In March of 2019, I purchased six straight run Buff Orpington chicks. Within the first year I have had a total of five hens and one rooster. These chickens began to grow at an incredible rate as soon and put on weight of over 8 pounds, as seen bellow in the Buff Orpington growth chart.
For those who are thinking of acquiring this breed, I’d want to provide you some background information before going into specifics about the Buff Orpington’s growth rate.
What To Expect From Buff Orpington Chicken?
I can tell you that Buff Orpingtons are very docile (easy going) chickens that enjoy attention from humans. Even when these chickens become more mature in size they will still enjoy human interaction during their daily activities while wandering around the yard.
Most days it is fairly common to see the majority of my flock gathered together in a small group resting under the shade of a tree or on top of garden benches underneath my deck.
At this time all five hens will be huddled up against each other taking turns snuggling into their feathered bodies for warmth and comfort.
Buff orpington chickens are a dual-purpose breed, meaning they have been selectively bred to produce both meat and eggs.
This makes them well suited as backyard chickens for homesteads as they can be used to provide plenty of fresh eggs all year round, or being butchered at the end of their first year to provide roasting birds for the festive table. They reach butchering weight of around 5-6lb in just 5 months (26 weeks old).
Hens are known for being particularly broody. Great news if you’re trying to avoid incubating chicken eggs yourself. Hens will happily sit on a clutch and they can also be used as excellent mothers to hatch and raise other chicks from different breeds.
The buff color is one of four varieties recognized for this breed with black, white and blue also being accepted by breed standards.
Buff Orpington chickens are large birds with hens weighing up to 8lb when fully grown. The roosters can reach up to 10lb. They make an attractive addition to any flock.
When it comes to egg laying my Buff Orpington hens gives me around three to four eggs per week on average. Sometimes I might get five eggs, but sometimes I might only get two.
So, around 200 eggs per year which may not sound like much compared to some egg laying breeds.
Buff Orpington Growth Chart
I’ve created a Buff Orpington growth chart that follows the growth rate week by week, keeping track of the weight of the chicks from day of hutch until they reached 40 weeks old.
The chart is a rough estimate of where the average Buff Orpington will be in terms of weight at given time.
| Age in Weeks | Weight of Buff Orpington Pullets in Pounds |
| 0 | 0.09 |
| 4 | 0.48 |
| 8 | 1.27 |
| 12 | 2.34 |
| 16 | 3.15 |
| 20 | 3.84 |
| 24 | 4.55 |
| 28 | 5.27 |
| 32 | 5.66 |
| 36 | 6.01 |
| 40 | 6.58 |
From the Buff Orpington growth chart I have provided we can see that these chickens are going to grow very quickly.
The above growth chart may also help you determine how much longer until your chicken reaches maturity, matures into a full-grown chicken that can breed or lay eggs.
Buff Orpington Growth Chart – Cockerel vs Pullet
This year I was recording the growth rate of my birds and keeping notes so I could create a Buff Orpington growth chart comparing the weights of cockerels and pullets.
| Age in Weeks | Cockerel | Pullet |
| 0 | 0.11 | 0.1 |
| 4 | 0.57 | 0.49 |
| 8 | 1.51 | 1.32 |
| 12 | 2.78 | 2.41 |
| 16 | 3.67 | 3.31 |
| 20 | 4.44 | 3.78 |
Conclusion
When you are looking for a new breed of chicken, it is important to find one that has qualities and characteristics that meet your needs.
The Buff Orpington can be described as friendly, docile and easy-going which would make them an excellent addition to any family with children or other pets.
They enjoy human interaction and will flock together when they feel the need for warmth or protection from predators.
Buff Orpingtons also lay eggs on average around three times per week but not every day like some breeds.
These chickens grow quickly so you’ll know how much longer until maturity by using my Buff Orpington growth chart (shown above).
Related articles:
– Rhode Island Red growth rate
– Wyandotte chicken growth chart
