Home on the Range #034: Delaware & Orpington Chickens – Egg Factories

Without launching into a political discussion on our welcoming and practical editorial series of “Home on the Range,” pretty much everything at the grocery store costs more. Whether you attribute that to our ever-evolving economy, our elected representatives, some not-so-far-fetched conspiracy theories (that could be true), and/or people sometimes unnecessarily (sometimes necessarily) stockpiling food, the fact of the matter is food costs more. So, what are you to do?… Well, being the capable, agile, and resourceful folks many of our readers are, you need to take things into your own hands. In past articles we discussed hunting, foraging, raising beef cattle, and raising Mangalitsa pigs all for the food they provide. It is not only more healthy than what you find at the supermarket, but more affordable in the long run as well. So, if you cringe when you see the prices of eggs lately we would like to introduce you to Delaware and Orpington chickens. These common egg-laying breeds are fantastic egg factories and are extremely low maintenance for the beginner “chicken owner.”

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Welcome to our reoccurring series of “Home on the Range.” Here, we would like to share all of our experiences for those who may be homesteading, living off the land, hunting, farming, ranching, and truly investing in nature and the great outdoors. The ability to provide for yourself and your family can be tremendously rewarding and simultaneously difficult at times. So, in “Home on the Range” we want to share our different exploits so you can learn and hopefully we can receive your feedback along the way as well.

Dive on In! – Delaware & Orpington Chickens

If you have ever been in your local farm and tractor supply store in the spring you might have heard the curious and cute sounds of baby chicks chirping somewhere from the poultry department. Many farm, tractor, and hardware supply stores sell chicks in the spring to raise up as either meat birds (butchered for chicken breasts, drumsticks, and other select cuts of meat) or as egg-laying chickens. Most people might baulk at the idea of owning chickens citing reasons of it’s too much work… feed costs are too high… I don’t know what I’m doing. For the naysayers in the audience, all I have to say is: “Give it a try!”

My fiancé and I were much like you that we love animals: we’re compassionate towards them, want to be good stewards of all animals large and small, and we simultaneously believe they’re delicious. You can love, respect, and be a good steward of animals while concurrently enjoying them on your plate with a side of vegetables. These are not diametrically opposing ideas. There are some fundamental basics you need, but it is honestly not much.

Shelter – Safe shelter away from predators and inclement weather (rain in the summer and snow in the winter)
Food – Vegetable & fruit table scraps, clover, grasshoppers, and store feed can all be used
Water – Clean water daily aids in digestion, egg production, and healthy birds (make sure it’s not froze in winter)
Sunlight – Chickens operate off of sunlight exposure – circadian rhythms – to guide them in their egg laying
Love – Talk to your birds, hold them, pet them, respect them, let them know you are “safe” to them

Traits & What to Expect – Delaware & Orpington Chickens

If you fancy yourself a homesteader or have a small backyard farm both of these breeds are common bread ‘n butter staples among chicken growers. They are generally low maintenance, quick to grow to maturity (relative to other breeds for both egg and meat production), and are friendly enough to have your family including children. Moreover – for our purposes of egg production – if you take care of them like you should, you can come to expect 200 – 250 eggs per year for each of these breeds. Let’s take a look at them individually.

Delaware Chickens

Egg Production: ~4 eggs/week
Personality: Exuberant, Inquisitive, Friendly, OK with Children, Great Assistants in Cleaning a Garden (Slugs, Bugs, etc)
Breed: “Indian River Chicken” bred originally in Indian River, Delaware (renamed to Delaware chicken in time)
Lifespan: 5+ years
Color: White, Black, Speckled

Orpington Chickens

Egg Production: 3 – 5 eggs/week
Personality: Lovable, Productive, Quiet, Docile, Good with Children
Breed: English hen
Lifespan: 8+ years
Color: Blue, Diamond Jubilee, Lemon Cuckoo, Chocolate, Various mixes

As far as chicken breeds you could pick up at your local farm and fleet store (or even Craigslist like I did), both of the breeds of Delaware and Orpington chickens are great choices. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either, it simply depends what your end goal is. Maybe you want the longest life to deliver more bang for your cluck… then, you will potentially want more Orpington chickens. If you want more consistent egg-layers (4 eggs/week), then you could prospectively rely on Delawares. Orpington chickens have the potential to deliver more eggs, but they also could provide you with less (higher risk/higher reward, maybe?…).

Overall, I would suggest you get some of each. Orpington chickens are will add gorgeous color to your flock, Delawares can help you prune your garden to be more successful in the long run, and both will provide you eggs, entertainment, and are lovable poultry for young and old. As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below, and whether you currently are raising any chickens. We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak