The Buff Orpington is a heavy weight (7 to 10 pounds) breed that originated from the Black Orpington originally bred in 1886 by Englishman, William Cook. He took Minorcas, Langshans, and Plymouth Rocks, and created a new breed. Eight years later, the ‘golden bird’ was created.

       They are good laying hens and meaty enough so that they are a dual-purpose bird. Their feathers are ‘fluffy’, giving them a very attractive look. They are considered to be a very docile breed, so much so that they are best left to flocks of their own kind.

      

Text Box: Buff Orpington Chickens Text Box: See that egg in the upper left? It weighed 3.9 ounces! Our girls average eggs run about 2.1 ounces. It ended up being a double-’yolker’. Text Box: Buff Orpington hen with her 6 Rhode Island Red chicks-one is behind mother hen.

       The Buff Orpington is prone to broodiness. One of our hens went broody just after 4 eggs left overnight in a nesting box.

       Seeing as we lost our sweet rooster ,“SNOOZE”, none of the eggs were fertile. Therefore, we went to Craigslist and got some fertile Rhode Island Red eggs.