Which Chicken Breeds Are Right for You?

Rodale Wellness
by Lissa Lucas & Traci Torres of My Pet Chicken

Learn how to read the breeds so you can build your best backyard flock.

You’re the Casting Director of Your Flock

Let’s take a look at how chicken breeds are described in catalogs–and how to decode what those descriptors mean. We’ll explain what terms like “broody” mean, as well as go over other considerations when “casting” your flock.

If you feel like you need some guidance on becoming a chicken parent, and whether you’d do best to begin with eggs or chicks, the following descriptions of breed characteristics will give you an in-depth look at what to expect.

Broodiness

Broodiness is a hormonal condition. When a particular hen is broody, this means she wants to hatch her eggs. A breed that’s described as broody has hens that often, individually, go broody. Some chicken breeds will go broody often and some are less likely to ever go broody. Some will stay broody a long time even with nothing in the nest, while others will snap out of it quickly if they don’t have eggs to set on. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you’re looking for.

If you plan to hatch fertile eggs at home, a good broody is the best incubator you can have. The power never fails, and the humidity is always right. It’s the most natural way to raise chicks. But broodiness can also be a pain in the neck.

Hens stop laying eggs while they’re broody. If you have several hens go broody at once, this can mean a big drop in the number of eggs you get–and a drop in the number of nests available to the rest of your flock.

If a broody hen is not hatching, it can still be problematic. She may go from nest to nest adopting the eggs other hens leave behind. Again, this doesn’t sound bad–except that some broodies will peck at you to keep you from checking for eggs in their nests.

Broodiness is more annoying to human caretakers than to the rest of the flock. There’s the pecking. There’s the fussing. Sometimes they won’t go in the coop at night if they’ve gone broody outside. Broody breeds don’t even need eggs to set on to be broody, and they won’t know the difference between fertile and infertile eggs. They may go broody on golf balls, or old doorknobs, or even air. Because they eat little during brooding, they may lose weight and condition in addition to the cessation of laying. They may also pluck out their breast feathers so they can be closer to the eggs–if there are any–and they may be ill-tempered and territorial. In addition, since broodies don’t get off the eggs to dust bathe, they are vulnerable to infestations of mites and lice.

The bottom line: Having a flock full of frequently or excessively broody birds can often be more of a headache than not. If you will not be hatching at home or you don’t want to worry about broodiness very often, consider choosing breeds listed as infrequently or seldom broody. If you’re looking for top producers, you probably want to avoid excessively broody birds.

Broody breeds to consider: Cochin, Marans, Orpington, Silkie

Infrequently/seldom broody breeds: Leghorn, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Plymouth Rock, Polish, Sex Link

Egg-Laying Rate

If you read breed descriptions in chick catalogs or online, you’ll see some breeds listed as “excellent layers” or “productive layers.” But what does this mean exactly? There are no standard terms used by hatcheries and breeders for egg-laying rates. At our hatchery, “excellent” means five or six eggs per week, “very good” means four or five, “good” means three or four, “fair” means two or three, and “poor” means one or two.

Remember, laying rate refers to an average rate for mature birds. Young birds may lay more, initially. Older birds will probably lay fewer. That’s not all there is to it, though. Just because you choose a breed with an “excellent” laying rate doesn’t necessarily mean that your hens will be laying lots of eggs. For instance, Silkies are excellent layers, but they go broody so often it’s likely that they won’t be laying for much of the year, since birds don’t lay while they are brooding. Anconas are excellent layers, too, and they seldom go broody. However, they’re poor winter layers, so if you live in an area that gets cold and dark during the winter, then for at least a quarter of the year (maybe more) you shouldn’t expect much from them.

Egg-laying rate is often an important consideration if you live in a place where the number of birds you can legally keep is limited to a very small number, such as three or four. Clearly, an unfortunate side effect of such a restriction is that it also limits which breeds you can keep if you hope to gather enough eggs to meet your family’s needs.

Finally, it is important to note: Whether a hen lays up to the potential of her breed also depends on the care you provide. Stress, improper feed, and illness can all reduce laying. Laying will also slow down-and may temporarily cease-during the annual molt. If you live in an area with excessive heat, your birds may see reduced laying in the worst of summer, too. And if your birds need lots of space and they are kept in a confined run, they will be stressed and not lay well. So, remember, when casting your flock, you’ll want to choose hens that do well in the conditions they’ll experience in your care.

“Excellent” laying breeds to consider: Australorp, Rhode Island Red, Sex Link

“Very good” laying breeds to consider: Delaware, Easter Egger, Plymouth Rock, Sussex, Welsummer, Wyandotte

Egg Size

Size is also an important consideration if you love eating eggs. When casting your flock, keep in mind that if you get six eggs a week from a bird that lays tiny eggs, obviously it’s not going to be the same as getting six eggs a week from a bird that lays extra large or jumbo eggs. So the number of eggs per week is not the be-all and end-all of determining if you will be getting as many eggs from your hens as you’d like to have.

Large-egg-laying breeds to consider: Australorp, Brahma, Easter Egger, Leghorn, Marans, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Sussex, Welsummer, Wyandotte

Egg Color

For many of us, half the fun of keeping chickens is marveling at the beautiful and unusual eggshell colors they produce.

When it comes to eggs of different colors, there is no difference in terms of edibility, healthfulness, or nutrition. The only thing that affects the nutritional value of your hen’s eggs is what she eats. This means that if your hens have access to pasture and the opportunity to forage, their eggs will be more nutritious; studies have shown that hens with pasture access produce eggs that are lower in cholesterol and saturated fat, and higher in vitamins E, D, and A; beta-carotene; and omega-3s. As to why hens lay eggs with different colored shells, no one really knows for sure.

When it comes to the mechanism that creates the color, that’s a little easier to explain. Eggshells start out white; that’s the natural color of the substance that makes up eggshells. The blue color is produced by biliverdin, and the brown color is produced by protoporphyrin. These “dyes” are incorporated into the shell in varying ways based on their different compositions.

When eggs are brown, the color is sort of “painted” onto the white egg inside the chicken’s reproductive tract by the shell gland pouch. (When you crack brown eggs, they are brown on the outside and white beneath.) For blue eggs, the blue color actually goes all the way through the shell, even to the inside of it. (In other words, when you crack blue eggs, they’ll be blue on the inside, too.) Green eggs are laid by chickens that have both blue and brown egg-laying genes. The blue ends up throughout the shell as described above, and the brown is painted on top, creating a green appearance. (When you crack these shells, they’ll be green on the outside and blue on the inside.)

Hens lay basically the same color throughout their lives, but they lay their darkest eggs at the beginning of the season in the spring, after their bodies have had a winter break. When they hit their egg-laying stride in the summer, often their eggs lighten up in color. Heat stress can also cause eggs to lighten. (Some illnesses may cause this, too.) As chickens lay at a faster rate and their eggs get larger, the eggs will lighten because there is only a certain amount of color each hen produces.

This is important to know if you’re choosing breeds especially for egg color. If you want only chocolate layers, for instance, remember that their egg color will naturally vary in intensity over the course of the season. After a break in laying, such as a molt or a period of broodiness, their eggs will become darker again.

Breeds to consider for colorful eggs: Ameraucana (blue), Barnevelder (dark brown), Easter Egger (blue, green, or shades of brown), Favaucana (green), Faverolles (tinted), Legbar (blue), Marans (chocolate brown), Welsummer (chocolate)

Cold Hardiness

This seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? But if you see a breed described as “cold hardy,” there are a few things that might not be obvious from the get-go. First of all, be aware that cold hardiness and heat hardiness are not mutually exclusive. Some breeds tolerate both extremes, while others don’t do especially well in either. Next, know that just because a chicken is cold hardy doesn’t necessarily mean she is a good winter layer. For instance, Easter Eggers are cold hardy birds, but after their first winter, they are notoriously terrible winter layers. In fact, most breeds don’t lay particularly well in the short days and cooler temperatures of winter.

Another thing to consider is that, given proper care, nearly all breeds will do well in most areas of the United States. However, in some parts of Alaska, Minnesota, North Dakota, and northern New England (and in high elevations), you’ll want to be sure to get cold hardy breeds only.

How much the cold affects chickens will depend on how long your chickens are exposed, what kind of shelter they have, whether they’re out of winter winds, how well fed they are, whether it’s wet or dry, and other factors.

Cold-hardy breeds to consider: Ameraucana, Ancona, Australorp, Brahma, Buckeye, Chantecler, Cochin, Delaware, Dominique, Easter Egger, Faverolles, Jersey Giant, Marans, New Hampshire, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island, Sex Link, Silkie Bantam, Sussex, Welsummer, Wyandotte

Winter Layer

Cold hardiness and winter laying capability do not equate. Also, just because a breed is a winter layer doesn’t mean the hen will continue laying at top capacity all season. She is still likely to take a break during the molt, and when she starts again, she won’t be laying as many eggs until the days get longer. That said, winter laying is one of those qualities for which there are no real downsides, as there are for broodiness, for example. And it’s probably going to be especially important for very small flocks. Casting good winter layers in your flock is helpful.

Winter layer breeds to consider: Australorp, Brahma, Buckeye, Chantecler, Delaware, Dominique, Favaucana, Faverolles, Jersey Giant, Marans, New Hampshire, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island, Sex Link, Silkie Bantam, Sussex, Welsummer, Wyandotte

Heat Hardiness

Heat hardiness and cold hardiness are not mutually exclusive, and even birds that are heat hardy may not lay well in periods of sweltering heat. Extreme heat is actually more difficult for most breeds to bear than extreme cold, but, even so, remember that you’ll only need to seek out heat-hardy breeds if you live in areas where there are extended periods of extremely hot temperatures, like the desert areas of the Southwest or the Deep South. And, finally, there is no precise “how hot can they get” temperature, just as there is no “how cold can they get” temperature. How much the heat affects your chickens will depend on such variables as how long your chickens are exposed, what kind of shelter they have, whether they have shade and access to cool water, and whether it’s moist heat or dry heat.

Heat-hardy breeds to consider: Ameraucana, Ancona, Andalusian, Brahma, Chantecler, Delaware, Easter Egger, Faverolles, Fayoumi, Hamburg, Legbar, Leghorn, New Hampshire, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island, Seabright Bantam, Silkie Bantam, Sussex, Welsummer, Wyandotte

Forager

All chickens forage. It’s what they do. However, some breeds are better at it than others and instinctually range farther, have a quicker eye, and are better at catching bugs. Others, bless their feathery little hearts, tend to stay closer to home and just aren’t as good at finding wild good-to-eats. Some breeds, like the Buckeye, are known as particularly avid hunters and good mousers.

Yes. Chickens will eat mice, moles, voles, shrews, small snakes, and other creatures. They are voracious omnivores. Think of them as tiny dinosaurs, smaller than velociraptors. The bottom line is that they’re hunters, though, even if what they hunt is on the small side.

Good foragers will be a special help in reducing the bug population around the coop. For example, there are a lot of ticks in my area, but I never see any around the house because the chickens more or less clean them out. If you live in an urban or suburban area, though, and your chickens will be confined to a small run or yard, don’t focus on choosing breeds with especially good foraging abilities. It may be a waste of time, at best, and, at worst, you’ll have trouble keeping the flock out of your landscaping.

Breeds known to be excellent foragers: Ameraucana, Ancona, Andalusian, Buckeye, Fayoumi, Hamburg, Houdan, Legbar, Old English Game, Welsummer

Docility

When looking through breed descriptions and hatchery catalogs, you’ll see lots of different descriptors. Some common ones include friendly, flighty, calm, wild, active, alert, and tolerant/intolerant of confinement. For the most part, these adjectives are self-explanatory. They’re also quite subjective.

If a breeder was lucky enough to have a tame line of Penedesencas (this breed is usually on the flighty side, avoiding human contact) and concluded that they are friendly, it’s not that the breeder is wrong, it’s just that she’s had a different experience than most. Our hatchery relies on a number of sources, including the experiences of various breeders and hatcheries as well as our own.

People with little experience with chickens get confused when they see conflicting reports, or when they get a chicken that was supposed to be friendly, and isn’t. Just because a certain breed of chicken has a reputation for friendliness doesn’t mean that every bird of that breed is guaranteed to be friendly, the same way every Golden Retriever is not going to be friendly.

The word flighty can cause particular confusion, too. Flighty generally means nervous-and a nervous chicken can be easily startled into taking flight. Of course, all chickens can fly. It’s just that some breeds are more prone to flying, and some can fly higher than others. Birds described as flighty or flyers will generally require higher fences to keep them confined, and they may be on the nervous side–or not. If you’re not keen on having a chicken perching, and possibly pooping, on your shoulder or on top of your head, you may want to avoid flyers. Another consideration is that small flyers, especially Bantams, may try to roost outdoors in trees, but it may not always be safe for them to do so.

