Hello,
To all those new backyard chicken people who have joined this site for chickens. Some of you don't have any yet though and you are probably wondering, "Hm, what is the BEST chicken breed out there?" well I've got some answers, I have the best chicken breeds in these categories:
-Egg laying
-broodyness
-friendlyness
-cold hardy
-dual purpose
I know many of you asked me to make this article, so here I am making this article for those people and everyone else who needs some help. I spent plenty of time researching and researching what is best for my flock and it is tiring so I have the answers for you so you don't have to do that! Enjoy!
1. Rhode Island Red
Even though this bird it somewhat aggressive, it lays plenty of eggs a year (300). In some cases it can be friendly though. They are also very cold hardy for some people like me living in some cold places. The Rhode Island is actually the state bird in Rhode Island! They are very known and easy to find anywhere. It can be raised for meat and eggs too, these chickens are somewhat broody, not always though.
2. Buff Orpington
These birds are beautiful and my personal favourite. They are very friendly and lay an average amount of eggs a year (180-200). They are very docile but that can lead to being picked on by other birds. They can go broody very often and are great mothers. They are a dual purpose breed so they are very good for meat chickens and egg laying chickens. They are very cold hardy due to their ton of feathers, and perfect for maintaining your gardens!
3. Wyandotte
Absolutely beautiful birds. They are good egg layers, laying about 220-260 eggs a year.
They are very friendly and docile, they are known for their dual-purpose breed and having big brown eggs. They are also a great mothers. But because of their very fluffy feathers it is hard to keep them clean meaning they need everyday maintenance. They are very cold hardy chickens and can adapt to any different temperatures. These chickens occasionally get broody.
4. Sussex
Sussex are great egg layers, they lay about 280 eggs a year. They are friendly towards humans, but not so much towards other chickens. They are very winter hardy, and rarely get broody. The are dual purpose birds, and do not like human attention that much.
5. Ameraucana- AKA the Easter Egger
These are one of the best egg breeds, they are know for their large amount of eggs yearly (260), and beautiful egg shells also, they can lay blue,green,pinkish,brown, or white eggs! The are very friendly and docile and if you are lucky they might even like to cuddle! They are broody pretty much always, and are very cold hardy. These chickens are great at egg laying, but not great to eat therefore they are not dual purpose.
6. Australorp
These chickens are very cold hardy, very friendly, quiet and docile (but they might not like to cuddle), and great egg layers. They can lay about 250 eggs a year, they are also very good meat chickens. They are broody most of the time, which means they would be great mothers!
7. Plymouth Rock
Looking a lot like their Wyandotte friends these chickens are beautiful. They are great for backyard gardens and very friendly and docile, they can be shy at times but they love following you to the garden! Plymouth Rocks are excellent layers, laying about 280-300 eggs per year! They are very cold hardy and not very often broody. The Plymouth Rock is also a great dual-purpose breed.
8. Delaware
These are very nice chickens, a little like Rhode Island Reds but without the aggressive nature. They don't like human contact that much, and they are a little jumpy, but they are also calm, docile birds. They are great meat birds (sometimes they are better for meat than eggs), but they are also good egg layers laying about 250 eggs a year. They are very cold and heat hardy and they are usually broody.
9. New Hampshire Red
Albeit looking like the Rhode Island Reds these chickens are very different, they are calm, docile and friendly. They are dual-purpose breeds laying about 280 eggs a year. They are heat and cold hardy, and are often broody.
10. Welsummer
Welsummers are very colourful chickens, they have beautiful shades of red,brown, and black. They are known for their beautiful feathers and intelligent minds. They are not very good egg layers as they lay about 200 (give or take) eggs a year, but the eggs they do lay are beautiful because of their dark brown, and spotted eggs. As for meat birds Wellsummers are not great, but chicken is chicken, right? They are cold tolerant, and occasionally get broody. These chickens are docile, friendly and very smart.
Well that's all 10! But everyone is you are still reading, please comment if you like this and found it helpful! Also comment YOUR favourite breed of chicken (it does not have to be on my list) I would love everyone's opinions!
Thank you so much for reading this!
To all those new backyard chicken people who have joined this site for chickens. Some of you don't have any yet though and you are probably wondering, "Hm, what is the BEST chicken breed out there?" well I've got some answers, I have the best chicken breeds in these categories:
-Egg laying
-broodyness
-friendlyness
-cold hardy
-dual purpose
I know many of you asked me to make this article, so here I am making this article for those people and everyone else who needs some help. I spent plenty of time researching and researching what is best for my flock and it is tiring so I have the answers for you so you don't have to do that! Enjoy!
1. Rhode Island Red
Even though this bird it somewhat aggressive, it lays plenty of eggs a year (300). In some cases it can be friendly though. They are also very cold hardy for some people like me living in some cold places. The Rhode Island is actually the state bird in Rhode Island! They are very known and easy to find anywhere. It can be raised for meat and eggs too, these chickens are somewhat broody, not always though.
2. Buff Orpington
These birds are beautiful and my personal favourite. They are very friendly and lay an average amount of eggs a year (180-200). They are very docile but that can lead to being picked on by other birds. They can go broody very often and are great mothers. They are a dual purpose breed so they are very good for meat chickens and egg laying chickens. They are very cold hardy due to their ton of feathers, and perfect for maintaining your gardens!
3. Wyandotte
Absolutely beautiful birds. They are good egg layers, laying about 220-260 eggs a year.
They are very friendly and docile, they are known for their dual-purpose breed and having big brown eggs. They are also a great mothers. But because of their very fluffy feathers it is hard to keep them clean meaning they need everyday maintenance. They are very cold hardy chickens and can adapt to any different temperatures. These chickens occasionally get broody.
4. Sussex
Sussex are great egg layers, they lay about 280 eggs a year. They are friendly towards humans, but not so much towards other chickens. They are very winter hardy, and rarely get broody. The are dual purpose birds, and do not like human attention that much.
5. Ameraucana- AKA the Easter Egger
These are one of the best egg breeds, they are know for their large amount of eggs yearly (260), and beautiful egg shells also, they can lay blue,green,pinkish,brown, or white eggs! The are very friendly and docile and if you are lucky they might even like to cuddle! They are broody pretty much always, and are very cold hardy. These chickens are great at egg laying, but not great to eat therefore they are not dual purpose.
6. Australorp
These chickens are very cold hardy, very friendly, quiet and docile (but they might not like to cuddle), and great egg layers. They can lay about 250 eggs a year, they are also very good meat chickens. They are broody most of the time, which means they would be great mothers!
7. Plymouth Rock
Looking a lot like their Wyandotte friends these chickens are beautiful. They are great for backyard gardens and very friendly and docile, they can be shy at times but they love following you to the garden! Plymouth Rocks are excellent layers, laying about 280-300 eggs per year! They are very cold hardy and not very often broody. The Plymouth Rock is also a great dual-purpose breed.
8. Delaware
These are very nice chickens, a little like Rhode Island Reds but without the aggressive nature. They don't like human contact that much, and they are a little jumpy, but they are also calm, docile birds. They are great meat birds (sometimes they are better for meat than eggs), but they are also good egg layers laying about 250 eggs a year. They are very cold and heat hardy and they are usually broody.
9. New Hampshire Red
Albeit looking like the Rhode Island Reds these chickens are very different, they are calm, docile and friendly. They are dual-purpose breeds laying about 280 eggs a year. They are heat and cold hardy, and are often broody.
10. Welsummer
Welsummers are very colourful chickens, they have beautiful shades of red,brown, and black. They are known for their beautiful feathers and intelligent minds. They are not very good egg layers as they lay about 200 (give or take) eggs a year, but the eggs they do lay are beautiful because of their dark brown, and spotted eggs. As for meat birds Wellsummers are not great, but chicken is chicken, right? They are cold tolerant, and occasionally get broody. These chickens are docile, friendly and very smart.
Well that's all 10! But everyone is you are still reading, please comment if you like this and found it helpful! Also comment YOUR favourite breed of chicken (it does not have to be on my list) I would love everyone's opinions!
Thank you so much for reading this!
