Orloff

Origin: Russia and Iran

Category:  Softfeather Heavy

Egg Colour:  Tinted to Light Brown

Sitter:  Yes

The Oloff takes its name from Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov, a Russian Count who was a key promoter of the breed in the 19th century and the one who brought the breed to the West. Modern research has discovered that the breed first appeared in Persia (Iran) and was distributed across Europe and Asia by the 17th century. They were first introduced to Gerat Britain in the 1920s, and were also refined a good deal in Germany. The Germans created the first bantamised Orloff's. It is a tall, well-feathered fowl with a somewhat gamey appearance. The head and neck are very thickly feathered. Their plumage, combined with their tiny walnut comb, small earlobes and wattles, makes the Orloff a very cold-hardy breed. They are primarily suited to meat production, but hens are reasonable layers of light brown to tinted eggs and they are relatively calm in temperament. Orloffs were included in the 2016 import to Australia.

General Characteristics

Carriage:  Upright with slightly sloping back. 

Head: skull wide, of medium size.

Beak short, stout, and well hooked.

Eyes full, and deeply set under well-projecting (beetle) eyebrows, giving a gloomy vinctive expression.

Comb low and flat, shaped somewhat like a raspberry cut through its axis (lengthwise), covered with small protuberances mingled with small bristle-like feathers, which peculiarity is particularly noticeable in the female. 

Face muffled, beard and whiskers well developed.

Earlobes very small, hidden under the muffles.

Wattles small, and show only in the male.

Neck fairly long and erect, very heavily covered with hackle, the feathers very full at the top but so close at the base of the neck as to appear thin there, and forming a distinct angle with the back.

Body broad and fairly long; flat, slightly sloping back; breast rather full and prominent.

Closely carried wings of moderate length; erect fan-like tail with long narrow sickles.

Legs moderately long and stout.

Thighs muscular and well apart.

Shanks round and finely scaled 

Toes (four) long and well spread.

Female Characteristics

With the exception of the muffling (which is more developed) and the tail (comparitvely long) the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

Colour

Beak: yellow, with a thin rose-tinted skin at base of beak and nostrils.

Eyes: red or amber.

Comb, face, earlobes and wattles: red.

Legs rich yellow.

Colour Varieties

Black

Plumage solid black to the skin from head to tail, with a beetle-green sheen. 

Black Mottled 

Ground colour as per the black variety, however evenly distributed tips to each feather. Preferably no more than two white flights. 

Cuckoo

As in the Cuckoo Leghorn.

Mahogany 

Male plumage: beard and whiskers a mixture of black, mahogany and grey, grey dominating. Neck hackle rich dark orange, darkest at the crown and showing very slight black stripes at the base only. Saddle rich mahogany shading to deep orange. Wings rich deep mahogany with a strongly defined green-black bar. Breast solid black. Tail black with green sheen.  Plumage of the hen: Mufflings as in the cock. Hackle mahogany, the lower feathers showing black striping. Tail mainly black. Remainder rich dark mahogany uniformly peppered with black, the entire absence of black, or heavy and irregular black splashes undesirable. 

Spangled 

Plumage of the Cock - Hackles rich orange, with white tips to as many feathers as possible. Back rich mahogany. Wings rich mahogany with black bar showing green or purple sheen, and white flights. Breast solid black with white tips, blotchiness or washiness undesirable. Tail green-black. Plumage of the hen - Light mahogany with white tips, the spangling to be as uniform as possible.

White 

Plumage lustrous white from head to tail. 

Points

In the 1926 edition of The Poultry Club Standards by Broomhead, the following is stated:

Instructions to Judges:

In this breed the colour is of secondary importance, and is a deciding point only in close competition. The main characteristics of the Orloff are its peculiarities of shape, comb, head and carriage. 

Weight 

Male: 7-8lb (3.2-3.6kg)

Female: 5-6lb (2.25-2.7kg)

Bantam weights to be approximately one-third of the standard weights @ Male 1200-1300g and Female 900-1000g.

Defects

Absence of beard and muffling, and puffed hackle; legs other than yellow; comb of any other form than as described; weak, deformed or diseased specimens.

Note that slight feathering or down between the toes does not constitute a disqualification.

Source

Australian Poultry Standards

The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Poule_orloff.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Poule_Orloff_tricolore_acajou_(2).jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orloff_H%C3%A4hne.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orloff_Hahn_rotbunt_2022.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orloff_chicken