Although an English breed, Buff Orpingtons are certainly one of the reigning favorites of American backyard chicken keepers. This is a chicken that has something for everyone.
Looking for a great egg layer? Look no further than the Buff Orpington. The Buff Orpington is a cute bird that loves being held and cuddled. It also loves the company of young children. Want a meat bird for your homestead or a broody hen to raise chicks? Yep, the Buff Orpington.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced keeper or just starting out. This breed is a good choice for everyone. Buff Orpingtons do suffer in hot temperatures, for example, and although they are cold hardy, you must take all precautions to make sure they stay dry.
Not quite sure if this breed is perfect for your flock? No worries—in this article, you’ll find everything you need to know to make sure Buff Orpingtons are the right fit for you, including:
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The buff chicken is one of the most popular backyard chicken breeds. With their gentle personalities cold hardiness and bountiful egg production it’s no wonder buff chickens are a favorite for urban and rural flocks alike. This article provides a complete guide to raising happy, healthy buff chickens.
Overview of Buff Chickens
The buff chicken originates from England in the late 1800s. William Cook created the buff Orpington breed by crossing Minorcas, Plymouth Rocks, and other hardy breeds. His goal was to make a chicken that could lay eggs and meat and that would be able to live in England’s cold, wet climate.
Today, buff chickens remain a favorite heritage breed for small flocks. Their most notable features include:
- Large size – Hens weigh about 8 lbs and roosters 10 lbs
- Gentle, friendly personality
- Cold hardy but tolerate heat if given shade
- Excellent egg production at 200-280 eggs per year
- Good meat production at 8-10 lbs for hens and 10-12 lbs for roosters
- Eye-catching golden buff feathering
Buff chickens get along well with kids and other types of chickens. Because they are calm, more aggressive chickens may pick on them, so be careful when adding buffs to flocks that already have chickens.
Housing Buff Chickens
As a larger breed, buff chickens need ample space to stay healthy and active. Each bird needs:
- 4-5 square feet of coop space
- 10+ square feet of outdoor run space
The coop should be draft-free but offer good ventilation. Roosts, nest boxes, food and water must all be chick-sized for younger birds.
Even though they tolerate cold well, buff chickens still need a coop to protect them from rain, wind and predators. Provide extra insulation and heating for temps below 20°F.
Feeding Your Flock
Feed buff chickens a complete organic or non-GMO layer feed. Provide at least 1/4 lb of feed per chicken daily. Scatter a few scratch grains around to add to the diet and encourage the animal to look for food.
Buff chickens will also enjoy:
- Fresh greens like kale, spinach and chard
- Chopped fruits and veggies – banana, melon, carrots, peas, etc.
- Mealworms and other bugs
- Oyster shell for extra calcium
Avoid overfeeding treats, which can lead to obesity. Always provide fresh, clean water. Change water at least once daily.
Chicken Care Tips
- Check buff chickens weekly for lice, mites and signs of illness
- Trim toenails if they get overly long
- Keep bedding clean and dry
- Let birds free range when possible
- Provide roosting bars and clean nest boxes
- Collect eggs daily
- Spend time handling chickens so they stay friendly
Since the single comb can get frostbite, apply pet-safe Vaseline to combs and wattles before cold snaps.
Broodiness and Egg Laying
Buff hens start laying at around 6 months old. Egg production peaks at 1-2 years old, with buffs laying very well for their first few years.
Buff chickens often get broody after laying a clutch of eggs because they are heritage hens. A hen that is broody will stop laying eggs and sit on the nest for weeks while it tries to hatch them.
If you wish to raise chicks, buff hens make excellent broody mothers. If you want continuous egg laying, you’ll need to discourage broodiness by:
- Removing eggs daily
- Placing broody hens in a wire-bottom cage off the nest
- Blocking nest box access so hens can’t occupy the box
It may take a week or more for a dedicated broody to stop sitting. Once she resumes laying, you can allow broodiness again or continue discouraging it.
Raising Buff Roosters
A buff rooster isn’t essential, but allows natural mating and fertilized eggs. The main advantages of keeping a rooster are:
- Fertilized eggs for eating, selling or hatching
- Increased flock security from predators
- Companionship for him and the hens
The drawbacks include crowing, aggressiveness and the fact they don’t lay eggs. Never keep more than one rooster per flock. Introduce the rooster after 12-16 weeks when the hierarchy is established.
Rooster Temperament
Despite their size, buff roosters are usually calm and non-aggressive. Handle them frequently from a young age so they remain friendly. Rehome roosters that attack hens or humans.
If introducing an older or new rooster, expect some tussling as the pecking order resets. Closely supervise the first few weeks to ensure no injury or excess aggression.
Managing Roosters
- Clip wing feathers to prevent unwanted escape
- Trim spurs blunt if needed
- Provide space for separate sleeping quarters
- Rehome or cull excess roosters
- Pen aggressive roosters if they injure hens
For urban flocks, neighbors will likely object to crowing roosters. Rooster crow collars can help limit noise. If noise is a problem, stick to keeping hens only.
Health Concerns
Buff chickens are fairly hearty, but they are prone to some common health issues:
Frostbite: Protect wattles, combs and toes in cold weather.
Obesity: Don’t overfeed treats.
Broodiness: Not a health problem, but can halt egg laying.
Respiratory illness: Chicks are prone to respiratory infections. Adults can get respiratory issues from dust or mold.
External parasites: Lice, mites and fungal infections are common. Monitor closely and treat as needed.
Predators: Their size doesn’t deter aerial or terrestrial predators. Use secure housing at night.
Bumblefoot: Overgrown toenails can cause limping and infection. Trim toenails regularly.
Egg binding: Excessive eggs stuck inside can be fatal. Provide a calcium-rich diet and space to exercise.
Catch illness early by checking birds daily for symptoms like lethargy, poor appetite, limping, discharge or diarrhea. Isolate and treat sick birds promptly.
Tips for Raising Happy Buff Chickens
Follow these tips for keeping your buff flock healthy and productive:
- Provide ample coop and run space
- Feed a nutritious layer diet with calcium supplements
- Check for illness and parasites routinely
- Discourage broodiness if desired
- Care for chicks properly if hatching eggs
- Handle birds frequently so they stay friendly
- Protect combs and wattles from frostbite
- Give access to grass, bugs and treats when possible
Finding Buff Chickens for Sale
Buff chickens are readily available as chicks, pullets or adult birds. You can find them at local farm stores like Tractor Supply or order from hatcheries like McMurray, Cackle, Meyer and My Pet Chicken.
Price averages $3-5 per chick, $10-25 for pullets, and $20-40 for hens or roosters. If buying adults, ask about health and egg laying history.
Ensure new birds are housed separately for a quarantine period before introducing to your flock. Always buy from reputable sources to reduce disease risks.
Raising Stunning Buff Chickens
For backyard chicken keepers, it’s hard to find a breed that tops the Buff Orpington. Their laidback personality, mothering instincts, hardiness and handsome looks make them an excellent addition to both urban and rural flocks.
By providing the proper housing, feeding, health care and handling, your buff chickens will reward you with ample eggs, stress-free flock management and years of enjoyment watching these golden beauties traverse the yard. Any poultry keeper from beginner to veteran is sure to find buff chickens a satisfying breed to raise on the homestead.
Buff Orpington chickens and egg laying
Egg color: BrownEgg size: Large to extra largeAge of lay: 6 monthsEggs/week: 4Eggs/year: 200
Buff Orpingtons are good layers, even in the cold winter months.
In the video below, you can see what Buff Orpington eggs look like—fast forward to about 30 seconds in.
And below, you can see Buff Orpington hen, Nanner, lay an egg.
And in this video, you can see a young Buff Orpington singing after laying an egg.
Traditionally, Buff Orpingtons have been very broody hens (i.e., they love to sit on and hatch their eggs).
However, the broodiness trait has been lost in some hatchery Orpingtons, so if broodiness (or lack of broodiness) is important to you, be sure to check with your hatchery or breeder about their particular strain before buying.
If you have a broody strain of Buff Orpingtons, you will find that they tend to be very reliable brooders, and they are happy to raise any chicks, even those of other species. Here you can see a Buff Orpington brooding quail eggs.
Most Orpington hens are very gentle and attentive mothers. This is a picture of a Buff Orpington hen talking to her Jersey Giant chicks that have just hatched.
And below, you can see a Buff Orpington hen mothering very young chickens on a nice spring day.
Buff Orpington hens are also known to be very accepting of new chicks brought in from elsewhere.
One chicken keeper said of her Buff Orpington hen, …” she LOVES the Sapphire Gem chicks… she just lifted her wing and they ran right under it when I took them out to her!”.
Another chicken keeper told a story about how, when she was a beginner keeper, she added a new chick to her already existing flock, not aware that this is a very dangerous thing to do. The older hens were not happy about the new chick. Luckily, there was a Buff Orpington hen in the flock.
The keeper explained, “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 inseparable. We didn’t do any special tricks to make her think this chick was hers. In fact, the chick was probably 4 weeks old when we got her! However, our Orpington did not hesitate to take this young pullet in. ”.
Buff Orpington chicken temperament: Just what kind of birds are they?
One of the nicest chicken breeds is the Buff Orpingon. If you want a chicken that is really friendly, affectionate, and even cuddly, these are the birds for you.
