Questions for Buff Orpington Owners

[thecatumbrella]

We're looking to get a couple (or a couple couple ) of friends for our Black Australorps in the spring. Orpington's are frequently recommended as a friendly breed that does well in confinement. We'd been avoiding broody birds since we have no interest in hatching eggs, but I'm getting short on breeds that fit the needed criteria. Also, Buff Orpingtons are adorable.

Just to clarify, their confinement situation would be at least 25 sqft/bird, with multiple feeders, dig boxes, perch networks, treat toys, a grazing wall, and a medium that's fun to trench and find a few bugs in. We have plans for a bonus "outdoor" area, but it's not yet built so I don't want to rely on that as a factor. They also wouldn't have access to the bonus area in winter (which is about 3-4 months here).

Questions

1. What hatchery did you get yours from?
2. English or American strain?
3. How broody are they really (maybe times per year)?
4. Are they easy to break?
5. Have you had any issues with bullying (either from or directed towards your Orpington)?
6. Would you agree that they'd do well in confinement?
7. How do yours handle the heat? I'm guessing the American strain is a little more svelte and heat tolerant?
8. What is your favorite color (either in general, or Orpinton-based)?
9. Anything else I should know?

Thank you, thank you!

*

Also, you might see me post these exact same questions with a different breed once we narrow that down. So I apologize for all the recent threads. There's been A LOT going on with our chicken adventure lately, but I'm looking forward to talking less and listening more once things settle down.

 

[Amer]

Hatcheries don’t sell Orpingtons that are bred to the American Standard of Perfection. They only sell hatchery Orpingtons or the fluffy Orpingtons that they often label “English.”
English and American Orpingtons are much larger than hatchery Orpingtons.
The only way to acquire Orpingtons bred to the American Standard is from a breeder who breeds them to the American Standard. The only way to acquire one bred to the English Standard is if they actually say they breed them to the English Standard.
To be clear:
Utility/hatchery

American

English

The colorful, fluffy chickens they label English
https://www.hoovershatchery.com/englishorpingtonvarietypack.html

 

[Amer]

Disclaimer, true English Orpingtons can be colorful, also.
And American Orpingtons also come in blue, black, and white.
And hatchery Orpingtons are often lavender.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Disclaimer, true English Orpingtons can be colorful, also.
And American Orpingtons also come in blue, black, and white.
And hatchery Orpingtons are often lavender.

Thank you for clarifying. Just to make sure I understand, when Meyer Hatchery claims their Lavenders are from the "American strain" and their Jubilees are from the "English strain", they're basically mutt versions of these breeds?

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

We're looking to get a couple (or a couple couple ) of friends for our Black Australorps in the spring. Orpington's are frequently recommended as a friendly breed that does well in confinement. We'd been avoiding broody birds since we have no interest in hatching eggs, but I'm getting short on breeds that fit the needed criteria. Also, Buff Orpingtons are adorable.

Just to clarify, their confinement situation would be at least 25 sqft/bird, with multiple feeders, dig boxes, perch networks, treat toys, a grazing wall, and a medium that's fun to trench and find a few bugs in. We have plans for a bonus "outdoor" area, but it's not yet built so I don't want to rely on that as a factor. They also wouldn't have access to the bonus area in winter (which is about 3-4 months here).

Questions

1. What hatchery did you get yours from?
2. English or American strain?
3. How broody are they really (maybe times per year)?
4. Are they easy to break?
5. Have you had any issues with bullying (either from or directed towards your Orpington)?
6. Would you agree that they'd do well in confinement?
7. How do yours handle the heat? I'm guessing the American strain is a little more svelte and heat tolerant?
8. What is your favorite color (either in general, or Orpinton-based)?
9. Anything else I should know?

Thank you, thank you!

*

Also, you might see me post these exact same questions with a different breed once we narrow that down. So I apologize for all the recent threads. There's been A LOT going on with our chicken adventure lately, but I'm looking forward to talking less and listening more once things settle down.

