Walk into any feed store in spring and the chick bins alone can make your head spin. Fluffy yellow chicks sit next to speckled ones, jet-black ones, and a few with feathers sprouting from their feet, and every bin promises something different: better eggs, calmer temperaments, or flashier feathers.
Sorting through the different types of chicken breeds gets easier once you understand that every domestic chicken, no matter how different it looks, belongs to the same species, Gallus gallus domesticus. What separates a Silkie from a Leghorn is centuries of selective breeding for specific traits: egg color, body size, temperament, and climate tolerance.
This breakdown covers 35 breeds commonly available to U.S. backyard keepers, from prolific brown-egg layers to ornamental bantams that make easy care pet birds for families with limited space. Before buying chicks, it is worth checking local zoning rules, since many cities cap flock size or restrict roosters.
| Category | Recommended Breeds |
|---|---|
| Best for Beginners | Rhode Island Red, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Australorp |
| Best Colored Egg Layers | Easter Egger, Araucana, Ameraucana, Olive Egger, Legbar |
| Best Broody Hens (Natural Mothers) | Silkie, Cochin, Orpington |
| Best Cold-Hardy Breeds | Chantecler, Wyandotte, Dominique, Brahma |
1. Rhode Island Red
The Rhode Island Red is one of the most common dual-purpose breeds in American backyards, and for good reason. These chickens are famous for their hardy nature and prolific egg-laying abilities, producing up to 300 brown eggs a year, and they tolerate both hot and cold climates well. They are also friendly and docile, making great companions for beginners, according to Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms.
Rhode Island Reds can occasionally go broody, sitting on eggs for weeks at a time, and roosters can be territorial if flock space is tight. Even so, this breed remains a solid pick for anyone wanting simple bird care for beginners.
2. Light Sussex
The Light Sussex is an English dual-purpose breed with white plumage accented by black hackle and tail feathers. British farmers historically leaned on this breed alongside a handful of others for reliable egg output long before commercial hybrids existed. Farmers used Rhode Island Reds, Light Sussex, White Wyandottes, and White Leghorn breeds for egg production, and Indian Game crossed with Light Sussex for meat, a pairing that shaped modern British poultry keeping.
Light Sussex hens are calm, cold-tolerant, and good foragers, laying around 250 light brown eggs annually. Their easygoing nature makes them a popular choice for mixed backyard flocks.
3. White Wyandotte
Wyandottes are an American breed known for their rounded, “hen feathering” look and rose comb, which resists frostbite in cold climates. The White Wyandotte is simply the solid-white color variety of this breed, and it appears on most lists of dependable white egg producers. Solid white chicken breeds that are good egg layers include White Leghorn, California White Chicken, Rhode Island White, White Plymouth Rock, White Ameraucana, White Orpington, White Jersey Giant, White Wyandotte and White Faverolle, according to Purina Animal Nutrition. Readers curious about other solid-colored options can browse a full list of white chicken breeds.
White Wyandottes lay roughly 200 brown eggs a year, tend to be calm around children, and handle winter weather with minimal fuss, making them a low maintenance bird species for northern climates.
4. White Leghorn
Few breeds have shaped the American egg industry as much as the White Leghorn. The breed used the most for commercial egg laying is typically White Leghorns, since these birds are intended to produce eggs at a higher rate, according to Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Despite their productivity, White Leghorns are not usually the best choice for the novice backyard poultry enthusiast, as they can be loud, nervous, and occasionally aggressive toward people.
This Mediterranean-class breed lays large white eggs at an impressive clip, often 280 or more per year, but its flighty temperament means it is better suited to keepers with some experience than to first-time flock owners.
5. Indian Game
Also known as the Cornish, the Indian Game is a stocky, muscular breed developed in England for both cockfighting and meat production. The American Poultry Association places it among a small group of heavy English breeds. This class consists of five breeds from the United Kingdom and one from Australia, per the American Poultry Association’s breed classifications, listed on Wikipedia.
Indian Game chickens carry heavy breast muscling and short, tightly held feathers, but they lay relatively few eggs. Modern commercial broiler crosses still trace part of their genetics back to this breed’s meat-focused build.
6. Belgian d’Uccle
Also called the Barbu d’Uccle, this Belgian breed exists only as a bantam, meaning there is no full-sized version to compare it against. She is the first true bantam breed, originating from Belgium and popular with those without much space; the Barbu D’Uccle is a delightfully friendly little hen that enjoys being held and will frequently perch on your shoulder, making her, in the words of one breed guide, “a perfect chicken for kids.”
Belgian d’Uccles come in dozens of color patterns, sport feathered feet, and rarely lay more than 150 small cream eggs a year. Their appeal lies almost entirely in temperament and looks rather than production.
7. Langshan
The Langshan hails from China and belongs to the same Asiatic family as the Brahma and Cochin. These three breeds originate in China; they are large, feather-legged, and lay brown eggs, and most are cold-hardy despite their Asian origins.
Langshans have a distinctive upright stance and glossy black plumage in the most common variety, though blue and white versions exist. They lay a respectable 150 to 200 eggs annually and are known for calm, easygoing personalities that suit mixed flocks.
8. Brahma
Brahmas are the giants of the chicken world, with roosters sometimes topping 12 pounds. As one of the three heavy Asiatic breeds alongside the Langshan and Cochin, the Brahma shares that group’s feathered legs and cold tolerance. Despite its size, this breed has a reputation as one of the gentlest around, often described as a gentle giant that tolerates handling well.
Brahmas lay medium brown eggs through the winter months when many other breeds slow down, which makes them valuable in colder states. Their calm temperament and modest food-to-egg ratio also make them a practical dual-purpose choice for families.
9. Booted Bantam
The Booted Bantam is a true bantam breed, meaning it has no standard-sized counterpart, prized almost entirely for exhibition rather than eggs. Its defining feature is the long, stiff feathers that cascade from its legs and feet, resembling boots or even short skirts.
This breed is calm, quiet, and easy to handle, laying only a small number of tiny cream eggs each year. Booted Bantams thrive in small backyard setups and are often kept purely as ornamental pet birds that don’t need much attention beyond basic coop care.
10. Faverolle
Faverolles originated in France and stand out among Continental breeds for their fluffy beards, feathered muffs, and unusual five toes instead of the standard four. Breed guides note that varieties within a breed are often distinguished by exactly these kinds of traits. Differentiating characteristics include plumage color, comb type, and the presence of a beard and muffs, according to a University of Wisconsin Extension poultry publication.
Salmon Faverolles, the most common color variety, lay around 180 light brown eggs a year and are known for exceptionally sweet, docile personalities, even among roosters.
11. Cochin
Cochins are instantly recognizable by their enormous, cloud-like feathering, which makes them look almost twice their actual body size. This Asiatic breed is famously one of the best broody chicken breeds available, with hens willing to sit on eggs, and sometimes other hens’ eggs, for weeks without complaint.
Cochins are poor egg layers, typically producing fewer than 160 eggs annually, but their calm, motherly nature and tolerance for confinement make them favorites among keepers who value personality over production numbers.
12. Silkie
Silkies are unmistakable, with fur-like plumage, black skin, and turquoise earlobes that make them look more like plush toys than chickens. Silkies love to hatch any and all eggs and will go broody easily and often, making very attentive momma hens that will happily care for other hens’ babies, according to Better Flock.
Beyond their mothering skills, Silkies are among the calmest, quietest breeds available, which makes them genuinely easy care pet birds for families with young children. Egg production is modest, around 100 to 120 small cream eggs a year, but that has never been the point of keeping this breed.
Pro Tip: If you want a hen that will hatch eggs from other breeds without an incubator, a Silkie or Cochin is usually a more reliable sitter than most modern production breeds.
13. Sultan
The Sultan is a rare Turkish ornamental breed with a striking crest of feathers on its head, feathered legs, and even feathered feet in some lines. Originally kept in Ottoman palace gardens purely for beauty, this breed has never been bred for productivity.
Sultans lay very few small white eggs and require crest maintenance to prevent vision problems, but their docile, almost regal demeanor makes them a favorite among exhibition breeders and hobbyists who prioritize appearance over eggs.
