The birds generally have buff feathers. Occasionally a bird may have other colours of feathers such as white, blue, chocolate and black, but these are rare.
The male will have a green feathered head.
Males have yellow bills; females have brownish-orange bills.
Both have orangish-yellow shanks, and brown eyes.
Males weigh 6.6 pounds (3kg), females around 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg.)
The birds rarely fly; they are happy both on land and in water.
The birds are rapid growers, making them ready for the market as table meat in 8 to 10 weeks. Their light pin feathers don’t mark the skin.
Females will lay 150 to 200 white-shelled eggs a year, averaging about 65g in weight per egg.
History Notes
The Orpington Duck breed was developed by a William Cook in Orpington, Kent, England by successive cross-breeding of Cayuga, Runner, Aylesbury and Rouen ducks.
The breed was introduced into America in 1908 at the Madison Square Garden Show in New York City.
In 1914, the breed was admitted under the name of “Buff” to the American Standard of Perfection.
Sources
Scherf, Beate D., Editor. World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Second Edition. 1995. Page 270.