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Greenfire Farms also introduced gold laced Orpingtons to America. This variety of Orpington was created in Germany by Jobst Veltheim in the early 1960s. They were shown in the Frankfurt Show for the first time in 1965. The birds later slowly spread through Europe although they still remain exceedingly rare. The breed has been ardently pursued in Britain where we found our breeders. With the dramatic contrast between their burnt gold base color and the precise black penciling that defines the lacing on their feathers, it is hard to imagine a more striking color pattern for the backyard flock. The hens have the black lacing over most of their bodies while the roosters (like the one pictured in the video) have a lion’s mane of pure gold and lacing spread across their broad chests. Coupled with their large body size and classic British Orpington shape, these birds are now poised to create a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic.