Laying Chickens

Laying Chicken Breeds

	Ameraucana Good layers and good-natured as well, the Ameraucana breed is one of only three breeds that lay blue eggs. This is a good choice for those who want something simple and easy to manage.
	Ancona Ancona are some of the best layers, producing 5-7 eggs a week, though they have a tendency to be wilder than most and do enjoy a good fly once in a while, making them a bit harder to keep fenced in.
	Andalusian Strong egg layers but flighty birds, Andalusians are a rather active breed and can run very fast. They also tolerate cold climates very well. They also make for good show birds.

	Appenzeller Spitzhauben 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.
	Araucana 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.
	Australorp 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.
	Barnevelder A triple threat, the Barnevelder is great for egg laying, meat production, and even has a following as a show bird. A large bird, they are known to be calm and easy to handle, even considered shy by some.

	Belgian Bearded d’Uccle Bantam 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.
	Brahma The Brahma can do everything, from lay eggs to become a filling dinner to win awards at a breed show. This is one of the largest breeds in the world and is an ideal chicken for newcomers as they’re easy to manage.
	Campine 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.
	Catalana 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.

	Chantecler 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.
	Crevecoeur 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.
	Cubalaya 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.
	Delaware Developed originally as a commercial, dual-purpose breed but later replaced by hybrids, Delawares today make excellent backyard chickens. They typically lay four, large, brown eggs a week far into the winter months.

	Dominique The Dominique breed is considered a dual purpose bird, but it excels in egg laying over meat production. They do great in both hot and cold climates and also make good pets.
	Dorking 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 Easter Eggers are the most-loved breed in the US as they can produce eggs in colors such as green, blue, and even pink. The APA still doesn’t recognize them as a breed however.
	Faverolles A chicken bred in France, the Faverolles is a dual purpose bird and succeeds as such. Their finely packed feathers allow them to withstand cold climates well and are considered the most docile breed in the world.

	Hamburg Dubbed the “everlayer”, Hamburgs lay consistently throughout their whole lives and live pretty long. They are a hardy bird and can withstand cold climates without any trouble.
	Holland 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.
	Houdan The Houdan is loved as a meat bird, loved as an egg-producing bird as they have amazing longevity, and loved as a show bird because of their unique feathering style. They can do it all!
	Java 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.

	Jersey Giant 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.
	La Fleche 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.
	Lakenvelder 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.
	Langshan Langshans do great as egg layers and make great 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.
	Leghorn 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.

	Marans 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.
	Minorca Though Minorcas used to have mythical-like egg laying abilities, the current breed has slowed down production just a bit, however not enough to make them anything less than one of the strongest laying breeds.
	Naked Neck The Naked Neck breed has no feathers around the neck, hence the name. However, they’re excellent dual purpose birds and are very resilient to most diseases, making them a great choice for beginners.
	New Hampshire Red 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.

	Orpington 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.
	Penedesenca 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.
	Plymouth Rock 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 good meal. They’re also easy to tame and non-aggressive. What’s not to like?
	Polish 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.

	Redcap 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.
	Rhode Island Red 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.
	Russian Orloff 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.
	Star 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.

	Sussex 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.
	Welsummer 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.
	White-Faced Black Spanish 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.
	Wyandotte 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.