Orpington

My buffs are my favorites! I have 6 girls and they all have a different but good personality. One is always trying to get closer and be petted anytime I am in the coop. Another is just so curious about my toes and polish that I can never go in the coop without closed shoes. They lay nice light brown eggs that start out small but do get larger as they become good egg layers. Two of them lay under the nest boxes on the floor which is a bit of a nuisance to retrieve the egg, but I'll put up with it since they give me an egg everyday. My only problem is that they are hard to tell apart so I call them all Penny.

I have 3 chickens total so I only have comparisons between the 3. My Buff "Cashew" is very sweet, loves to be held, will eat out of your hand, and lays almost every day. She is not the mother hen, but is a very close 2nd. Egg size could be bigger, but she is consistent with one almost every day. She is also the softest compared to the other two. If I had all Buffs in my flock I wouldn't be unhappy.

I only have one Buff Orpington out of my total of four chickens. See it definately the sweetest of the bunch, We just received out first egg yesterday, and I'm thinking it wasn't from her so I don't know how good of layers they are. They eat alot, usually she sleeps next to the food bowl and when I come in to say good night shes cramming her beak full of food. She is actualy some what smart too, she reasponds when I call her, but then again, all the chickens do....
So really cute and friendly, definately worth it.

Though pretty and sweet, the breed isn't much good for a utility flock of chickens. They eat too much and forage too little. Their propensity to overeat causes fat collection near the vent which often results in reproductive issues and poor laying performance.

They tend to be the only chickens in the flock with bare backs because they are either too fat to avoid the rooster or they are too docile and drop to be mated every time he passes by.

Too slow and docile to be good out on free range, they are always the last to make it to cover when the alarm is called and are rarely wary enough to notice danger on their own in a timely fashion.

Due to their reproductive issues and overeating, they tend to be not as hardy as other heritage breeds.

I wouldn't have another in my flocks. Though pretty, they just don't justify their feed usage.

Our Buf Orps were the first birds we raised. We bought 8 pullets, and there was a rooster in the bunch. These birds are pretty docile, they will sit in my lap, and they tend to be the more dominant birds, but they dont peck the other breeds we have to much. In fact, the BO's have adopted our 2 Ameroucana's into their roost, effectively elevating the status of these 2 birds (they were being pecked pretty badly by the other breeds in our 2nd brood).

I call them 'Treat Hounds' becuase every time I enter the coop or run they crowd around me expecting some kind of treat. And they are always first when I put out the scratch or apples, pears, veggies ect.

They are good layers of Med to Large eggs, and occasionally we get an extra large from them. They have been giving us 4-6 eggs a day for the past couple months.

After my experience with RIR's, GLW, SLW and Am - I think when I expand my flock it will be with BO's.

I would recommend this breed as a good bird to start with. They have been a fun mild mannered bird that accepts other birds easily. - not sure if that will bear out to be true in the future, but is very true about this bunch.

i have 7 they r very cool friendly loving i will sit out and watch the flock and my BOs come up and allmost set in my lap. the down sit is when we go outside and get into the cars they are right there.

Love them/they lay a pretty good bit

I have had one orpington,and she`s the best thing since sliced bread.shes nice and calm,very tame, and welcomes newcomers to the flock nicely.

My girls are the first to meet me at the gate the Roos ate a little standoffish but not aggressive at all they are a favorite of or flock. Plus how can you resist those fluffy butts lol

I have a small flock including 3 lavender orpingtons. I absolutly love them. Besides being gorgeous, they are super friendly, they dont even flinch when I am doing my work in the coop. I am new to chickens, and they are still young, so I can't comment on egg production yet. You will not be dissapointed adding some to your flock!

Orpingtons are generally really great birds. My two Buff Orpingtons are the friendliest of birds, always squatting for me to pick them up and letting me pet them. They're also extremely great layers of large eggs. Sometimes that comes with a price, though. I would never recommend Buff pullets for showing because their feathers are often frayed or missing their glossiness. They are kind of escape artists and are quite independent sometimes, which, depending how you take it, can be a bad or a good thing. My girls have never gotten into a fight with another girl but they have never really been at the top of the pecking order either. They are hard workers and I would definitely recommend them to any other chicken owner who wants a egg bird or one who wants a great companion.

This is probably weird but I like my Orpington roo more than any of the hens I have had. Jack is the sweetest rooster, his only flaw is he is almost too sweet and too big. He doesn't fit through the pop door of the coop has he is easily twice as largess my other chickens. He also let's the hens push him around, maybe it is because he is still young or at least younger than the hens. He is beautiful and I am very lucky to have him. I have had 3 buff Orpington hens but all of them were mean birds despite being hand raised from day old chicks. They picked on my other birds and always squawked at me.

GREAT CHICKENS i love them

I bought a Buff Orp, a Lemon Cuckoo Orp, and a Black Copper Marans at Agway on Mother's Day weekend. They were week old chicks when I got them. They grew quickly and are bigger than my other laying hens. They are approaching POL so I can't tell how prolific of an egg layer they will be. They are sweet, friendly girls. The BCM acts just like they do and they are the Three Musketeers. They stay together even though they are now integrated with the rest of our flock. if I had to have only one breed at this point I would say it would be the Orpington.

I have 3 Buff Orpington hens and 1 rooster. First chickens I've ever owned (also have 2 production reds) so I don't have much comparison. I love our rooster, he is full of personality and lets me hold him and really keeps the hens in check. He began crowing at about 16 weeks and he is just gorgeous!
Two of the hens are friendly, one is very flighty, I haven't been able to actually catch her in weeks. I end up having to chase her into the coop each night. They are good birds though, never have pecked at my kids whereas my reds have. I love how fluffy they are and I just think they are beautiful. Not sure I'll ever not have one in my bunch.

We purchased a pair of 3 day old chicks from a lady online and have been 100% pleased with them. They are big, fluffy, happy birds who love to forage, dig and clear my garden of bugs. The come running when you enter the yard [probably hoping that you have meal worms for them] and if you're sitting on the porch, they'll hop right up into your lap for a cuddle.

I don't think we'll ever own anything but Orpingtons as all of the other breeds that we've bought just don't quite live up to our Orpingtons.

I absolutely think they are the top of the line chicken! I have owned several different breeds over the years, such as Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Welsummers, Wyondotte, etc. But, I have to honestly say that the Orpington are the sweetest of them all! Other breeds can be very tempermental and the roosters can fly up and spur you.......NOT the Orpingtons. They don't fly over fences either! That way you don't get into trouble with your neighbors! And to top it all off......they come in so MANY GORGEOUS COLORS! They lay eggs all year long too! Wouldn't have any other kind.

They are the most friendly bird in my flock, they run right up to me when i walk into the coop. Although mine peck at freckles, and they are kind of greedy...

My orpington is a sweetie pie. Super friendly and top of the pecking order. She is BIG. She has also gotten a little lazy but that is most likely our falt!

My B orpingont, hazel, is probably my sweetest chicken. She loves to be held, and is calm and patient with kids. She is a very funy chicken, as in she loves food! She will jump, and even spin for a mealworm! Great all-around breed.