Buff Orpington Chicken | Get to Know this Loveable Breed

Are you looking for a sweet, docile, beginner and family-friendly chicken? Then you’re in the right place! In this post, we’re diving into the wonderful world of the Buff Orpington chicken – a breed that’s sure to steal your heart and make a cozy home in your backyard.

In this post, you will learn about the Buff Orpington’s history, personality and temperament, physical characteristics, egg production, health, where to buy, and my personal experience with raising my Buff Orpington chickens.

After you have finished reading you will be you will understand why these delightful chickens
stand out as a great beginner and family-friendly chicken.

This post is all about the Buff Orpington chicken breed and why a Buff Orpington chicken may just be your next great chicken love.

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Orpington Background

The Orpington chicken breed dates back to the late 1800s. Originating in Orpington, Kent, England, this sweet, loveable breed was developed by poultry breeder William Cook. Through careful selection and crossbreeding of Minorcas, Langshans, and Plymouth Rocks, the Orpington breed was born.

The Buff Orpington color, with its striking yellow and golden plumage, emerged as the most popular variety. While I will refer to the Orpington as the Buff Orpington in this breed overview – it is because of my experience raising my very own Buff Orpingtons.

Buff Orpington Chicken | Personality and Temperament

If you’ve ever heard that Buff Orpingtons are the golden retrievers of the chicken world, there’s good reason for it. These chickens have sweet, docile, and easygoing personalities.

Orpingtons are prone to going broody, displaying a strong desire to sit on a clutch of eggs and raise chicks. This trait makes them exceptional mothers, offering significant value if you intend to have a hen raise and nurture chicks in your flock. My Orpington ladies will go broody from time to time but if I’m not having them raise babies they are easy to remove from the nest and get back to regular chicken activities after a few days.

Unlike some flighty breeds, Buff Orpingtons don’t mind being picked up—in fact, mine request it! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced chicken keeper, having an Orpington in your flock is so much fun. They allow you to handle them, and, in my personal experience, they not only ok with being picked up but enjoy it. Even my Buff Orpington rooster joins in the cuddle sessions!

This hands-on approach becomes particularly valuable during health checks, and it provides the perfect opportunity to truly connect with and enjoy the company of your chickens. In my case, all 3 of my Buff Orpingtons, rooster included, are always game for cuddles. My hen Batter, for instance— loves to sit on my lap and make the cutest little noise before snuggling her face into my shoulder as if offering her version of a heartwarming hug. The Buff Orpington is truly one of the friendliest chicken breeds you will meet!

It’s important to remember that every chicken has their personality and even a docile chicken breed may not turn into a lap chicken, and that’s ok! 4 out of my 15 chickens don’t ask to be picked up like the others, even though they are the same breeds and were all raised the same way. They are all still friendly, allow me to pick them up if I need to, and enjoy being around me. They just aren’t all about the cuddles like their flock mates.

To learn how to raise friendly chickens, check out my friendly chicken raising tips!

Buff Orpington Size and Physical Characteristics

Size and Weight: The Orpington is a heavy, dual-purpose chicken breed. Hens are about 8 pounds and roosters around 10 pounds. I’ve found my Buff Orpingtons to be slightly smaller than the standard.

Combs and Wattles: All three of my three Buff Orpington chickens have different-sized combs and wattles. The Rooster of course has the largest comb and wattle followed by my hen Doughi, who has a flopped comb (see above photo). Batter being the smallest of my Orpingtons, has the smallest comb and wattle.

Eyes and Feet: The Buff Orpington has orange eyes and white legs and feet.

Color Varieties of Orpingtons: There are four distinct colors recognized by the American Poultry Association for the Orpington: buff, black, blue, and white. They also come in non-recognized colors: jubilee (speckled), mottled, chocolate, lavender, cuckoo, and more.

No matter what color you choose, these fluffy feathers are dense which makes them appear larger than they truly are. There’s nothing like holding these sweet chickens with all their fluff!

Buff Orpington Egg Production

With these amazing personalities you might be wondering how these cuties do when it comes to laying eggs. These lovely ladies tend to lay around 3-4 eggs a week for me with an average of about 200 a year. They lay the cutest medium brown egg, although their eggs are a tad smaller than the eggs I get from my Speckled Sussex and Australorp chickens.

When it comes to egg production, Orpingtons fall into the average category compared to some other chicken breeds. They lay the least amount of eggs in my flock but for me having eggs is a bonus – not why I keep my chickens. The Orpington does also tend to go broody, as I’ve certainly found with mine. When they do go broody (wanting to sit on the nest to hatch some baby chicks) they will temporarily stop laying eggs.

During the winter months, their egg production might decrease as their bodies naturally adjust to the shorter daylight hours. However, it’s essential to bear in mind that each chicken has a predetermined set number of eggs they will lay in their lifetime. So, even if Orpingtons pause their laying during brooding or produce fewer eggs in winter, they tend to have a longer overall laying span throughout their lives.

Buff Orpington Rooster

Butter, My Buff Orpington Rooster, is certainly the center of attention in my flock!

The Orpington rooster is known to be docile and while I will certainly agree that he is a pretty chill guy, knowing how to work with your rooster is so important. Butter was the sweetest chick and would hang out on my lap or shoulder all the time. When he went into his roobertery (as some like to call it) he did have some moments where he could get concerned about his ladies safety. Thankfully with patience he has turned into the best rooster. He still loves to be picked up, carried around the yard, and even fall asleep while I’m holding him.

How to Work with Your Rooster | Resources

I’d highly recommend checking out the following resources, no matter what breed of Rooster you have:

• Read my post on how to build a relationship with your rooster
• Learn how working with horses prepared me for working with roosters
• Watch the Roovolution YouTube video on Rooster behavior
• Check out the Rooster Allies Home Base Facebook page for lots of rooster articles
• Join the Rooster Allies Facebook group
• The people who run Roovolution will even give you a free consultation on working with your roosters

Watch Butter my Buff Orpington Rooster share his dustbath with his lady Batter. Wanna watch more Orpington fun? Subscribe to my youtube channel for more!

Buff Orpington Lifespan and Health

The Orpington chicken has an average lifespan of 8-10 years. I know I want my sweet Orpingtons to live for as long as possible! So to help make sure they have long, happy lives it’s important to ensure their safety from predators, conduct regular health checks (super easy if they are a lap chicken!), provide the best most nutritious food you can afford, fresh water, and offering them sufficient space with good old fresh air and sunshine. All incredibly important steps for the longevity, health, and overall happiness for all chickens.

Broody Hens

The Orpington does have more of a tendency to go brooder than some other breeds. This means they have a natural instinct to sit on a clutch of eggs and hatch babies. I mean who wouldn’t want more of these super cute cuddly chickens?

I have one broody hen in particular, Batter, who loves to go broody multiple times a year. I finally let her have babies this past spring and it was wonderful! They make such great mothers! My other Orpington, Doughi, will sometimes sit for a day, then decide the mothering life isn’t for her and she’s back to adventuring with her friends.

[ RELATED: The Joy of Being Broody | Adopting Chicks with Your Hen ]

Caring for Your Orpington

Due to their substantial feathering, it’s essential to provide plenty of cool water and shade for your Orpington chickens during the summer months. Additionally, be vigilant for frostbite during the winter, particularly if your chicken has a larger comb or wattles like my rooster. Monitoring these seasonal considerations ensures the well-being of your Orpingtons year-round.

Being that they are a docile breed you will want to add them to a flock of similar laid-back personalities as they could become a target for bullying. My Buff Orpingtons will typically run from conflict, however I have seen them stand up for themselves from time to time. Batter one of my Orpington ladies has a bit more concern in her chicken body so she mostly runs from conflict compared to her sister Doughi.

Orpington Heat and Cold Tolerance

Because of their comb and wattle size they will be hardy in the cold weather. Another thing to keep an eye on in the cold weather is frost bite on their combs and wattles, especially the roosters.

As for the heat, I’ve found mine to do OK as long as you provide enough ways for them to keep cool. Where I live in Puerto Rico, we typically have temperatures year round in the 80’s and 90’s with very high humidity. You will want to make sure they are given plenty of shade, cool water, and fans. Keep a close eye on them especially during heat waves where the sudden increase in temperatures can be extra hard on their fluffy bodies.

As with any chicken, monitor their behavior and appearance closely for any signs of illness or distress. Intervene promptly if necessary to ensure quick treatment and recovery.

[ RELATED: How to Keep Chickens Cool in the Summer Months ]

Where to Buy | Buff Orpington Chickens for Sale

Have you fallen in love with these fluffy sweet chickens yet? Here are some of my favorite hatcheries, including where I got my sweet Buff Orpingtons from.

Whether you are looking for Buff Orpington chickens for sale or other color varieties, the following have lots of options!

Ideal Poultry

This is the hatchery where I got my Buff Orpingtons from.
Ideal Poultry Orpington Options: Buff Orpington, Lavender Orpington

Meyer Hatchery

They have lots of Orpington colors!
Meyer Hatchery Orpington Options: Buff Orpington, Lavender Orpington, Chocolate Orpington, Jubilee Orpington, Blue Orpington, and the Black Split to Lavender Orpington

My Pet Chicken

They have lots of Orpington colors!
My Pet Chicken Orpington Options: Buff Orpington, Lavender Orpington, Chocolate Orpington, Jubilee Orpington, Black/Lavender Split Orpington, and the Blue/Black/Splash Orpington

Cackle Hatchery

They carry a bantam Buff Orpington and a exhibition type Buff Orpington for show quality birds.
Cackle Hatchery Orpington Options: Buff Orpington – Bantam, Buff Orpington Exhibition Type (i.e. Show Quality), Buff Orpington, Buff Orpington – Started Pullet Option, Lavender Orpington, Jubilee Orpington, and a Silver Laced English Orpington

Murry McMurray Hatchery

They have the beatutiful white Orpingtons! I hope they one day ship to PR as I’d LOVE to have some white and chocolate Orpingtons!
Murry McMurry Orpington Options: Buff Orpington, Lavender Orpington, Chocolate Orpington, and the White Orpington

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This post was all about the Buff Orpington chicken breed, why they are one of the best choices for first-time backyard chicken keepers and a delightful addition for families.

{RELATED: HOW MANY CHICKENS SHOULD I START WITH? 11 KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK}

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