Buff Orpingtons are the quintessential, snuggly lap chickens, as you can see in the video below.
And even chicks like to be petted. Watch the video below and skip ahead about a minute to see this.
And they will even voluntarily jump into your lap as you can see in the video below.
So many Buff Orpington keepers have such sweet stories to share about their birds. One chicken keeper shared this story.
“I have one girl… who is as faithful as my Labrador to me. Every night, she requests to be ‘tucked in’… She likes me to pick her up and put her in the coop, on her perch. If Im running behind, shell come up to the back door and start pecking at it and looking in like, ‘Hey, Mom, you ready to put me to bed? Im waiting.’ Its adorable…. They love mama holding them and will even greet me at my car.”
You can even keep Buff Orpingtons as house chickens. In the video below, you can see one such house chicken. The video description reads, “This is my house hen, Heechee, wearing her diaper and ‘foraging’… Heechee is an only child and I dont think she really knows shes a chicken…”
Buff Orpingtons are perfect for children. They don’t just tolerate the erratic movements, rough handling, and loud sounds typical of young children, they enjoy the attention.
In the video here, you can see a young girl handling a Buff Orpington hen—and not that gently, though the hen doesn’t seem to mind a bit. Fast forward to about 30 seconds in to see the girl pick the hen up.
And many Buff Orpingtons will actually form very tight bonds with children.
One chicken keeper told this hilarious story:
“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!”
And what about toddlers? You’ll hear cute anecdotes about Orpingtons and toddlers from chicken keepers everywhere.
One keeper had this to say about her young boy and their Orpington rooster:
“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 kind of 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… [the rooster] would come look through the slider door and peck on it to get the kids’ attention. He would let the kids pick him up and carry him around.”
In the video below, you can see a toddler interacting with a very young Buff Orpington. It’s truly amazing how docile this bird is! The video caption reads, “7 week-old Buff Orpington pullet meets 14-month old Rowan.”
And if you want chickens that interact well with your young kids, don’t forget that Orpingtons also come as bantams (i.e., miniatures). These birds are easier for young children to hold and carry.
All chicken breeds have aggressive individuals, but Orpington roosters are well-known for their tendency towards docility and calm. If you’re looking for a friendly rooster, this is one of the best breeds to consider.
Below is a video of a very sweet Buff Orpington rooster named George. His keeper says that George follows him everywhere and is “kind of like a dog with feathers.”
Buff Orpington chickens tend to get along very well with other Orpingtons. An Orpington flock equals a calm flock.
Here, you can see a video of Buff and Lavender Orpingtons getting along great, despite the fact there is only one bowl of food and all the birds want it.
Although individual personalities of chickens do vary quite a bit, Buff Orpingtons tend to be very gentle with other chickens.
Below, you can see a video of young Buff Orpington chicks and a little Silkie getting along very well.
However, you will find some individual hens may be a little bossy.
And although you don’t typically need to worry about Buff Orpingtons being aggressive, they can sometimes be the victims of aggression themselves, even by much smaller chickens.
Buff Orpingtons are so sweet and gentle—they often don’t stick up for themselves. They do best with breeds that are similarly calm and friendly, such as Brahmas,Cochins, or other varieties of Orpingtons.
Overall, Orpington chickens are fairly quiet. However, many of the hens do sing very loud eggs songs as demonstrated in the video here. If you’re unfamiliar with the egg song, this is a very distinctive, repetitive vocalization that hens love to belt out.
And, like all roosters, Buff Orpington roosters do like to crow, although their crow is lower pitched and less shrill than some other breeds. In the video below, you can hear a Buff Orpington’s crow.
And of course, the young Buff Orpington cockerel’s crow is less refined, as demonstrated in the video here.
If you like roosters, but you aren’t a fan of all-day crowing, you may want to consider an Orpington Bantam.
You can hear a little Buff Orpington Bantam’s crow in the video below—fast forward to about 5 minutes and 45 seconds to hear it.
Buff Orpington All You Need To Know Temperament and Egg Laying
FAQ
What is a buff chicken?
A “buff chicken” typically refers to a Buff Orpington chicken, a breed known for its golden-buff colored plumage.
What color egg does a buff chicken lay?
They usually lay large, brown eggs and can be expected to lay about 3 to 5 eggs a week. They are also known to be good mothers, often successfully hatching and caring for their chicks.
What is the character of a buff chicken?
People say that Buff Orpingtons are very calm dogs. They are friendly and will even try to get your attention. They also lay great eggs, but keep an eye on them because they might become broody.
How many eggs does a Buff Orpington lay?
Buff Orpington chickens typically lay between 200 and 280 large, light brown eggs per year.