Which lays more eggs, the Faverolles or the Buff Orpington?

The Buff Orpington typically lays more: 200–280 eggs a year against the Faverolles's 180–200. Strain matters, though — hatchery lines of any breed usually out-lay show lines.

Which starts laying first, the Faverolles or the Buff Orpington?

About the same age: 19–24 weeks for the Faverolles and 20–26 for the Buff Orpington. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Faverolless and Buff Orpingtons together?

Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 6 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.

What color eggs do Faverolless and Buff Orpingtons lay?

The Faverolles lays cream eggs and the Buff Orpington lays brown — keeping both gives you a two-tone basket.

Faverolles vs Buff Orpington: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: the Buff Orpington lays more (200–280 eggs a year vs 180–200), and both start laying around the same age (19–24 weeks vs 20–26).

Figures reviewed against hatchery and breed-registry guidance · Last reviewed July 2026

Side by side

	Faverolles	Buff Orpington
Eggs per year	≈ 180–200	≈ 200–280
Egg color	cream	brown
First egg	19–24 weeks	20–26 weeks
Size class	standard	heavy
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	6 sq ft

Two of the gentlest breeds going: the bearded, five-toed Faverolles is the chattier oddball, the Orpington the bigger classic. Both handle cold and both suit families.

Faverolles in brief

A bearded, five-toed French breed with a gentle, chatty disposition; lays tinted cream eggs and handles cold well.

More detail: when do Faverolles chickens start laying?

Buff Orpington in brief

The golden retriever of chickens: big, gentle, lap-friendly, and one of the breeds most likely to go broody — great if you want chicks, mildly annoying if you want eggs.

More detail: when do Buff Orpington chickens start laying?

Which should you pick?

Pick the Faverolles for character — beard, muffs, five toes, and a gentle, chatty disposition — plus tinted cream eggs.

Pick the Buff Orpington for a bigger bird, a broodier hen, and a few more eggs a year.

One practical note before you decide: these two breeds don't need the same housing. The Buff Orpington is a heavy-class bird, so plan around 6 sq ft of coop floor per bird if it joins the flock — the coop size calculator handles mixed size classes.

And honestly, most keepers don't have to choose. Both breeds eat the same feed and share a coop happily, so a couple of each is a common answer — use the coop size calculator to size the setup for your total flock, and the first egg calculator to see when each breed will start laying from your chicks' hatch date.

Frequently asked questions

Which lays more eggs, the Faverolles or the Buff Orpington?: The Buff Orpington typically lays more: 200–280 eggs a year against the Faverolles's 180–200. Strain matters, though — hatchery lines of any breed usually out-lay show lines.
Which starts laying first, the Faverolles or the Buff Orpington?: About the same age: 19–24 weeks for the Faverolles and 20–26 for the Buff Orpington. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Faverolless and Buff Orpingtons together?: Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 6 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.
What color eggs do Faverolless and Buff Orpingtons lay?: The Faverolles lays cream eggs and the Buff Orpington lays brown — keeping both gives you a two-tone basket.

More breed matchups

Sources

First-egg age and egg counts are the consensus of multiple hatchery and breed-registry sources (no extension service tabulates per-breed figures), cross-checked and last reviewed July 2026.

The Livestock Conservancy — Chicken breed profiles