One of my favorite breeds, great for 1st time chicken owners. They are hearty birds, good in a flock, great layers, develops fast, nice birds that love to follow you around and are sweet and tame. They are really pretty in a subdued way.
This is probably weird but I like my Orpington roo more than any of the hens I have had. Jack is the sweetest rooster, his only flaw is he is almost too sweet and too big. He doesn't fit through the pop door of the coop has he is easily twice as largess my other chickens. He also let's the hens push him around, maybe it is because he is still young or at least younger than the hens. He is beautiful and I am very lucky to have him. I have had 3 buff Orpington hens but all of them were mean birds despite being hand raised from day old chicks. They picked on my other birds and always squawked at me.
My favorite hen is a polish, she is the most gentle bird, which means she is of course bottom of the pecking order. She is frightened easily and will start making this screaming noise till she meets up with the flock or me. If I am outside she is literally under my feet at all times, I am confident I could put a leash on her and walk her around. Chickens by nature are stupid but I think polish is still not as smart as your average chicken. I think due to her crest she can't see very well and wonders off, I have thought about making some type of tag for her so when neighbors find her they know where she belongs. I have been lucky so far that every time she wonders off that someone brings her back or miraculously she finds her way back....if I got more like her I would have more. I think they are prone to be attacked by flying predators though because of the crest, my first polish was attacked and killed by a hawk even though their were other smaller birds with her at the time.
