Description
Jubilee Orpington Chicken
Breed Overview and Origin
The Jubilee Orpington Chicken is a rare and beautiful English Orpington variety known for its mahogany ground color, black spangling, white feather tips, calm temperament, cold hardiness, and brown eggs. If you want a large, gentle chicken with royal history and eye-catching color, Jubilee Orpingtons can make a wonderful addition to your backyard flock.
The Jubilee Orpington was introduced by William Cook’s family in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. This historic background gives the breed a special place among Orpington varieties and makes it especially appealing for customers who enjoy heritage poultry with a story.
The exact breed makeup is often debated. Many sources connect Jubilee Orpington development to Buff Orpingtons, Spangled Old English Game, and Dorkings. Some poultry keepers also believe Speckled Sussex may have influenced the color pattern. Either way, the result is a large, gentle, ornamental brown egg layer with classic Orpington body type and striking spangled plumage.
Appearance and Characteristics
Jubilee Orpingtons have a complex feather pattern that can take up to 18 months to fully finish. Mature birds should show a rich mahogany ground color with black spangles and white tips at the ends of the feathers. This pattern gives the bird a speckled, elegant look while still keeping the soft, rounded Orpington appearance.
Their beak, legs, and feet are white. The earlobes, face, comb, and wattles are red, and the eyes are also red-toned. Like other Orpingtons, Jubilee Orpingtons should have a deep, broad, cobby body with a full, rounded appearance.
Because the feather pattern develops slowly, young birds may not show their final adult color right away. Customers should give Jubilee Orpingtons time to mature before judging final color quality.
Important Chick Color Note
Cackle Hatchery® notes that its Jubilee Orpington breeding stock may produce some striped chicks along with light brown-colored chicks. This is expected in the line.
Cackle breeds to the darker side to help keep the adult mahogany-red feather color rich and avoid washed-out light orange adult coloring. As a result, some chick color variation may appear early, but the long-term breeding goal is strong, dark adult color.
This note is helpful for customers who are new to Jubilee Orpingtons. Chicks may not all look identical at hatch, and the adult feather pattern takes time to develop.
Temperament and Backyard Suitability
Jubilee Orpingtons are known for their size and gentle temperament. Like other Orpington varieties, they can be calm, friendly, and easy to enjoy in a backyard flock. Their large body size and steady personality make them especially appealing for families, small farms, and customers who want a beautiful bird with a manageable disposition.
This variety can work well for:
- Backyard flocks
- Family chicken keepers
- Brown egg layer flocks
- Cold-weather flocks
- Heritage breed enthusiasts
- Customers who want calm, large chickens
- Ornamental flocks with practical egg value
- Keepers who enjoy rare English chicken breeds
However, customers should remember that Orpingtons are large birds. They need adequate coop space, wide roosts, roomy nest boxes, and enough run space to stay comfortable.
Egg Production and Brown Eggs
Jubilee Orpington hens are decent brown egg layers. They are not usually chosen as the highest-output production breed, but they can provide a steady supply of brown eggs while also adding beauty and personality to the flock.
Because Orpingtons were historically developed as dual-purpose birds, they offer a useful balance of egg production, body size, and temperament. Customers who want maximum egg numbers may prefer a production layer, but customers who want beauty, size, calmness, and eggs together may appreciate the Jubilee Orpington.
Egg production can vary by individual hen, feed, daylight, season, age, and flock management.
Cold Hardiness and Seasonal Care
Jubilee Orpingtons are considered cold hardy. Their larger body size and full feathering can help them handle cooler weather when they have proper shelter.
For best winter performance, provide dry bedding, good ventilation, draft protection, and unfrozen water. Even cold-hardy chickens need a clean, dry coop to stay healthy.
During hot weather, give Jubilee Orpingtons shade, airflow, and plenty of fresh water. Because they are large-bodied birds, they may need extra heat-management support in warmer climates.
Jubilee Orpington vs Other Orpington Varieties
Jubilee Orpingtons share the same general Orpington appeal as other varieties: large size, calm temperament, brown eggs, and backyard-friendly personality. The main difference is feather color.
Choose Jubilee Orpingtons if you want a rare Orpington with royal history, mahogany feathering, black spangles, and white feather tips.
If you prefer a classic golden-buff bird, compare Buff Orpington chickens.
For customers who like blue-gray plumage, Blue Orpington chickens may be a better match.
If you prefer a solid black variety, review Black Orpington chickens.
Customers who want to browse the larger group can also compare Orpington chickens for sale.
Jubilee Orpington vs Speckled Sussex
Jubilee Orpingtons and Speckled Sussex can look somewhat similar because both may show rich body color with white-tipped feathering. However, they are different breeds.
A Jubilee Orpington is a large English Orpington variety with a deep, broad, rounded body and a mahogany spangled pattern.
A Speckled Sussex chicken is a separate heritage breed with its own body type, history, and flock traits.
Choose Jubilee Orpingtons if you want a large, calm, rounded Orpington with rare variety appeal.
Choose Speckled Sussex if you want a more active heritage breed with a speckled pattern and a different body style.
Is the Jubilee Orpington Chicken Right for Your Flock?
Choose Jubilee Orpington chickens if you want:
- A rare English Orpington variety
- Mahogany feathering with black spangles and white tips
- A calm, gentle backyard chicken
- A decent brown egg layer
- A cold-hardy flock bird
- A large, beautiful chicken with heritage appeal
- A breed connected to Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee
- A slower-developing color pattern that becomes more striking with maturity
However, consider another breed if you need very high egg production, a smaller-bodied chicken, or a bird that shows its final feather pattern early. In short, Jubilee Orpingtons are best for customers who want beauty, size, history, calm temperament, and practical brown eggs in one impressive breed.
Care and Housing Tips
Jubilee Orpingtons need dependable care and enough space for their large body size. They do best with a clean coop, secure run, proper feed, fresh water, and predator protection.
For best results, provide:
- A dry, well-ventilated coop
- Predator-resistant fencing
- Clean bedding
- Fresh water at all times
- Balanced chick starter and age-appropriate feed
- Wide roosting space for large birds
- Roomy nest boxes
- Shade and airflow during hot weather
- Protection from drafts and damp bedding in cold weather
- Enough run space to prevent crowding
Because Jubilee Orpingtons are large and fully feathered, keeping them dry and clean helps maintain feather quality and overall health. In addition, their complex color pattern takes time to mature, so customers should be patient as young birds develop.
Recognition and Availability
Jubilee Orpingtons are recognized in British Orpington history and remain a treasured variety among Orpington enthusiasts. They were introduced in 1897 and named for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
Cackle Hatchery® offers Jubilee Orpington baby chicks and lists them among brown egg layers. Since hatch dates and shipping windows can change during the season, customers should check Cackle Hatchery’s Chicken Availability Chart before ordering.
For customers comparing related large brown egg layers, Cackle’s Brown Egg Layers for Sale category is also a helpful resource.
Related Breeds and Helpful Cackle Hatchery® Resources
Customers who like Jubilee Orpingtons may also enjoy other Orpington varieties, brown egg layers, and rare heritage-style chickens.
Helpful Cackle Hatchery® links for this product page include:
FAQ: Jubilee Orpington Chicken
What is a Jubilee Orpington Chicken?
A Jubilee Orpington Chicken is a rare English Orpington variety with mahogany feathering, black spangles, white feather tips, calm temperament, large body size, and brown eggs.
Where did Jubilee Orpington chickens originate?
Jubilee Orpingtons originated in England and were introduced by William Cook’s family in 1897.
Why is it called a Jubilee Orpington?
The Jubilee Orpington was created to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
What breeds were used to create the Jubilee Orpington?
Many sources suggest Jubilee Orpingtons were developed from Buff Orpingtons, Spangled Old English Game, and Dorkings. Some believe Speckled Sussex may also have influenced the color pattern.
What do Jubilee Orpington chickens look like?
They have a mahogany ground color with black spangles and white tips at the feather ends. They also have white beaks, legs, and feet, with red earlobes, face, comb, wattles, and eyes.
How long does Jubilee Orpington color take to finish?
The feather pattern is complex and may take up to 18 months to fully finish.
Why do some Jubilee Orpington chicks look striped?
Cackle Hatchery® notes that its breeding stock may produce some striped chicks along with light brown chicks. This can happen because Cackle breeds to maintain darker mahogany adult color.
Are Jubilee Orpington chickens friendly?
Yes. Jubilee Orpingtons are generally known for calm, gentle temperament, making them a good choice for many backyard flocks.
Are Jubilee Orpington chickens good for beginners?
