Orpington Surprise combines the beauty, fluff, and charm of Orpingtons with the excitement of a mystery color, making every chick a delightful addition to your backyard flock. Each chick is a surprise, and you’ll receive one chick per quantity ordered. They could be Buff, Lavender, Chocolate, Silver Laced, or other unique Orpington colors. These big, round, fluffy chickens could arguably be the softest of all breeds. Their abundant feathers give them the plush, flowing appearance of a Southern belle’s dress. Calm, friendly, and affectionate, Orpingtons are excellent family pets and great with children. Heavy-bodied and wide, they are easy to contain even with short fencing, and their cold-hardiness allows them to thrive in cooler climates.

Feather Colors

With Orpington Surprise, the feather color is our choice based on availability at the time of pick-up. They may be classic colors such as Buff, Lavender, Chocolate, or Silver Laced, or you could be lucky enough to receive a rare, unique, or specialty color. Each chick’s plush feathers create the signature Orpington fluff, making them soft, touchable, and irresistibly charming.

Eggs Hens will Gift

Gifts 3 to 4 large brown eggs per week. Surprise Orpington hens provide reliable egg production while adding beautiful variety to your backyard flock. Personality Orpington Surprise chickens are gentle, calm, and affectionate. They are perfect family pets, friendly with children, and social with other chickens. Their large, plush bodies make them easy to handle, and their calm, easygoing nature ensures that every interaction is a pleasure.

History

The Orpington breed was created in England in the 1880s by William Cook of Orpington, Kent. His goal was to produce a dual-purpose bird suitable for both meat and egg production. Over time, multiple color varieties were developed, including Buff, Lavender, Chocolate, and Silver Laced, each maintaining the Orpington’s characteristic fluffy body, calm temperament, and reliable egg-laying traits. The Orpington Surprise celebrates this diversity, offering a fun, unpredictable addition to any flock.

Sexing Method and Accuracy:

Vent sexing as a day-old is the most common method for standard sized breeds. Accuracy averages around 85–90%, which means there’s always a small chance of “surprise roosters.” The industry standard is to sell “female chicks” or pullets; even though 10–15% end up being accidental boys. Since many communities have ordinances against keeping roosters, we decide to be different!

While hatcheries and feedstores stop at the industry standard, we go further because we care. If your “female coverage” chick grows into a rooster, we will give that boy a free home and provide a store credit for the original purchase price with healthy return of the rooster. This way, your family is not left with the hardship of a city ordinance issue. For families who want zero risk of rooster surprises an heartbreak, we also offer DNA sexing services. DNA is the only truly accurate method, but is a bigger investment, costing about 3x more than a female-covered chick. The choice is yours. We’re here to make sure your flock is the perfect fit for your family.

Chick: Orpington Surprise Color

$10.00

Quantity

Most families are attracted to obtaining their chickens from us because we are proud to be completely different than typical feed store/ hatchery industry standards. Industry standard is to sex as accurately as possible and sell as pullets (female chicks) and force customers to accept a >10% chance of an accidental rooster without the ability to accept returns nor refunds. In addition, industry standard is to sell bantams (such as silkies) as straight runs since they are too small for safe vent sexing. We offer multiple sexing options.

Male
If you are lucky enough to have a rooster, our male sexing option is a great way to save money on a wonderful breed.

Unsexed
This option means that the chicks have not yet been sexed and are sold as a straight run. While nature usually averages half girls and half boys in high volumes, families should only order if prepared for >50% possible roosters.

Female Coverage
This is our most economical choice for families seeking a female. We kept city ordinances that restrict rooster ownership in mind. This option is great for families that want to enjoy a backyard flock of ladies. We use traditional sexing methods on the breeds that capable of being vent sexed, home accidental roosters, and issue store credit of original purchased price. To learn more about how we sex baby chicks based on their breed view: How to Sex Chickens.

Depending on the breed, sexing accuracy can range as low as 50% for bantam breeds, 90% for standard breeds, and as high as 95% for auto sexing breeds. Our female coverage option is not a service fee for sexing the chick, it is the cost difference between purchasing a male or a female chicken. We do not believe in grinding males alive nor suffocating them as day olds to enable a profit when selling a stated female chick at ridiculously low prices. Thus, our female pricing takes into consideration the male left behind with each female purchased. Male chicks are typically half the price of a female.

To qualify for rehoming, the rooster must remain in perfect health. If the family decides to return the rooster, a store credit in the amount of original purchase price is provided. As a family, you are welcome to decide to keep any accidental rooster and forfeit the credit.

DNA Sexed Female Chicks
For families that get emotionally bonded quickly and do not want to risk a future discovery of a rooster, we offer DNA sexing. DNA sexing is the only true accurate method of sexing baby chicks. DNA testing is a significantly higher financial investment. In most cases, it is 3x the cost as (1) female sex covered chick.

Balance accuracy with financial investment
The sexing decision is one that needs to be made at time of purchased and the original order cannot be altered once the order is fulfilled. It is important as a family to determine the right balance between sexing accuracy and financial investment for your family’s situation.

We provide as much information on our website as possible to ensure families make an informed decision based on their situation and lifestyle. Some breeds are more accurate in sexing and most families find our female coverage adequate in providing a free home for their accidental rooster (up to $100 savings) and use the store credit towards a replacement or our organic feed. While harder to sex bantam breeds, or families that know they will develop a with strong emotional attachment prefer to invest in DNA sexing.
Chick orders are fulfilled with chicks aging in age between newborn up to 4 weeks of age. Starter Pullet orders are fulfilled with girls that are at least 6 weeks old and younger than 15 weeks. At 16 weeks and older they are offered as Young Hens. While you can select if you want a chick, starter pullet, or hen selection of the exact age is not available. Our availability page is the best resource to determine chick ages by breed before ordering.

