For most of its history, the Orloff was considered to be a product of Russia and Orlov, but modern research has discovered that the breed first appeared in Persia,[2][3] and was distributed across Europe and Asia by the 17th century.

Baron Villa-Secca was at that time vice-president of the Club of German and Austrian-Hungarian Poultry Breeders (today's Bund Deutscher Rassegeflügelzüchter; BDRG).

They appear in several recognized color varieties: Black, White, Spangled, Black-tailed Red, Mahogany, and Cuckoo.

Their plumage, combined with their tiny walnut comb, small earlobes and minuscule wattles, makes the Orloff a very cold-hardy breed.

Orloffs are primarily suited to meat production, but hens are reasonable layers of light brown eggs and do not usually go broody.