Yes, they can work well for beginners who have enough coop and run space for large chickens.
Are Jubilee Orpingtons good with kids?
They can be a good family-friendly choice because of their gentle temperament. Children should still handle all chickens calmly and respectfully.
What color eggs do Jubilee Orpingtons lay?
Jubilee Orpington hens lay brown eggs.
Are Jubilee Orpingtons good egg layers?
They are decent brown egg layers. Customers usually choose them for beauty, size, temperament, and heritage appeal rather than maximum egg production.
Are Jubilee Orpingtons cold hardy?
Yes. Jubilee Orpingtons are considered cold hardy when they have dry bedding, good ventilation, and draft protection.
Are Jubilee Orpingtons heat tolerant?
They can handle warm weather with proper care, but their large body size means they need shade, airflow, and cool water during hot weather.
Are Jubilee Orpingtons dual-purpose chickens?
Yes. Like other Orpingtons, they can be considered a dual-purpose breed because they offer both eggs and good body size.
What is the difference between Jubilee Orpington and Speckled Sussex?
Jubilee Orpingtons are large, rounded Orpingtons with mahogany spangled plumage. Speckled Sussex are a separate heritage breed with a different body type, history, and flock style.
What is the difference between Jubilee Orpington and Buff Orpington?
Jubilee Orpingtons have mahogany, black, and white spangled feathering. Buff Orpingtons have solid golden-buff plumage. Both share the gentle, large-bodied Orpington character.
Does Cackle Hatchery® offer other Orpington varieties?
Yes. Cackle Hatchery® offers several Orpington varieties, including Buff, Blue, Black, Lavender, and Jubilee Orpingtons, depending on availability.
Where can I check Jubilee Orpington availability?
Customers can check Cackle Hatchery’s Chicken Availability Chart for current hatch and shipping timing. Availability can change during the season, so checking the chart helps customers plan ahead.
ecline915 –
I ordered 3 females and got 3 males. They are gorgeous birds but it’s not worth it if you absolutely need females.
Laurie Helvie –
I received my Orpington chicks in June 2025 and all arrived alive and healthy. I ordered 3 Jubilee females and all 3 are hens. They are now 5 months old and are very big, curious and friendly. Each has its own distinct pattern of coloring which makes them very interesting. They are mainly a reddish brown with areas of black and white confetti spots all over their feathers. Friends have commented how pretty they are compared to some of my other Orpington’s. They are a great addition to my backyard flock.
amandakthompson91 –
Like others have mentioned. These are decent chickens but the sexing is inaccurate (2 of 5 were roos). And the coloring is hit or mis. I just have chickens foe fun so the coloring doesn’t really matter to me. The hens are docile. I kept 1 rooster and he’s fairly spicy and not as docile as I would have liked. But hes young so hopefully he mellows out a bit.
waynetravis3 –
Iv orders 20 hens and 5 roosters on 2 separate occasions they are good birds. but have a heave amount of white feathers and the roosters never have the right color around the necks to much white specks
Melinda Cardona –
I ordered a total of 17 Jubilee Orpingtons across two hatches (a month apart). I ordered pullets. So far, they are ALL roosters. It’s such a shame. We run a business selling pullets and have had to refund every single client.
Angela Blaszyk –
I ordered 3 jubilee orpingtons all females and 3 silver laced orpingtons. The shipping was the next day and I needed up with 1 extra jubilee! They’re now almost 6 months but haven’t laid yet but I assume it’s weather related as it’s darker quicker now. They are such beautiful birds and very sweet! This was the first time ordering from cackle and I was very happy and will order from them again!
vickiagay –
I have 5 JOs. Bought them this April or May. My only complaint is one was a roo and I ordered all hens. They all came healthy and are still healthy & hearty. Laying eggs now too. Anyway they are my favorite Orpington. Beautiful birds. The Roo is very handsome and a very good Roo, he is the top roo. I received a roo with my Black copper marans and my Buff Orpingtons in April too, which were supposed to be all hens. The JO Roo is the top and is reasonable with the other roos. Cackle is usually very accurage with the sexing this is the first time I have received roos when I I ordered hens. Next time I get orpingtons it will be all Jubilees. Love them.