Chicks
Chick orders are fulfilled with chicks aging in age between newborn up to 4 weeks of age. If you are purchasing multiple breeds, it is recommended to review our avaialbity page to view which dates various breeds were hatched. Chicks can share a brooder with others that are up to 7 days in age apart. However, for temperature needs, a different brooder should be used if ordering from multiple age groups. If mixing bantams with standard breeds, it is best if the bantams are same aged or up to 7 days older. When we fulfil orders, we do our best to match ages providing there is enough available in the same age group.

Acclimate chicks by reducing brooder temperature weekly. 95°F for chicks 0 - 1 week old, 90°F for chicks 1 - 2 weeks old. 85°F for chicks 2 - 3 weeks old, and 80°F for chicks 3- 4 weeks old. Our digital thermostat brooder package takes the mess out of raising chicks and makes it easy.

Starter Pullets
A starter pullet provides an opportunity to get a jump-start on a new flock or additions to your current flock!

Starter Pullets will be at least 6 weeks old and acclimated for outside night time temperatures with an adequate coop for shelter. Each chicken can generate 35 BTUs of heat. Thus, sharing a coop with several other flock members that are similar in age is key to provide ample group warmth in colder months.

As a general guideline, a chick becomes a pullet or a cockerel at 4 weeks of age and lasts for around 12 weeks. This can be considered the award teenage stage. During this time sexual differences become more apparent in most breeds.

Starter Pullets and hens prefer 65°F - 75°F. The age that a starter pullet can be placed outside will vary based on average monthly temperatures, their cold tolerant ability, and amount of flock members.
oAt 6 - 7 weeks old, pullets can handle coop temperatures >50°F which occurs in Mid-May, June, July, August, and September.
oAt 8 - 10 weeks old, pullets can handle coop temperature >32°F which occurs in April, Early May, and October.
oAt 11 - 15 weeks old, young hens can handle coop temperature >0°F
Thankfully, it is rare for Colorado to drop this low year-round. Cold tolerant breeds can handle up to -20°F when adequate shelter is provided.

It is recommended to wait to introduce starter pullets to full sized hens until they reach at least 3 months in age. Transition is easiest when there are more new members that existing members and adding to a flock while sleeping/ roosting.
To help reduce the financial loss due to a predator attack, pet sitter mishap, illness, unnoticed birth defect, and/or accident resulting in death, we offer a generous complimentary life insurance for baby chicks purchased as female. Requires a minimum purchase of (2) female chicks per order as it is vital that chicks have at least 1 same aged buddy.

Time of loss is calculated from time of pickup to the time photo proof of loss is received via text to 303-359-9484.
<24 hours = Store credit of 100% of original purchase price
<48 hours = Store credit of 75% of original purchase price
<72 hours = Store credit of 50% of original purchase price
<10 days = Store credit of 20% of original purchase price
No credit issued for female chick loss experienced over 10 days unless purchased with our Complete Flock Starter Kit which includes our organic feed and brooder. We extend the prorated life insurance coverage up to 30 days with the Complete Flock Starter Kit purchase as we stand behind our recommendation for this brooder. This extends 20% store credit for loss reported between day 10 and day 30.

Our unsexed and male chicks are deeply discounted. Thus, there is no life insurance coverage of any kind for roosters or unsexed chicks. Do not adopt any chicks that you do not want to take full ownership of their current and future health. Life insurance does not provide coverage for any vet or medical cost you decide to incur to help support the wellbeing of your flock. The sole purpose of this coverage is to provide financial relief in the unfortunate event of needing to replace a deceased chick.

In the event of a loss, text a photo of the decease chick to phone number 303-359-9484. Provide any details of what you think may have occurred and which breed the chick was. The first and last name on original order is required if you want us to locate your receipt for you. Otherwise, provide the order number in the text.
Available Now
If ordering chickens that are available now, you are making a commitment to pick up your order within 6 days of order placement. Orders need to be submitted at least 1 hour prior to planned arrival time. Our normal schedule for order pick-up is on Saturdays between 8am-5pm and Mondays between 5pm -6:30pm.

Pre-Order
The pre-order option notates the estimated month the chickens will be ready for pick up. Only place a pre-order if you can commit to picking up your order within 6 days of being notified your order is ready (can occur anytime within the month). Keep in mind that we use the number you provided us at check out to text once your order is ready. Thus, double check that the number provided receives texts.

Order Abandonment
Placing an order is a commitment of being available to pick up within the above stated timeframe. We understand unexpected situations may arise. While we do not provide refunds, we will issue store credit that may be used for a future order once ready. Store credit remains valid up to 1 year from the issued date before expiration.

Time flexibility of pre-ordered DNA fulfillment might be required. Once your order is ready, we communicate via text (to the number provided at checkout) that your order is ready for pick up. DNA sexed chicks need to be picked up within 7 days of notification. We are not able to extend free boarding. If exceeding 7 days, the original order will be forfeited. While the DNA testing fee deposit is non-refundable, we issue a store credit minus the DNA testing fee per bird ordered.

Chick: Orpington Surprise Color

Sexing Selection - Understanding Your Options

Age Selection: How your order is fulfilled

Prorated Female Life Insurance

Scheduling – Order Pick up Commitment

Terms & Conditions

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