National Orpington Show attracts hundreds from across the country for judging

The National Orpington Show attracted 278 birds from 21 exhibitors to the Dubbo Showground on Saturday.

While down in numbers from past years due to COVID, exhibitors came from Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

Orpington Club of Australia secretary Martin Doulton said the event brings breeders together to show off their prepared Orpington birds.

"It's the chicken Olympics in respect to how these chickens are prepared," he said.

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"The birds that come are very well pampered, very well fed, they don't live in the backyard, they have special pens, just like an Olympic athlete, so they're the cream of the crop.

"So it's nice we can have a space where we can get them all together so that we can compare and make sure the standards aren't slipping back, but are actually improving."

The Orpington Club of Australia originated in Dubbo, with the national event held at the showground in 1986.

The club's core responsibility is to preserve, protect and promote the heritage breed, which originally developed in England.

Mr Doulton said there was a particular shape that defined the orpington breed, which was also the largest breed of chicken. He said cockerels (younger males) could weigh up to seven kilos, and were initially developed to lay eggs or be eaten.

"So they're not necessarily going to fit in your normal casserole pot," Mr Doulton said.

This year's event saw two local experienced judges Duane Rhall from Parkes and Gary Phillips from Gulgong, help set the benchmark for the following season.

Notably Dubbo Poultry Club's Ryan Harris won reserve bird in Saturday's show. Sonya Ford and Narelle Hobson were also big winners on the day.

The top bid at the auction was a class winning pairs pullett belonging to Rose Gibson which sold for $625 to a pair who drove five hours from Sydney just to attend the auction.

"We enjoy it. It's a bit of fun and obviously a distraction to the real world, and it's just like a normal hobby," Mr Doulton said.

"I think after the last year and a half, everyone was hanging out to get to the national show and it was very friendly and very hospitable and we're looking forward to coming back again next year."