Jacob Carlson –
We ordered 13 Jubilee Orpington hens and two roosters. Cackle sent a couple extra hens. Shipping went well and the chicks were in good shape. We lost one a couple of days after receiving them but ended up with 13 hens and 3 roosters (13 hens + 2 extra + 2 roosters – 1 hen chick lost). And one of hens ended up being a rooster, which is expected. 14 of 15 is 93% sexing accuracy.
We have enjoyed the birds, they’re fairly friendly. The roosters are big, one of them almost seemed to grow too quickly and seemed to develop a limp. I ended up isolating him for about three weeks just to limit his exposure to the boss rooster and he seems just fine now. They’re in with 3 American Bresse chickens, one of which is a rooster. The 4 roosters and 15 hens aren’t currently having any issues, but they’re young still. There’s three geese in with the flock as well and whenever the chickens get into a tiff or when a rooster mates a hen the geese run over and raise a fuss. I’m not sure they’ll actually get to successfully breed the hens because of the geese, honestly. But maybe it helps keep the peace. I really thought 4 roosters would be an issue, but so far it hasn’t been.
The hen appearance is a bit more varied than would perhaps would be “ideal”, but I really don’t mind the variation. They’re beautiful birds and even the hens have some iridescent feathers.
The only true “con” I would say is that they are (so far at 30 weeks) pretty bad layers. I’ve gotten SIGNIFICANTLY more eggs from our two Bresse hens than from the 13 Jubilee’s and the Bresse are about a week younger. I’m hoping that after winter when the world wakes back up for spring that I have a flush of eggs from the Jubilees.
Rebecca Jensen –
I am very pleased with the feather patterns on these hens. They are a calm breed compared to the other breeds I have. So very happy with them. All chicks, even the extra one, survived the trip and were in good shape when they got here. Almost ready to start laying. A lovely addition to our small flock.
Josephine Kinney –
This is the first time I purchased from Cackle and my Jubliee’s are now six months old and they are all so beautiful. They came in all alive. The shipping was absolutely fast. They gave me two extras and I love this. They’re the most beautiful chick I’ve ever owned.
quinntenalston –
First time chicken owners here. We ordered 4 females end of June 2025, all of which arrived healthy without issues. They have been easy to raise and are still thriving now coming up on 4 months, sexing seems to be correct. They have grown at different rates but the sizing among the 4 seems to be consistent at this point. Coloring is less consistent—one has quite muted white markings, two I would classify as “satisfactory,” and the last one has the strongest markings. I will say that we ordered Brahmas at the same time, and in comparison the JOs are noticeably not as friendly. Certainly they are not “mean,” but they have always been much more flighty and vocal about their distaste for being handled by humans. That is the only reason I docked them by 1 star. Otherwise, we enjoy having them as part of our flock.
heatherly1910 –
I ordered my 5 Jubilee Orpingtons unsexed. I received 1 roo and the rest hens. They were shipped quickly and arrived healthy. They are beautiful birds and so sweet. I am very happy with my Cackle Hatchery birds and highly recommend them. Thanks y’all.
Carrie Payne –
I’ve been wanting to get this breed for years and I couldn’t be more pleased with my jubilee ladies. All showed up healthy and very active. I was sent an extra in my order which was a very nice surprise, as I expected the cheaper of my order to be the extra. (I definitely appreciate that that wasn’t the case). They have grown to be my little shadows and are definitely my favorite birds in my flock. Will be ordering more.
Daniel Morris –
I ordered three hens from Cackle since I couldn’t track any down for sale on the East coast, and these are hands down my absolute favorite ladies of the flock! They are extremely friendly, unobtrusive, and even though they just turned a month old, they’re already the most gorgeous chickens I think I’ve ever seen. They sent me a fourth one–not sure if it was by mistake or just as a consolation–but it’s turned out to be a rooster. I’m not complaining one bit however since I can now have an unlimited amount of them if I so choose and he’s every bit as sweet as the hens. 10/10 would most definitely recommend!
forrestgrunt –
Ordered unsexed Jubliee Orps just about a year ago. They have grown into the most beautiful birds I think I’ve ever had. The rooster I kept has matured into a sight to behold, with a very gentle personality and calm demeanor. The feathers on these birds are stunning, deep mahogany with the tips of white and green. Simply gorgeous! The hens have the “bun” look over their tail, heavy petticoat appearance and are good layers of high on the medium side to low on the large size eggs. I think they’re averaging about four eggs per week or so. This was a great purchase and I’ll be ordering again for later this year once my current chicks are finished brooding.
stephaniediaz0711 –
Beautiful Birds! I purchased about 5mo ago and they are by far my favorite visually in my flock! Bright red feathers with dapples of greens, creams, black. They all survived just fine no issues and are super sweet! LOVE them!!!!!
