The Orpington Club of Australia took the big bold step in acknowledging that there are a number of non standard coloured Orpingtons out there by putting on Weird and Wonderful Classes at this years 2015 National Show. The birds were judged in two parts - firstly by the judges on their Orpington ness eg everything in the standard but colour -and secondly by popular vote of the people present in the shed for the prettiest colour. Interesting the winner of both judging methods was the same bird which was a wonderfully shaped ( for an Orpington) interestingly coloured hen (pics to come on the Club website). What it also meant that we only had standard ( Black, Blue White, Buff, Cuckoo) and developing standard colours ( eg Red, Buff Cuckoo, Lavender) in the Open section as against any random colour being entered in the Development Classes.
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Martin D (Formerly registered as Karli 965)
Breeder and Exhibitor of Large Orpingtons in White, Black and Blue
http://www.waningaorpingtons.weebly.com