My buff orpington was really sweet until she went broody. She is coming around again to being nice. None of her eggs hatched so i do think thats why she got more aggressive. She was fairly easy to break when she tried to go back to brooding after no eggs hatched. Generally she was the boss after we got rid of the cinnamon queen we had. There isnt much fighting in my flock i have 2 coops( 4 x 4 and 4x6) with 9 birds(5 which are young the cockeral is being rehomed.) Orpingtons do well in confinment. But as others have said ones from hatcheries are different than ones bred to standard. I have a buff orpington and 2 Lavender orpingtons, the buff is from a hatchery i notice a difference in her appearance because the lavendars are from a APA standard quality breeder. You pay more for better birds. All my birds do well in heat as long as they have shade, water and i tend to give them watermelon on the super hot days

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Every chance that I get to talk about Buff Orpingtons and try to get fellow chicken keepers to buy/raise them I get really excited. I'm so happy you are thinking about getting Orpingtons!

1. I got my first 3 Buff Orpingtons from Meyer Hatchery. They are absolutely my favorite chicken breed! Then Buff Orpingtons came into Tractor Supply in June and picked up two of them, along with 2 wyandottes, Cheddar and Biscuit!

2. All 4 of my Buff Orpingtons are American lines.

3. and 4. I have only had 1 of my Buff Orpingtons go broody. It took me about a week to break Donna but she got over her broodiness pretty quickly.

5. Buff Orpingtons except baby chicks really fast. In fact I have never seen Donna, Sylvia, Pecan, Biscuit, or Cheddar bite anyone else. But because of their docile temperate they do get picked on and tend to be lower in the pecking order but they are not afraid to stand their ground.

6. My Buff Orpingtons don't mind staying in on days I have to go somewhere and will not be back until after dark or on a snowy, very cold winters day. They really don't care much.

7. Buff Orpingtons don't like much heat but in New Hampshire I really don't think that its a problem. Buff Orpingtons prefer cold weather.

8. My all time favorite color of Orpingtons is definitely BUFF.

9. Expect your Buff Orpingtons to want to snuggle. All of mine do. If you don't want snuggly chickens than I would say this breed might not be for you. But if you enjoy spending time with your chickens, and want ones that want something to do with you, this is the chicken breed for you!

Sorry about such the long post, I could go on and on! lol

 

[thecatumbrella]

My buff orpington was really sweet until she went broody. She is coming around again to being nice. None of her eggs hatched so i do think thats why she got more aggressive.

What kind of aggressive behaviors? I ask, because I'm also having aggression issues with my Australorp (whose been laying for about 3 weeks). I miss my sweet girl and I'm worried she's gone.

 

[Amer]

Thank you for clarifying. Just to make sure I understand, when Meyer Hatchery claims their Lavenders are from the "American strain" and their Jubilees are from the "English strain", they're basically mutt versions of these breeds?

They are hatchery strains of the breeds, meaning they don’t match the American and English Standards.
Not mutts in the sense that they are mixed but they are not representative of the Orpington breed.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Not mutts in the sense that they are mixed but they are not representative of the Orpington breed.

So maybe backyard breeders (referring to dogs) is more accurate. This would honestly explain a lot. My Australorps are not very Australorp-like in demeanor. The hatcheries are just trying to pump out eggs, and not giving a thought to either confirmation or personality.

 

[Amer]

So maybe backyard breeders (referring to dogs) is more accurate. This would honestly explain a lot. My Australorps are not very Australorp-like in demeanor. The hatcheries are just trying to pump out eggs, and not giving a thought to either confirmation or personality.

True, hatchery birds are comparable to “backyard breeders” dogs; it would be misleading to use “backyard breeders” as terminology for chickens though since most standard-bred birds being produced are in backyards while hatcheries which produce substandard birds definitely couldn’t be considered “backyards.”