Breeds to consider that are generally known for being docile or friendly: Ameraucana, Bearded d’Uccle Bantam, Brahma, Buckeye, Cochin, Delaware, Dominique, Dorking, Faverolles, Holland, New Hampshire, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island, Silkie Bantam, Sultan, Sussex, Welsummer

Fancy Feathering

There are some other factors to be mindful of when it comes to casting your flock. For instance, you may be drawn to unusual-looking birds with fancy feathering. Some chickens have feathered legs, large crests, ear tufts, muffs, and/or beards of feathers. There are some drawbacks to fancy feathering, though, so consider carefully before you make any decisions.

For example, birds with fancy feathers can be vulnerable to getting picked on in a mixed flock. This isn’t always the case–beards don’t seem to draw as much attention as ear tufts, crests, or feathered legs–but it happens frequently enough.

Crested birds face a particular danger: Their large head crests can obscure their vision, and, as a result, they may not see an attack coming, whether it’s from another chicken wanting to pluck at crest feathers, or a predator like a dog, raccoon, or hawk. Because they are more vulnerable to predators, they tend to fall lower in the pecking order than other breeds. In addition, crested birds sometimes have a hard time seeing how to get back into the coop at night. Granted, it’s adorable when a little puff of a Silkie needs to be carried into the coop at night because she’s so covered in fluff that she can’t see, but it can get tedious. That said, some birds with especially large crests may need regular trimming to improve their vision. (If you’re planning to exhibit your birds at shows, of course, you will not want to trim feathers.) Also, in the wintertime, if a crest gets wet while the bird is drinking, it may freeze, creating the risk of frostbite.

When it comes to rough weather, birds with feathered legs face potential problems as well. In slushy or muddy cold, the leg feathers of birds with profusely feathered legs can get caked, then freeze hard. Even in warm weather, leg feathering can create difficulties in wet conditions. When leg feathers get covered in mud, all your eggs may get dirty as mud is carried into the nests.

Fancy-feathered breeds to consider: Ameraucana, Crevecoeur, Cochin, Faverolles, Houdan, Naked Neck, Phoenix, Polish, Silkie Bantam, Sultan, Yokohama

Mixing Breeds

So, let’s get back to being a casting director for your flock: Don’t approach this like you’re casting for reality TV. You don’t want drama. You’re not going for sensationalism that will draw big ratings, right? While most hens will get along well in a mixed flock, there are circumstances where you don’t want to keep mixed breeds. The truth is, there are some breeds that may not do as well as others in a mixed flock. You usually don’t want to pair breeds with an aggressive reputation and breeds that tend to be very submissive, since the submissive birds can get picked on. You don’t want that sort of reality-show strife in your flock every day!

Likewise, if you are mixing breeds in your flock–and most backyard chicken keepers like to do this–make sure you are mixing birds somewhat equally. This doesn’t mean you have to have the exact same numbers of each breed, but it does mean that you don’t want to get five Wyandottes and pair them with one solitary Polish with her huge and goofy crest. They say that “birds of a feather flock together,” and it’s true! What this means in terms of fashioning your own flock is that you don’t want to create a situation in which there is no one for some of your birds to flock with. Everyone needs a like-minded friend. Chickens who look very different from the rest of your flock can get picked on, and, as mentioned before, birds with fancy feathering sometimes suffer for it more than others because they may not appear to be chickens to the other flock members.

In fact, the most problematic birds to include in a mixed flock are Polish or other crested birds, because large crests can prevent them from seeing an attack coming, and Faverolles, because they can be so submissive that they usually end up at the bottom of the pecking order. However, if you are raising a flock of many chickens that all have different looks, your birds will have a much broader idea of what a chicken should look like and won’t usually pick on one another. Of course, the more room they have, too, the better they will be. If your flock can range on pasture every day, they have things to occupy their thoughts other than why Bessie is wearing that silly and unusual plumage!

Even though there are some important considerations when creating a mixed flock, in most cases you can keep a variety of breeds together without trouble. You can even include both bantam and large fowl breeds in your flock, if that is what you prefer. When mixing birds of different sizes, you will simply need to make certain that feeders and waterers are set at a height that all your chickens can easily reach.

So, remember, when you’re making casting decisions for your mixed flock, be thoughtful and deliberate, and understand that while you have some control, you can’t control everything. No one is going to be able to look at your prospective list of birds and give you absolute assurance that they’ll all get along. This applies even if you are interested in keeping only one breed. Some chickens will be insufferable jerks while others will be pitiable doormats–just like humans.

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