing a Buff Orpington and a Spangled Old English Game Chicken and aptly named after the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. They are still very rare here in the United States. Jubilee Orpingtons are the English strain.
Like all Orpington Chickens, the Jubilees make great pets due to their calm and friendly disposition. They are also great layers of cream-brown colored eggs, laying approximately 3-5 each week. They are round and fluffy in appearance, are clean legged, and have a single comb. Hens are also broody and make great mothers. Our Jubilee's are not from a hatchery they are from exhibition lines and we strive to maintain the dark mahogany color in this beautiful breed for Standards of Perfection.
We started raising these chickens in the spring of 2018 and fell in love with them. They are a large bird with fluffy full feathers and a beautiful mahogany color with a green sheen and white speckles. Their coloring is similar to a Speckled Sussex, but it is the size and fluffiness that sets them apart! Because of their size, they make an egg-cellent dual purpose bird and they are easy on the eyes. My rooster is a gentle, laid-back chook that will let you carry him around and eats treats right out of your hand. I expect a lot of gorgeous and well-mannered chicks from this guy. The girls are round balls of feathers with full plumage in the back. I love to watch them run because it looks like petticoats swishing back and forth!
We breed for the dark mahogany color as a primary focus that carry an abundance of speckles. Our birds have English type with sweet friendly personalities. Here at TOF we were very picky about whom to buy these from to get started but after 3 years they are now our own line. It is important to know that it is quality over quantity when purchasing from a breeder verses a hatchery. As it is very easy to lose the dark mahogany color in this breed. Careful selection goes into choosing a cockerel for breeding the hens. These beautiful Chickens are also hard to get most places sell out quickly with long waiting lists and the prices are eye poppers as well.