
good layers and good-natured adenine well, the Ameraucana breed is one of alone three breeds that lay blue eggs. This is a good option for those who want something elementary and easy to manage .

Ancona are some of the best layers, producing 5-7 eggs a week, though they have a leaning to be wilder than most and do enjoy a good fly once in a while, making them a bit hard to keep fenced in .

potent egg layers but flighty birds, Andalusians are a quite active breed and can run very fast. They besides tolerate cold climates identical well. They besides make for good show birds .

The Appenzeller Spitzhauben thrives in cold weather as it was bred in Switzerland. They are known to have a very distinct personality and are enjoyable to watch as they climb trees and search endlessly for bugs.

Though they have high mortality rates in the egg, the Araucana breed is a good dual purpose chicken with strong egg producing qualities and enough meat for a meal. No other birds look like the Araucana does.

The Aseel is a very strong and aggresive breed, known to fight at all times. However, they are very docile toward humans. They serve as a good foundation stock for meat producers.

The Australorp is a hardy dual-purpose breed, capable of laying 5 eggs a week once they reach the age of 5 months. These are a very each breed to handle at any skill level, making them great for beginners.


The Belgian Bearded d-Uccle Bantam functions as a decent layer and makes for a good meat bird, as well as being unique enough to be popular as a show bird. They’re very tame and even ride on your shoulder.

The Brahma can do everything, from lie eggs to become a filling dinner to win awards at a breed testify. This is one of the largest breeds in the world and is an ideal chicken for newcomers as they ’ re easy to manage .

Campines, despite their small size, make good egg layers, though their primary use is as a show favorite. They love the summer months but don’t to well in winter, though they don’t mind confinement.

The Catalana breed loves heat and thrives in it. It functions as a dual purpose bird capable of producing plenty of eggs and meat. They are, however, shy to the point of wanting to avoid humans.

The Chantecler is a native breed from Canada, making them great in the cold but poor in the heat. They’re good layers and hardy enough to be good fryers as well. They don’t enjoy confinement much.

Cochins will eat anything, causing them to be rather large birds. However, they aren’t fantastic layers and mature too slowly to be good meat birds. Instead, they’re renowned for their unique personalities.


Though once known for being a great dual purpose chicken, the Crevecoeur is now best suited as a show bird as it is considered endangered. Despite this, they are calm and easy to handle.

Used in Cuba as dual purpose birds but mostly as ornamental in the US, the Cubalaya can do it all. They do great in heat and humidity and make a great choice for first-time chicken owners.

Developed originally as a commercial, dual-purpose breed but late replaced by hybrids, Delawares today make excellent backyard chickens. They typically lay four, boastfully, brown eggs a workweek far into the winter months .

The Dominique engender is considered a dual purpose boo, but it excels in egg lay over kernel production. They do capital in both hot and cold climates and besides make good pets .

Dorkings are best known for their qualities as meat producers, though they are capable of laying 140 eggs a year. They can withstand cold weather without any trouble, making them great in the winter.

Easter Eggers are the most-loved engender in the US as they can produce eggs in colors such as park, blue, and even pink. The APA distillery doesn ’ metric ton recognize them as a breed however .

A chicken bred in France, the Faverolles is a dual determination shuttlecock and succeeds as such. Their finely packed feathers allow them to withstand cold climates well and are considered the most docile breed in the global .

The Fayoumi is well as an ornamental boo, a well as a inquiry national as they are tolerant to many diseases. They are american samoa cheeseparing as possible to being barbarian, so they don ’ t make very good domestic birds .

The golden comet chicken is created by getting a white rock hen and a New Hampshire cock and mating them together. The resulting baby chick that comes from the two chickens is the golden comet chicken .

Dubbed the “ everlayer ”, Hamburgs lay systematically throughout their solid lives and live pretty long. They are a hardy bird and can withstand cold climates without any disturb .

The Holland is a dual purpose breed that is bred specifically to lay brown eggs and have yellow skin, as those are preferred here in the US. While not great for the meat industry, they’re excellent for the backyard.


The Japanese Bantam is a breed that only comes in the one size: Small. They serve as great pets and show birds, but that’s it. Still, they live to be 13 and are helpful is eating weed seeds and insects in the yard.

While a dual purpose breed, the Java is best when used for meat production as they grow big and they grow fast. They enjoy warm weather, but will need a well-insulated coup in the winter months.
The Jersey Giant is the largest breed of chicken, though because of their huge size it takes them too long to mature to be commercially viable. Regardless, they make excellent chickens on even small farms.

The La Fleche breed is a dual purpose bird with its meat production quality being the main reason for breeding them. They are considered a very wild breed and like to have space to roam and forage on their own.

Lakenvelders are best when they’re laying eggs, though they do have delicious white meat, albeit not very much of it. They can easily survive in both hot and cold climates and are considered very intelligent.

