Chicken breeds

Each profile gives you the numbers that matter — eggs per year, egg color and size, temperament, climate hardiness — plus the honest trade-offs.

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Best breeds for…

All breed profiles

Ameraucana

150–200 eggs/yr · Blue

The breed that lays genuinely blue eggs. Hardy, friendly, and distinctive — but often confused with the Easter Egger. Here's the real difference.
Australorp

250–300 eggs/yr · Brown

Calm, quiet, and one of the most productive brown-egg layers you can keep — the Australorp is a near-perfect all-rounder for backyard flocks.
Brahma

150–200 eggs/yr · Brown

An enormous, feather-legged, remarkably calm breed that keeps laying in the cold months when most hens stop. Great for cold climates and curious kids.
Buff Orpington

180–250 eggs/yr · Brown

Big, golden, and almost absurdly docile — the Buff Orpington is the breed people mean by 'pet that lays eggs.' Solid brown-egg output, great in cold climates.
Cochin

150–180 eggs/yr · Brown

An enormous, supremely docile, feather-footed breed kept mostly as a pet and a champion broody mother. Modest layer, exceptional temperament.
Easter Egger

200–280 eggs/yr · Blue / green

Not a true breed, but a hardy, friendly bird that lays blue, green, or olive eggs — and one of the best-value, most beginner-friendly birds you can keep.
Faverolles

150–200 eggs/yr · Cream to light brown

A quirky French breed with a beard, muffs, feathered feet and five toes — and possibly the gentlest temperament of any chicken. Great for families, easily bullied by bossier breeds.
Jersey Giant

150–200 eggs/yr · Brown

The largest purebred chicken — a calm, cold-hardy dual-purpose bird that lays large brown eggs and makes a surprisingly gentle backyard giant.
Leghorn

250–320 eggs/yr · White

The white hen behind most supermarket eggs. Unbeatable white-egg output and heat tolerance — but flighty and not a cuddler. Here's who it suits.
Marans

150–200 eggs/yr · Dark chocolate brown

Famous for deep chocolate-brown eggs, the Marans is a calm, hardy French breed. Here's what to expect from output, egg color, and temperament.
Olive Egger

180–240 eggs/yr · Olive green

A hybrid bird that lays distinctive olive-green eggs — created by crossing a dark-brown layer with a blue-egg breed. Hardy, friendly, and a rainbow-basket essential.
Plymouth Rock

200–280 eggs/yr · Brown

The easygoing, cold-hardy dual-purpose breed that's perfect for families. Solid brown-egg output with a famously docile temperament.
Polish

150–200 eggs/yr · White

Famous for their flamboyant feathered crests, Polish chickens are ornamental favorites and fair white-egg layers — with a few quirks the crest creates.
Rhode Island Red

200–300 eggs/yr · Brown

One of the most productive, hardy, low-fuss laying breeds — and a top pick for beginners who actually want eggs. Here's what to expect.
Silkie

100–120 eggs/yr · Cream to tinted

Fluffy, friendly, and famously broody — but modest layers. Here's whether a Silkie fits your backyard flock, and how to keep one healthy.
Speckled Sussex

200–250 eggs/yr · Cream to light brown

A talkative, people-loving dual-purpose hen with gorgeous speckled plumage and dependable eggs — and one of the best free-range foragers for a backyard flock.
Welsummer

160–200 eggs/yr · Dark terracotta brown, often speckled

Known for richly speckled, terracotta-brown eggs and an intelligent, friendly nature — the Welsummer is a beautiful, practical addition to a colorful egg basket.
Wyandotte

180–260 eggs/yr · Brown

A strikingly laced, rose-combed dual-purpose breed built for cold climates. Reliable brown eggs and a confident personality that holds its own in a flock.