Orpington

Of the 5 breeds I have my Buff Orpingtons are the freindliest & sweetest chickens! They come running to me and are always game to get some pats or be picked up! They love to talk to me, they gently chirp, while gazing up at me. Super cute. They are still young, 3 months, so I don't know about the egg laying abilities yet.

when people want to see or hold one of my chickens i get out the orpingtons. these chickens are very calm and i have never had a problem with them. they are not the best layers 150 to 200 eggs a year.

These are my sweetest pullets. I have two, both come running when they see me or my kids. They're only 11 wks right now so I can't speak for their laying abilities, but I'm hoping they'll be good broodies and hatch lots of eggs for me!

I have a buff orpington and she is a wonderful chicken. They are gentle and nice birds. I love them!

I love my buff Orpington. She is the nicest girl ever; to me and the other chickens! When I walk into the coop, she jumps up onto me! I definitely would like to get more of these charmers! They also lay nicely! FIVE STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are by far the frindlliest of my flock!! Not to mention great to look at!

I love my hen, sadly she was eaten But we got 2 new ones, Nugget and Opal, and there are just the SWEETEST! I love these hens, they are good layers and worth the 3$ we paid!


I have a question tho- That Jubilee Orpington Hen on the breed page- Uh, orpingtons have straight tails, not cochin tails that are poofy. Either the Jubilee 'Orpington' Hen is a mix, or a cochin (or a number of things, lol)

My Buff Orpington Tibby, is a true joy to have around. She has been attention loving from the start. Not only are Buff Orpingtons fun to have around, They lay a great amount of eggs! I think this is a great breed to have whether your a beginner chicken owner, or an advanced.

I have one Buff pullet and she is so fun! I love her massive body structure and soft, fluffy coat. She acts as the mother of the flock, even when they were all three days old! She is often seen supervising everyone. She never does what they do, just guides them and keeps an eye on them. She is very calm, and makes neat sounds. I can't wait until she lays!

My experience with the Orpington is limited, All birds raised were of hatchery (E-Fowl) origins.

The Orpington is first and foremost a utilitarian breed or "dual purpose". It has been bred for both egg production as well as meat production. Good breeding will reflect this in several ways.

- Efficiency of egg/meat production
- Overall egg/meat production
- Rate of maturation
- Uniformity
- Overall health and longevity
- Personality or Behavior

Hens-
The Orpington hen is not just a quiet, calm, hardy, efficient layer of medium-large to very large brown eggs(200 eggs in the first year is average) or an excellent working broody and mother. No, she has more than that she has a true personality making her real pleasure to own.

Friendly is an understatement. Beggar, tag along, mooch are closer to the truth.
(I have one hen "Fatty" that knows what a shovel, a potato fork, and a garden tiller are. At the site of one she comes right over and waits right next to me until she get worms.)

Broodiness is common and if allowed to brood she makes a committed and protective mother. Her size,(7-8 lbs) shape and fluffiness lends itself quite well to the task of hatching and mothering.
(18 chicks were hatched by one hen of mine. What is more impressive is that it was her first clutch and they all lived.)
She is curious bird that will actively free range yet her docile nature does fine in confinement. She is generally a hardy animal that will handle both heat and cold. She is a fair layer in winter here in Wisconsin. She is not a flighty bird and low perches should be used. She is a respectable meat bird when the time comes. Spent hens yield ample amounts of meat for the stewing pot. If she has a fault it is that she puts on weight easily which can cause egg product to drop off and maybe has too much of a mothering instinct for purely egg production applications.

Cocks-
Except for the laying part all the same can be said for the Orpington male. He grows into a respectable broiler in about 20 weeks. The carcass yields huge leg quarters and a medium breast. He is not aggressive towards people but not so docile as to not chase or gaurd his hens. Mine have all been friendly flock and farm members. The single comb and wattles are vulnerable to frost bite and wind burn in some climates.

Again the Orpington was created as a utilitarian breed and to this end the Orpington still performs quite well. It is its personality though that makes the Orpington an excellent choice for beginners.

sweet, curious little birds. two of my four first birds are orps, and i'm happy that i got them. got 2 easter eggers too. all of them are nice, non aggressive, but the ee's are slightly more weary of people. none will automatically just come up and get on my lap like others have said, but if i catch them and set them there and pet them, they don't fight it. they like being close to me outside in the yard all the time, but still at an arm's length.

I received four chicks at a day old, three of which were buff orps. I love them! They love being held and will fall asleep in my lap. Mine are a month and a half old now. Two of mine are definitely more loveable than a third though. The third one is skittish and doesn't like being held. (I think she hung out with my araucana too much!) This one also look pretty funny! Like she has cowlicks all over her. They others are gorgeous!
and their feathers are so soft!
I would 100% recommend orpingtons to anyone, especially if you're interested in a lap chicken

I bought 8 chickens 4 of which were buff orpingtons. I showed the other 4 chicks more attention because honestly I favored them(gold lace wyandottes) over the orpingtons because they weren't one of my breeds of choice. Don't get me wrong I did give them attention too! Now these are my favorites! They have so much personality and very sweet and lovable chickens. I had one get sick and I put her in my room and she stayed in with me for about a week and she was fine being alone and would follow me or sit in the bed with me. I have a difficult time walking in the chicken coop they are always dancing around and in between my feet. I have accidently kicked them while walking, its hard trying trying to watch out for 4 chickens with 2 eye balls. They will hop in my lap and sit on my shoulder. They are very lovable and are fine being around my 4 dogs and the cat. They are only 3 months old, no eggs to talk about yet! I have several chicken breeds in the past and these are my new favorite breed!!

These girls are so friendly and calm. My kids love this breed the best out of all the ones we have. They come up and sit right next to them and let the kids pet them.

I have not done any hatching with them yet but they are already taking care of the younger chicks in my flock. Mind you these chicks are only a few weekss younger than them.

I was told how calm and easy to get along with others a good all around chicken according to different sources.... Not the case with my Buff Orpingtons I have five hens and gave to my father in law along with a few other breeds. I think between the polish crested, white leghorns, silkies, rhode island reds, silver laced wyondytes(sp) bantams they are the more aggressive of the hens.

I just adore our Buff Orpington, Permelia. She is just too sweet. She gets along well with the other ladies, loves being held and petted, and the Texas heat doesn't seem to bother her as much as it does our other breeds.

I love my Goldie girl! She is so sweet and affectionate. I would love to get a rooster.

its a nice chicken

Ok so orps are ridiculously sweet! My hen daisy is super calm and affectionate. She doesn't get bossed around by the other ladies either. She lays the biggest eggs out of all of my hens almost every day too. The only negative of orps is Daisy gets broody in the spring/summer which is a little frustrating. But that's the only negative I think they have!

They are wonderful for pet chickens, as they are quiet and calm, and jump in your lap if given the opportunity. They get broody easily all year, and are great moms! I even have good moms that adopt day old chicks I have bought. However, they get broody a lot in the spring, which affects their egg laying. If they get broody too much, I break their broodiness by putting them in a separate, wire bottom cage for a few days. They usually lay about 5 to 6 large, brown eggs a week. They are very cold-tolerant, and can stand some heat well, too. I live in Texas and get winter temps down to 7*, but I never need to use a heat lamp for adult hens. In the 100*+ summer, they get a fan in their yard. Overall, a great chicken for small spaces!