Post by vtguania on Jan 28, 2014 23:08:00 GMT -5
posted with permission by Jayne Gillam Russian Orloff Society of Great Britain
ORLOFF
LARGE FOWL
Origin: Iran and Russia
Classification: Heavy: Rare.
Egg colour: Tinted
This breed originally came from the Gilan province of northern Iran, where it was known as the Chilianskaia. Some were taken to Moscow and renamed by Count Orloff Techesmensky. From Russia they became known to British, Dutch and German poultry experts in the 1880s and 1890s, and an Orloff Club existed in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. Orloff bantams have been known in Germany since 1925, but did not reach Britain until the 1970s. As this standard indicates, Orloffs are mainly judged on type and character, especially of the head. Plumage colour is a secondary consideration.
General characteristics: male
Carriage: Upright with slightly sloping back.
Type: Body broad and fairly long. Flat slightly sloping back. Breast rather full and prominent. Closely carried wings of moderate length. Tail of medium size with fairly narrow sickles. Carriage rather low but slightly above horizontal.
Head: Skull wide, of medium size. Beak short, stout and well hooked. Eyes full, and deeply set under well projecting (beetle) eyebrows, giving a gloomy, vindictive expression. Comb low and flat, shaped somewhat like a raspberry cut through it’s axis (lengthwise), covered with small protuberances mingled with small, bristle-like feathers, which peculiarity is particularly noticeable in the female. Face muffled, beard and whiskers well developed. Ear-lobes very small, hidden under the muffles. Wattles small, and show only in the male.
Neck: Fairly long and erect, very heavily covered with hackle (boule), the feathers very full at the top but so close at the base of the neck as to appear thin there, and forming a distinct angle with the back.
Legs and feet: Moderately long and stout. Thighs muscular and well apart. Shanks round and finely scaled. Toes, four, long and well spread.
Female
With exception of the muffling (which is more developed) and the tail (comparatively long) the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.
Colour
The black
Male and female plumage: Solid black to the skin from head to tail, with beetle-green sheen.
The cuckoo
Male and female plumage: As in cuckoo Leghorn.
The mahogany
Male plumage: Beard and whiskers a mixture of black, mahogany and grey, grey pre-ponderating. Neck hackle rich dark orange to mahogany, darkest at the crown and showing very slight black stripes at the base only. Saddle rich mahogany shading to deep orange. Wings rich deep mahogany with a strongly defined green black sheen.
Female plumage: Muffings as in male. Hackle mahogany, the lower feathers showing black striping. Tail mainly black. Remainder rich dark mahogany uniformly peppered with black, the entire absence of black, or heavy and irregular black splashes undesirable.
The spangled
Male plumage: Hackles rich orange, with white tips to as many feathers as possible. Back rich mahogany. Wings rich mahogany with black bar showing green or purple sheen, and white flights. Breast solid black with white tips, blotchiness or washiness undesirable. Tail green black.
Female plumage: Light mahogany with white tips, the spangling to be as uniform as possible.
The white
Male and female plumage: Lustrous white from head to tail.
In both sexes and all colours
Beak yellow, with a thin rose-tinted skin at base of beak and nostrils. Eyes red or amber. Comb, face, ear lobes and wattles red. Legs rich yellow.
Weights
Cock 3.6kg (8lb); cockerel 3.2kg (7lb)
Hen 2.70kg (6lb); pullet 2.25kg (5lb)
Scale of points
Type and carriage 25
Colour 20
Comb and other head points including muffing 35
Legs 10
Condition 10
100
Serious defects
Absence of beard and muffling, and puffed hackle. Legs other than yellow. Comb of any other form than as described. Weak, deformed or diseased specimens.
Disqualifications
In this breed the colour is of secondary importance and is a deciding point only in close competition. The main characteristics of the Orloff are its peculiarities of shape, comb, head and carriage and judges are earnestly requested to bear this in mind when awarding prizes. Slight feathering or down between the toes is not to constitute a disqualification.
BANTAM
Orloff bantams follow the large fowl standard.