Tyler –
Very flighty, slow growers
Despite being handled by me everyday since the day all my chicks from Cackle arrived, the 3 Jubilee Orpington have been the flightiest trio I’ve ever owned. The Bielefelders I ordered are indeed stunners with their quick growth and calm demeanor whereas these Jubilee Orpington’s are growing very slowly, at different rates than one another (this mentioned in another comment), and are our most generally “mean” group of chickens.
SeaPonyExpress –
Healthy Happy Chickies!
I ordered 15 and received 16! They all came in Healthy and happy. I followed all the given instructions. They are adorable and I can’t wait to see how they look when they’re all grown up. Thank you!
RC –
Healthy Birds
We ordered 3 Jubilee hens but was one of the last to order of this breed so didn’t get the guaranteed hens but got 8 un-sexed to make up for it. Ended up to be a better deal. Got 4 hens and 4 roosters. My MIL was the one wanting to order them and her 3 hens look very similar. For being such unusually colored I was surprised by that. The hen I kept was colored more like the roosters (Lot more white on her) I plan to sell the extra 2 roosters and make a little bit of my money back. In my shipment I got 26 birds (3 more then ordered) of Jubilee, sussex and Bared Rock chickens. And every single one lived with only one “guaranteed” hen, out of 12 being a rooster. But he is my favorite so I don’t mind. Will definitely be looking to order from Cackle again for any of my birds. These are some of the healthiest, tamest birds I have ever had the enjoyment of having.
Britt –
Impressive shipping but
I recently ordered 6 hens and 1 rooster as the breeding chart suggested. I was highly impressed with the packaging of the birds for shipment but my flock has began to die less than a month from them arriving. Upon research of the roosters symptoms is seems he possibly has a B12 deficiency, this could be due to food storage on my part or genetics but when I had 2 more birds die I became very concerned that it was more of a genetics issue. After the rooster passed I quickly threw out the food I had and began feeding them new food that was kept air tight, along with adding probiotics and electrolytes to their water. Thinking I was in the clear I return home from work to find 2 hens had passed as well. I am unable to find this breed available here or any other site so this has set me back possibly a year on my breeding. I understand illnesses occur but I have never had issues such as this with any other birds I have had whether ordered online, hatched myself or bought at a local tractor supply.
Cackle Hatchery Team –
So Sorry Christina
Please send us pictures so we can make up for our error. We guarantee our sexing 90%.
Christina –
Disappointed
I ordered six females and one male. Cackle Hatchery shipped an extra which was sickly and died immediately. The balance turned out to be 50/50 male female. I was able to give away the extra roosters as I am not allowed to keep more than one where I live. I was very dissatisfied by the sexing. I was not only charged a sexed fee for a straight run but it also put my breeding project a year behind schedule.
Fr Tom –
OK, but
Mine were sort of slow starters, they’re maturing into a very calm flock but not uniform in color nor size
Rwilson –
Very pleased
Chicks arrived very healthy they are now about 6 months old and doing fine starting laying around 4 months of age and have hatched a few chicks already. Very beautiful birds. Highly recommend them.
Sarah –
Not very hardy
I purchased a dozen JOs late this spring in an order with several other breeds because they were on sale. Over 1/2 I lost in the brooder during the first 2 weeks; a much much higher percentage than any other breed in my order. To be up front, I did have an issue with coccidia, but the JOs got wiped out and didn’t respond to medication as well as the others.
6 made it to my grow out coop when they were 6 weeks old. Everything was fine until I had a raccoon attack, and I currently only have one pullet. (It was a rough chicken year for me!)
She is a pretty, sweet little thing with proper body type, although smaller than SOP. Her coloring isn’t quite as good as the others I lost but she’s still alive!
If I want to try to add them to my flock again, I think I’ll buy directly from a show breeder.
Stacylee –
Jubliee orpingtons
Excellent chickens beautiful, great please to buy chicks very healthily i totally recommend cackle Hatchery
Birdhouse Farm –
Great. Chicks
Beautiful, healthy chicks which have grown into gorgeous big girls