Heavenly Homestead
History
In spite of their name, Russian Orloffs originated from Persia. The birds were named after a Russian Count, Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov. The count was instrumental in spreading the breed across the world.
Russian Orloffs are a stunning breed of chicken with exotic features that differ from some of their more well known cousins. The chickens possess a brown and white speckled coat with the male roosters also sporting large, green tail feathers. Unfortunately, their rather gamey appearance has resulted in them losing out in popularity to other varieties of chickens, causing them to become a critically endangered species. Fortunately, the breed has been receiving more attention from farmers and poultry owners in recent years.
Meat Production
Spangled Russian Orloffs are larger birds with hens usually weighing in at around 6.6-7 pounds and roosters at 8-9 pounds. Due to their size, the Russian Orloffs have predominantly been used as meat chickens. While they take longer to mature than some other breeds, their weight ensures a large yield of meat at the end of the process.
Egg Production
Spangled Russian Orloffs do not lay with as high a frequency of some of other breeds. Orloff hens are usually considered to be moderate layers. However, they have the benefit of being very resistance to the cold. In fact, Russian Orloffs can survive low temperatures that would kill other breeds. Consequently, they will continue to lay eggs in cold weather where other breeds have stopped. This is a significant benefit if the owner is using the eggs for food.