Orpington

I've only ever owned 2 buff Orpingtons, so I can't really say I'm an expert, but I sure can share what I know through my experience with the two.

My first Orpington - named Emmie - was probably the sweetest thing ever. (Hard as it is to say, she was sweeter than my silkie!) She was the opposite of skittish. She didn't follow anyone, but she sure was very calm, gentle, and never even flinched when a human approached her.
Not only was she good to humans, but also to the other hens. She wasn't the top of the pecking order (she never pecked to my knowledge), but she was definitely highly respected in the flock. When she passed, the other hens did not leave her side until her body was removed. They didn't budge even for food.
She was also extremely motherly, but in only the good ways. We added a new chick to our flock (we were beginners and weren't aware of the consequences of doing this at the time) who was terrified - for good reason! - of the older hens. The only one who wasn't only not mean to her but actually took her under her wing (literally) was our Orpington, Emmie. Emmie literally became this chick's mother, and the two were inseperable. We didn't do any special tricks to make her think this chick was hers. In fact, the chick was probably about 4 weeks old when we got her! However our Orpington did not hesitate to take this young pullet in.
I don't remember her egg production well, as it was years ago, but she was a great hen and I have literally 0 negative things to say about her. Perfect pet, perfect mother, and I'm pretty sure she was a decent layer. I miss her so much!

Our current Orpington - Lemon - is sweet, but not nearly as sweet as Emmie. Her egg production is pretty decent. She started laying extremely early for most Orpingtons (about 4 months old!).
She's pretty mean to the smaller hens, and will try to sneak in a fight or two. She's also absolutely terrifying when brooding. Opening the laying boxes while she's in there will definitely wake you up as she screams nearly as loud as a rooster crows. She'll peck and bite as hard as she can if you try to move her or take her eggs. Best to just let her be.
Aside from these flaws, she's still a sweet pet....if you don't open the laying boxes on her. She's not too skittish and is perfectly comfortable when being held or pet. I can even approach her and lean over to give her pets. Doesn't phase her at all.

All in all, Orpingtons are great. It ultimately depends on their personality, but with some decent socializing they can be extremely sweet. Haven't met a skittish Orpington, yet!

Lemon, our current Orpington. Such a beautiful girl!

We loved our 4 buff hens and rooster but the hens were just an easy target while free-ranging. Thankfully, the rooster warned us when a coyote was about to take a hen but the hen ignored the rooster and coyote and continued foraging. I was able to chase the coyote off but can't always supervise them. So we sold them to a farm with a large coop and run for their own safety. Our Speckled Sussex and Barred Rocks are the best free rangers. They can stay out whole day and only be cooped up at night. Unlike the Orpingtons their feathers offer more camouflage and they are more predator wary (especially the Speckled Sussex chicks). Yet they are just as affectionate and gentle as the Orpingtons. The Orpingtons are good layers but not as great as the Barred Rocks. At 6 months old the Orpingtonr eggs were already very large unlike the other breeds.

Good information and pictures

I've had just about every variety the farm stores sell and have decided Orps are the breed for me. Love their big fluffy size and gentle natures. Very cold hardy for these long Montana winters. Nice brown eggs, generally medium to large size.

I have 2 Buffs in a mixed flock of (currently) 17 hens. The 2 buffs are a different & interesting personality from the others. They are very calm, rarely getting into any squabbles with other girls. They are very curious - they are the 1st to approach when I sit down and they want to know if I have anything interesting for them. In the summertime they are toe-peckers - if your feet are bare they will come up and try to eat them. And yes, sometimes it hurts. They lay pretty well - to put some precise numbers on it: Buffy has been laying for 202 days & has laid 126 eggs (62% of days since maturity). Elizabuff has laid 134 eggs in 210 days (64%). They first laid at day 170 & 162 respectively. They are fun girls to have around, I really enjoy them....when they're not eating my toes.

We had several hatchery Buff orps from Townline Hatchery, they supply the TSC and Family farm home with chicks around here, well I got a few of these strait run and one of them ended up being a roo. My youngest son the chicken whisperer of the family bonded with that guy like no other. Those two would be walking around the yard all over, it was funny to watch this little 4 year old boy and his roo walking around the yard having all kind of adventures. and when he was indoors, Friendly Blue (how he ever got that name I am not sure) would come look through the slider door and peck on it to get the kids attention. He would let the kids pick him up carry him round. He got to be a pretty big roo, did a great job protecting his flock and was the gentlest Roo we ever had. So it was a sad day when a dog from down the road decided to pay a visit to our yard, to this day I still can't figure how it got past the yard fence, the chicken yard fence and into the pen..devil dog... The kids still talk about that roo and have asked to get another Friendly Blue. I will probably break down this year and get some more...

Love Orpingtons! If you want a friendly, docile, good egg producer, these birds are for you! I'm not sure why the egg production meter is at moderate. My gals were each laying an egg a day, even in colder weather. I had one who would lay a double yolk egg once or twice a week! Score.

I have two of the Buff Orpingtons and they are just the sweetest things! I have one that I will put in the front yard without anything and she just stays there. They are amazing if having them as indoor pets!

Live on GA/FL border SE Coast. Have mild winters. First chickens: 2 Buff Orphintons & 3 Red Rocks. At 8 mths, smallest Orphington got cough/wheez. Without ability to locate anyone locally, for help, I did what was suggested on here. Weather warmed up a bit, & she improved. But, w/in days, temps dropped by 30* & My little runt, ended up suffocating to death, last week. Wish I would have had a vet &/or someone knowledgable, close enough to take a look at her. Now, the other one is slowly developing the same cough/wheez. All I can do is search & learn, what I can & hopefully help her get better.