Langshans do great as egg layers and make capital food birds as well. First time owners are often surprised with how friendly they are dispute their large size. That can withstand any weather climate.

The Leghorn is a master of egg laying, producing upwards of 280 eggs a year. Their ability to be a good meat production chicken has been overlooked as a result of this.

Malays can stand up to three feet tall and are incredibly strong birds known for their fighting prowess. However, they don’t lay often and don’t have much meat, so they’re primarily ornamental and show birds.

The Serama or Malaysian Serama is one of the smallest chicken breeds in existence. This results in quite small eggs and not a whole lot of meat. In fact, most people tend to keep the Serama as an oriental or pet chicken.
Marans lay three eggs a week and produce eggs with a very rich dark brown color. Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, even made Marans eggs the character’s favorite. They also produce delicious meat.

Though Minorcas used to have mythical-like egg laying abilities, the current breed has slowed down production merely a bit, however not enough to make them anything less than one of the strongest lay breeds .

modern Games are skinny and drawn-out, so they aren ’ metric ton estimable for eggs or kernel, but they ’ re great for showing off. They ’ re a challenge to tame, but once they ’ re attached to you they may flush offer presents .

The Naked Neck engender has no feathers around the neck, hence the name. however, they ’ ra excellent dual purpose birds and are very resilient to most diseases, making them a big choice for beginners .

Consistent with eggs and heavy with meat, the New Hampshire Red is truly a utility bird. They’re considered very tame and friendly with little or no aggressive tendencies when kept with their own breed.

Old English Game are poor layers and poor meat producers, but they’re the number one most popular show breed. Just be ready to face tough competition since hundredss of these birds compete each year.

Orpingtons can do it all, whether it be laying 200 eggs a year, offering a lot of meat when matured, or being easy to handle and show. These are just a good chicken for all occasion.

The Penedesenca is unique in that no other breed can produce eggs as dark as they can. They also make great meat birds, but their unrecognized status makes them difficult to act as show birds.

The Phoenix breed is famous for its incredibly long tail, making them wonderful in the show circuit. They aren’t, however, very good at anything else and do require a lot of care to keep their tails undamaged.

Plymouth Rocks may just be the most popular breed in the US due to their excellent egg laying and hearty frames that make for a well meal. They’re also easy to tame and non-aggressive. What’s not to like?

The Polish breed is best known for their magnificent V-shaped crest, making them great as show birds. They also have a decent egg laying ability, though this isn’t as reliable as other breeds.

Redcaps are best at laying eggs, so that’s what their primary purpose should be. They’re considered endangered, so meat production isn’t an option, and they hate confinement, so showing isn’t either.

The Rhode Island Red can be used for anything. They’re prized for their 220 eggs a year production, but are hearty meat birds and popular in shows. There’s nothing this chicken can’t do.
Rosecombs are a true bantam and as such are used primarily on the show circuit since they don’t lay much and aren’t large enough for a meal. Expect to see a lot of these if you go to a show.

Big, strong, and capable of dealing with the harshest winters, the Russian Orloff is a great layer and a great fryer. However, they are considered very endangered, so make sure to breed them frequently.

The Sebright is a bantam built for the show world. They are very active birds, but they aren’t aggressive and aren’t very loud, so this is a great chicken for someone needing an easy time.

The Sicilian Buttercup is classified as an egg laying breed despite having poor egg laying abilities. They are most popular as show chickens, so if you want an egg layer with a better purpose, these are your bird.

Silkie Bantams look like a little ball of fluff due to their unique feathers. They are small, as the bantam name suggests, and do not work as anything but a show bird. Still, they’re considered very friendly.

Stars are very special, working as egg layers, meat producers, and excellent show birds. Their best talent may be as a sex link for breeding purposes. If you want specific characteristics in other breeds, use a Star.

The Sultan breed is all about the shows due to their odd feather placement like a turban on theri head and long tufts coming from their feet. They’re also very placid, adding to the reasons for being show birds.

Sumatras are best when they’re shown around, but can’t really provide you with a decent meal either with eggs or meat. They’re prized due to their many feathers, glorious tails, and uniquely colored faces.

The Sussex breed is magnificent as egg layers, able to keep egg production high even through the winter months. They also have quite a following as show birds because of their easy-going temperament.

Welsummers are great layers and have a pleasant attitude about everything. When choosing eggs to incubate and breed from, select the lighter-colored eggs as these indicate better laying abilities.

The White-Faced Black Spanish breed is known for its iconic look with very white faces due to their unusually long white earlobes. They make great egg layers, but their temperament is all up to debate.

The Wyandotte looks deceptively large, though that’s mostly caused by the feathers. They are great egg layers and considered very friendly and easy to care for, making them good for beginners.
Yokohamas work well as indicate birds since they don ’ triiodothyronine lay identical well and good simply have excessively good of an appearance to waste. They aren ’ metric ton very friendly though, so they don ’ metric ton do well with humans and other chickens .