14. ISA Brown
ISA Brown is a commercial hybrid, not a purebred chicken, developed specifically for high, consistent egg output. It regularly appears among the most frequently recommended egg-laying breeds, alongside Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Australorp, Orpington, Sussex, Wyandotte, and Ameraucana, according to Lafeber Company. Readers interested in similar cross-bred layers can explore other hybrid chicken breeds built for backyard production.
Because ISA Browns are sex-linked, chicks hatch in different colors depending on gender, eliminating guesswork about roosters. They lay upward of 300 brown eggs a year but, like most hybrids, cannot reliably reproduce the same traits in their offspring.
15. Australorp
The Australorp began as an Australian refinement of the Orpington, bred specifically to boost egg output while keeping the parent breed’s calm nature. This breed is renowned for its egg-laying capabilities, holding the world record for most eggs laid in a year at up to 364, while remaining calm, friendly, and good with kids, according to Ideal Poultry.
Australorps have glossy, beetle-green-black feathers that shimmer in sunlight, and their gentle temperament makes them one of the best beginner birds for new keepers who still want serious egg production.
16. Polish
Polish chickens are best known for their oversized feather crest, which can partially obscure their vision and requires occasional trimming near the eyes. Despite the flashy looks, this breed still earns a spot among practical layers. White egg breeds include Ancona, Blue Andalusian, Campine, White Leghorn, and Polish, according to Cherokee Feed & Seed.
Polish hens lay around 200 small to medium white eggs annually and tend to be flighty because their crest limits how much they can see approaching predators. They are best kept in a secure, covered run.
17. Easter Egger
Easter Eggers are a hobbyist favorite precisely because no two look, or lay, quite the same. An Easter Egger is any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene but doesn’t fully meet any breed standard defined by the American Poultry Association, meaning it is a hybrid, not a true breed, that can be any mix of breeds with one parent carrying the blue egg gene. Easter eggers are a very popular type of chicken and can be found in just about any feed store that sells chicks.
Each hen lays only one egg color for her lifetime, whether blue, green, pink, or brown, but a flock of several Easter Eggers can produce a genuinely colorful carton. For anyone chasing the widest range of hybrid egg layers in one bird, this is usually the easiest entry point.
18. New Hampshire
The New Hampshire was developed from Rhode Island Red stock, selectively bred for faster growth and earlier maturity than its parent breed. Farmers in the early 20th century wanted a bird that reached market weight sooner while still laying respectably.
New Hampshires lay around 200 large brown eggs a year and mature noticeably faster than standard Rhode Island Reds, making them a practical dual-purpose option for keepers who also want meat production from surplus roosters.
19. Spanish
The White-Faced Black Spanish is one of the oldest Mediterranean breeds still recognized today, distinguished by a pure white face against jet-black plumage. This class of breed shares a few defining traits across the board. Breeds originating in Italy and Spain have white earlobes and tend to be productive layers of white eggs; in general they are flighty and exceptional free-range birds, notes the American Poultry Association’s breed guide.
Spanish chickens lay large white eggs but their oversized white face is prone to frostbite, so this breed does best in mild climates or with extra winter shelter.
20. Araucana
True Araucanas originated in Chile and are rumpless, meaning they lack a tailbone entirely, along with distinctive ear tufts rather than the beards seen on related breeds. Araucanas are prized for their beautiful bright blue eggs, ranging from sky blue to blue-green, and are outfitted with silly long ear tuft feathers rather than cheek muffs or a beard, according to Homestead and Chill.
Because the rumpless and ear-tuft genes can be lethal in certain combinations, true Araucanas are harder to find than their more common cousins, the Ameraucana and Easter Egger, which both descend from Araucana lineage.
21. Leghorn
Beyond the famous White Leghorn, this Mediterranean breed also comes in brown, black, and buff varieties that are somewhat less common in U.S. hatcheries. Leghorns as a group are prized for their foraging skill. They are a little bit flighty and predator-aware, good foragers, and great egg layers, according to Better Flock, which makes them among the best white chicken breeds for free-range setups when the White variety is chosen.