We LOVED our buff orprington. She sadly died in our second summer on an extreme heat wave. Everyone else was totally fine but she just couldn't handle it. When I went back on mypetchicken.com it actually says that you need to be a bit more cautious with heat but I sadly hadn't remembered that. So please be careful with yours! One of our absolute favorite girls-such a loss. Laid regularly with large size light brown eggs.

Buff Orpingtons were the first chickens I ever raised. With 6 kids, there was constant chaos and "child involvement" with the chickens, and the Orps took it all in stride. One of my daughters used to carry one around under her arm all day, and on more than one occasion I discovered an Orp up in her bedroom at night sleeping in a doll's crib! Plus, the eggs were great quality and the hens laid through the New England winter.

I do not have hens yet, but I do have a Buff Orpington Rooster. I was given my BO rooster as mine had died. I did not have him as a chick only as a cockerel (3 months old). He stands above my knees (when he was only 7 months old) and is extremely handsome. He is very sweet and took to my hens almost immediately (within 10 min) no fighting at all. He's very gentle with them. No issues with him and dogs/kids. Great at going out free ranging with the hens and always returns back to the barn with them. If my BO rooster sees me walking outside he always will run to me seeking treats. If anyone needs a rooster I would highly suggest either a Buff Orpington or a Barred Plymouth Rock. I have read that BOs are too sweet to protect hens, but I have witnessed some mild aggression (when necessary) toward my dogs.. like when the dogs go bursting down the middle of calm hens eating. My BO rooster will also view surroundings and find the tallest landscape to stand on to view for possible predators. I have had different breeds of roosters and these 2 breeds are by far the best!

I've had a buff who has three hatches and takes good care of her chicks.

Orpingtons are possibly the most charming poultry breed I've ever kept.

I've never met an aggressive Orpington--not even one that was a little nippy--regardless of sex, age, quality, or apparent health. While hatcheries tend to mangle a breed's characteristics in an attempt to sell more birds (ie: allowing subpar specimens to breed), Orpington disposition has remained consistent regardless of which hatchery or breeder I've acquired the birds from. Particularly in the much lauded buff color, hatcheries will send out astoundingly poor specimens of the breed, and even these Orps typically have the most placid, friendly, non-aggressive temperaments.

My first Orp was a hatchery girl with an asymmetrical face (one eye was farther back on her face than the other, so she looked like two different birds depending on which side I was looking at. Weirder yet, her pupils were fixed such that one was always more dilated than the other) who was a terrible specimen of the breed according to conformation, but she had the sweetest temperament and was a bonafide lap bird every chance she got.

I've since kept Orps in other colors, from other hatcheries and breeders. They're an exceedingly charming lot. Roosters don't tend to be top guy in mixed flocks when they have to compete with other, more assertive breeds. They've often pretty chivalrous guys (especially if they're past that crazy hormonal stage or don't have much competition).

As a breed, they tend to be a very healthy lot, and the only health complaint I've ever had is that their tall single combs and large wattles tend to get frostbite. Mine never get sick, though some of the guys have been lazy bathers, so they end up with unwanted many-legged "friends". As fluff is profuse, some breeders have better fertility in hatching eggs after trimming excessive "butt fluff" for spring breedings.

They're overwhelmingly an easy breed to catch if they need to be rounded up for transport, medicating, what-have-you. They're typically slow and not generally scared of much so they don't run away like other, far wilier breeds. This is a pro and a con because, if you have a Fort Knox coop and run and/or no major predators around, easy breeds like Orps are great, but if you end to let birds fend for themselves over large areas unsupervised in areas with predators like hawks and coyotes, Orps are too dumb and slow to be your best breed for that job.

Another con is that, as a dual-purpose breed, Orps are an "eating bird", but I've never had it in me to process one. Mean, ugly, rape-y guys are the easiest to process, and Orps are overwhelmingly none of these. Big, fluffy, silly, sweet-natured, cheerful, friendly, guys who are good with their ladies are really difficult to process, so be prepared to fall in love with pretty much all of your extra boys and have a hard time saying good-bye to them.

We have 3 Buff Orpingtons. As everyone else says, they are like the Golden Retrievers of the chicken world. They are very lovable little chickens and don't oblige too much to being held! They are great for those who want to train their chickens also, I've taught my 21 week Orp pullet to ring a bell, come when called, fluff up when you call her a pretty bird (Well, she kind of taught herself that one) and she just learned to walk on a harness and leash. I'd definitely recommend them for any flock!

I absolutely love my Buff Orpies. There egg production is better than adequate and their dual use makes it worth the compromise on egg production. I love them because they are down right cuddly. Truly wonderful gardening companions. But, they wonder far and wide if allowed...and when not allowed. I would say one in every 5 hens is "independent." They aren't the best at defending themselves against predators (hens and roos) and for that reason I don't clip their wings. As a result they get out of confinement regularly...I have 8' fencing around a very large and accommodating chicken run area (think football field of fruit tree shaded wild garden). No matter they climb fences, tunnel...even climb trees and fly over. (Its a Husky with feathers and wings). Incredibly smart and entertaining but very frustrating. I'll be attempting to train a flock guardian dog after the new year...they are so worth it!