Crele Orpingtons
I got my first crele orpingtons in 2018. They were the biggest nonstandard orpingtons I have ever seen. I even entered a hen at the Canadian National Poultry show just for fun. I wasn’t very happy with their breeding consistency but I loved their feather quality, size and type. I was fortunate to fly in a beautiful shipment of Isabel and Crele breeding pairs from Eastern Canada that I bred to my own line. I pair bred 6 groups in order to get some great genetic diversity. The result is amazing and I love the colors of my creles this year. Lots of fluff and color and my size remained. There seems to be lots of bloom on their eggs so it’s always fun getting pink eggs in the basket. Crele love to forage and our tough Alberta winters don’t seem to phase them at all. These look spectacular all in one group or look stunning in a mixed flock. Crele Orrington are sweet, docile and can sometimes go broody. I have only had one that did and she was an excellent mother.
Orpingtons are dual purpose so you can expect a nice decent supply of eggs but they are also good for dressing. Hens weigh around 8 pounds and males weigh 10 pounds. My line matures a little slower, well into their first year they seem to weigh up to be dense girls. The crele color variety is not accepted in the SOP but we still try to breed SOP guidelines for the orpington. The proper duckwing pattern shows up on the males around 10 months of age. If you are looking for pink hatching eggs then this is the group for you!
Nature: Friendly, calm, kind
Egg Color: cream, sometimes pink eggs
Eggs per year: 200 plus
Winter Hardy: Yes, they enjoy being outside during the winter.