Weights
Cock 1175g (40oz); cockerel 1000g (36oz)
Hen 1000g (36oz); pullet 900g (32oz)
NOTE: (As from 2013 re-classified as Soft Feather Heavy by PCGB)
ORLOFF
LARGE FOWL
Origin: Iran and Russia
Classification: Heavy: Rare.
Egg colour: Tinted
This breed originally came from the Gilan province of northern Iran, where it was known as the Chilianskaia. Some were taken to Moscow and renamed by Count Orloff Techesmensky. From Russia they became known to British, Dutch and German poultry experts in the 1880s and 1890s, and an Orloff Club existed in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. Orloff bantams have been known in Germany since 1925, but did not reach Britain until the 1970s. As this standard indicates, Orloffs are mainly judged on type and character, especially of the head. Plumage colour is a secondary consideration.
General characteristics: male
Carriage: Upright with slightly sloping back.
Type: Body broad and fairly long. Flat slightly sloping back. Breast rather full and prominent. Closely carried wings of moderate length. Tail of medium size with fairly narrow sickles. Carriage rather low but slightly above horizontal.
Head: Skull wide, of medium size. Beak short, stout and well hooked. Eyes full, and deeply set under well projecting (beetle) eyebrows, giving a gloomy, vindictive expression. Comb low and flat, shaped somewhat like a raspberry cut through it’s axis (lengthwise), covered with small protuberances mingled with small, bristle-like feathers, which peculiarity is particularly noticeable in the female. Face muffled, beard and whiskers well developed. Ear-lobes very small, hidden under the muffles. Wattles small, and show only in the male.
Neck: Fairly long and erect, very heavily covered with hackle (boule), the feathers very full at the top but so close at the base of the neck as to appear thin there, and forming a distinct angle with the back.
Legs and feet: Moderately long and stout. Thighs muscular and well apart. Shanks round and finely scaled. Toes, four, long and well spread.
Female
With exception of the muffling (which is more developed) and the tail (comparatively long) the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.
Colour
The black
Male and female plumage: Solid black to the skin from head to tail, with beetle-green sheen.
The cuckoo
Male and female plumage: As in cuckoo Leghorn.
The mahogany
Male plumage: Beard and whiskers a mixture of black, mahogany and grey, grey pre-ponderating. Neck hackle rich dark orange to mahogany, darkest at the crown and showing very slight black stripes at the base only. Saddle rich mahogany shading to deep orange. Wings rich deep mahogany with a strongly defined green black sheen.
Female plumage: Muffings as in male. Hackle mahogany, the lower feathers showing black striping. Tail mainly black. Remainder rich dark mahogany uniformly peppered with black, the entire absence of black, or heavy and irregular black splashes undesirable.
The spangled
Male plumage: Hackles rich orange, with white tips to as many feathers as possible. Back rich mahogany. Wings rich mahogany with black bar showing green or purple sheen, and white flights. Breast solid black with white tips, blotchiness or washiness undesirable. Tail green black.
Female plumage: Light mahogany with white tips, the spangling to be as uniform as possible.
The white
Male and female plumage: Lustrous white from head to tail.
In both sexes and all colours
Beak yellow, with a thin rose-tinted skin at base of beak and nostrils. Eyes red or amber. Comb, face, ear lobes and wattles red. Legs rich yellow.
Weights
Cock 3.6kg (8lb); cockerel 3.2kg (7lb)
Hen 2.70kg (6lb); pullet 2.25kg (5lb)
Scale of points
Type and carriage 25
Colour 20
Comb and other head points including muffing 35
Legs 10
Condition 10
100
Serious defects
Absence of beard and muffling, and puffed hackle. Legs other than yellow. Comb of any other form than as described. Weak, deformed or diseased specimens.
Disqualifications
In this breed the colour is of secondary importance and is a deciding point only in close competition. The main characteristics of the Orloff are its peculiarities of shape, comb, head and carriage and judges are earnestly requested to bear this in mind when awarding prizes. Slight feathering or down between the toes is not to constitute a disqualification.
BANTAM
Orloff bantams follow the large fowl standard.
Weights
Cock 1175g (40oz); cockerel 1000g (36oz)
Hen 1000g (36oz); pullet 900g (32oz)
NOTE: (As from 2013 re-classified as Soft Feather Heavy by PCGB)
