I keep about 25 buffs and a few Plymouth barred rocks and sex-links on a fenced, 5-acre property in the HOT Mojave Desert. I free-range my flock with a guard shepherd dog and have not had a loss to predators in over a year. Prior to that, I had a flock of about half-dozen Rhode Isl. reds that, one-by-one got picked off because of their tendency to range to the extent of the fencing, right up against the desert scrub where coyotes lurk. I went in search of a breed less likely to roam far from the main barnyard and one that would be big and strong enough not to be on the grocery list of the local hawks and owls. I have had great luck with this breed and have been impressed at their heat tolerance which is no laughing matter here where summer temps routinely exceed 100 deg. I breed and show and the only 'con' I've really run into is the apparent wide range of breed type in Southern California. You see everything from reddish blonde to truly buff to nearly white, all calling themselves 'buff orpington' and you also see long-legged, long-backed birds with loose feathering standing next to a roly-poly, short-legged, more "English type-ey" style. Anyway, I Love 'em and will probably never be without atleast small flock of this charming breed. Oh, and one more thing- maybe I'm biased but I've never seen a cuter chick than the fuzzy, lemon-yellow, fat little ping pong balls you get with this breed! 
