Chicken breed guide
Every breed with a full profile here — 28 of them, from 70-egg ornamental bantams to hybrids that push 320 a year. Each one lists shell color, temperament, how it handles cold, and what keepers complain about.
Showing 28 of 28 breeds.
Ameraucana
Medium (5-6 lbs) · Egg Layer
The true blue-egg layer. Bearded, muffed, and hardy — not to be confused with Easter Eggers.
Australorp
Large (6-8 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
World record egg layers. Beautiful black plumage with green sheen.
Barnevelder
Large (6-8 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Dutch beauty with double-laced mahogany feathers and rich brown eggs.
Bielefelder
Very Large (8-12 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Germany's 'uber chicken' — huge, gentle, autosexing, and a strong layer of big brown eggs.
Brahma
Very Large (10-12 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
The 'King of Chickens'. Massive, gentle birds with feathered feet.
Buckeye
Large (6.5-9 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Ohio's mouse-hunting homestead hero. Mahogany-red, ultra cold-hardy, and the only American breed created by a woman.
Cochin
Very Large (8-11 lbs) · Ornamental
Giant walking feather dusters with feathered feet. Champion broodies and gentle pets.
Cream Legbar
Medium (5-6 lbs) · Egg Layer
Autosexing British breed with a jaunty crest that lays sky-blue eggs prolifically.
Delaware
Large (5.5-7.5 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
The forgotten American broiler king. Fast-growing, calm, and a strong layer of large brown eggs — a heritage homestead all-rounder.
Dominique
Medium (5-7 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
America's oldest chicken breed. A pioneer-era survivor with cuckoo-barred feathers, a frostproof rose comb, and steady brown eggs.
Easter Egger
Medium (5-6 lbs) · Egg Layer
Not a true breed but loved for their colorful eggs. Each bird lays a unique shade.
Faverolles
Large (6-8 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Fluffy-cheeked French sweethearts with beards, five toes, and endlessly chatty personalities.
Hamburg
Small (4-5 lbs) · Egg Layer
The 'Dutch Everyday Layer.' A spangled, free-spirited heritage breed that lays white eggs for years on remarkably little feed.
ISA Brown
Medium (4-5 lbs) · Egg Layer
The ultimate egg machine — 300+ brown eggs a year from an affectionate little hen.
Jersey Giant
Very Large (10-13 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
The largest chicken breed in the world — bigger than a Brahma, and just as gentle.
Leghorn
Medium (4-6 lbs) · Egg Layer
Champion egg layers, producing large white eggs. More active and independent.
Marans
Large (7-8 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Famous for the darkest eggs in the chicken world — deep chocolate-brown beauties.
New Hampshire Red
Large (6-8 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
The Rhode Island Red's faster-maturing, meatier cousin. An underrated homestead classic.
Orpington
Large (8-10 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
The teddy bears of the chicken world. Extremely docile and great pets.
Plymouth Rock
Large (7-8 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Great dual-purpose breed. Calm, friendly, and good with children.
Polish
Medium (4-6 lbs) · Ornamental
The ones with the outrageous feather hairdos. Comedy gold, but that crest blocks their vision.
Rhode Island Red
Large (6-8 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
America's most popular backyard breed. Excellent layers, hardy, and friendly.
Sebright
True Bantam (1.25-1.4 lbs) · Ornamental
A living work of art. Every feather on this tiny British bantam is crisply laced in black, like it was drawn with a pen.
Serama
True Bantam (under 1.2 lbs) · Ornamental
The world's smallest chicken. A pocket-sized Malaysian bantam with a big personality, perfect as an indoor-friendly pet.
Silkie
Bantam (2-3 lbs) · Ornamental
Fluffy, friendly, and make excellent mothers. Great pets but modest layers.
Sussex
Large (7-9 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Alert, curious birds that are great foragers. Beautiful speckled varieties.
Welsummer
Medium (5-7 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Lays gorgeous dark terracotta eggs with speckles. The Kellogg's rooster is one of these.
Wyandotte
Large (6-8 lbs) · Dual-Purpose
Stunning laced feather patterns. Rose comb makes them frostbite resistant.