All Leghorn color varieties share the same nervous energy and high egg output, laying 280 or more white eggs a year, but they rarely enjoy being picked up or cuddled.
22. Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock is an American breed developed in the 19th century and remains one of the most recognizable backyard chickens today, thanks in large part to its Barred color variety. The breed actually comes in several official color options. In Plymouth Rocks, there are several colors including Barred, White, Buff, and Partridge, according to University of Wisconsin Extension poultry researchers.
Regardless of color, Plymouth Rocks are calm, cold-hardy, and lay around 200 brown eggs annually, making the breed a dependable choice for beginners who want simple bird care without sacrificing egg output.
23. Japanese Bantam
Japanese Bantams are a true bantam breed with an unmistakable silhouette: very short legs, a large upright tail, and a body that sits almost on the ground. This breed was developed purely for exhibition in Japan and has changed little since.
They lay only a handful of tiny cream eggs each year and are not particularly cold-hardy due to their short legs and large comb, so they suit warmer climates or well-insulated coops better than harsh winters.
24. Legbar
The Cream Legbar, the most common Legbar variety in the U.S., was developed in England specifically to be autosexing, meaning chicks can be sexed by color at hatch without waiting for feathers or combs to develop. This crested, blue-egg-laying breed solves one of the biggest headaches new keepers face: unexpected roosters.
Legbars lay around 180 pale blue eggs a year and tend to be active foragers with a slightly wild streak, closer in temperament to their Mediterranean and Araucana ancestors than to calmer American breeds.
25. Sicilian Buttercup
Named for its homeland and its unusual cup-shaped comb, ringed with points instead of the standard single row, the Sicilian Buttercup is a rare heritage breed with striking golden-speckled plumage. It remains uncommon outside dedicated heritage breed circles.
This breed is an excellent forager and quite flighty, laying around 150 small white eggs a year. Its rarity and active nature make it better suited to experienced keepers with secure, spacious runs.
26. Cinnamon Queen (Red Sex Link)
Cinnamon Queen is a marketing name applied to a Red Sex Link hybrid closely related to the Golden Comet. It is cross bred and sex linked, developed by crossing a female White Rock or Rhode Island White with a male New Hampshire Red chicken, per Wikipedia’s entry on the Golden Comet. A related, older-style cross works the same way. The Cinnamon Queen is a modern-day production breed that lays brown eggs, a cross between a Rhode Island Red rooster and a Rhode Island White hen; because cockerels hatch a different color than pullets, there are no surprise roosters.
Like other sex-linked hybrids, Cinnamon Queens lay prolifically, often 300 or more brown eggs a year, but cannot be bred true to type at home.
27. Chantecler
The Chantecler is Canada’s answer to a cold-climate chicken, bred specifically to survive brutal winters without frostbite risk. Brother Wilfrid Châtelain debuted the breed in 1918; Chanteclers are large birds with white plumage that lays tight against the body, and they have exceptionally small cushion combs and wattles, which contributes to them being one of the most hardy breeds, laying about 200 brown eggs annually, according to Star Milling’s poultry guide. Keepers weighing other cold-hardy poultry options may also want to compare notes with cold-hardy duck breeds for mixed homestead flocks.
This breed does not thrive in tight confinement and prefers room to free-range, but its frostbite resistance makes it one of the smartest choices for northern U.S. states.
28. Dominique
The Dominique holds a special place in American poultry history as the country’s original barred breed, predating the more famous Plymouth Rock by decades. Dominique chickens are a historic breed, known as the oldest American chicken breed, easily recognized by their black-and-white barred plumage and distinctive rose comb, laying large brown eggs starting around 21 to 24 weeks of age and producing about 200 to 230 eggs per year, according to The Hen House Collection.
Dominiques are calm, cold-hardy, and rarely go broody compared to some heritage breeds, making them a steady, low-drama addition to mixed flocks.
29. Barred Rock
Barred Rock refers specifically to the black-and-white barred color variety of the Plymouth Rock breed, and it is by far the most popular of the four official color options. These pretty, black-and-white speckled hens are great layers, producing up to 280 eggs a year, and it’s a hardy breed that does well in both hot and cold climates, according to Cherokee Feed & Seed.
Barred Rocks are friendly enough for children to handle, tolerate confinement reasonably well, and remain one of the most recommended started for anyone wanting proven, no-nonsense egg production.
30. Orpington
Orpingtons, especially the Buff color variety, are consistently ranked among the friendliest, most laid-back chicken breeds available. Orpington and Plymouth Rock are quiet, gentle breeds that can lay up to 300 brown eggs per year, according to Purina Animal Nutrition. This gentle disposition also makes Orpingtons reliable broody hens that make attentive mothers when hatching eggs.
Their thick, fluffy plumage helps them handle cold winters comfortably, and their calm nature makes Orpingtons one of the best beginner birds for families new to chicken keeping.
31. Speckled Sussex
Speckled Sussex hens carry a mottled reddish-brown plumage pattern flecked with white that actually becomes more speckled with each molt, so older hens look increasingly decorative over time. This variety of the Sussex breed also ranks among the calmest available. They are docile, friendly, and good for both meat and eggs, though they start laying later than most chickens, according to Better Flock.
Speckled Sussex are excellent foragers, tolerate confinement fairly well, and lay around 250 light brown eggs a year once they reach maturity, which can take slightly longer than average.
32. Ameraucana
Ameraucana is an APA-recognized true breed, distinct from the more common Easter Egger despite frequent confusion between the two at hatcheries. Famous for laying gorgeous blue eggs, this breed brings both beauty and charm to a flock, according to The Hen House Collection.
Important Note: True Ameraucanas are bred to a strict standard with specific coloring and beards, while Easter Eggers are unstandardized hybrids that simply carry the blue egg gene. Hatcheries sometimes label Easter Eggers as “Ameraucanas,” so buyers wanting a purebred should ask specifically about lineage.
Ameraucanas lay around 200 to 250 blue eggs a year, have full beards and muffs, and are known for a calm, quiet temperament that suits backyard settings well.
33. Campine
Campines are a Belgian breed prized for their striking penciled plumage, where each feather carries fine black barring against a silver or gold background. This active, alert breed is not a common backyard choice but remains popular among heritage poultry enthusiasts.
Campines lay small to medium white eggs, typically fewer than 150 a year, and their flighty, energetic nature makes them better suited to free-ranging than confinement.
34. Sumatra
The Sumatra originated in Indonesia and was historically bred for cockfighting rather than egg or meat production, which explains its lean, athletic build and aggressive wariness of strangers. Its most striking feature is an iridescent, beetle-green-black plumage with an unusually long, flowing tail.
Sumatras are poor layers, producing under 100 small white eggs a year, and their semi-wild temperament makes them a poor match for beginners despite their striking appearance in exhibition settings.
35. Olive Egger
Olive Eggers are created by crossing a blue-egg breed, typically an Ameraucana or Legbar, with a dark-brown-egg breed such as a Marans or Welsummer, producing eggs somewhere between olive green and deep sage. This hybrid is not recognized by the American Poultry Association, but hatcheries have leaned into the demand for unusual colors. Egg colors range from white to cream to brown to green to blue to other various colors, with the other various colors coming largely from hybrid breeds like the Easter Egger and its relatives, according to Lafeber Company.
Because Olive Eggers are a cross rather than a fixed breed, exact shade varies between hens, but most lay a steady 200 or more eggs a year, making them a popular pick for anyone building a rainbow egg carton.
With 35 distinct options on this list, the right chicken breed usually comes down to matching a bird’s traits to your actual living situation rather than chasing the flashiest feathers at the feed store. A small yard favors quiet, cold-hardy layers like the Plymouth Rock or Orpington, while collectors chasing colorful eggs will get more mileage from Easter Eggers, Legbars, and Olive Eggers.
Chickens are just one piece of a diversified backyard or homestead. Keepers expanding into other livestock often look next at goat breeds for dairy or brush control, sheep breeds for wool or meat, cattle breeds for larger operations, or horse breeds suited to smaller acreages. Those raising a mixed poultry yard might also compare notes with the various duck breeds that pair well alongside chickens in a shared run.