The Best Backyard Chickens Breeds
We’re here to talk about some of the finest and most popular hen breeds you might want to consider for your backyard flock! This article will explore chief information about some of the top backyard chicken breeds, from eggs to temperament. But remember that not every type of chicken best suits your yard, climate, or family.
1. ISA Brown:
The ISA Brown is a humble bird. Its name is not a breed name but a patented brand name. The breed was created and copyrighted by a French company in the late 1970s for optimum egg invention, and since then, their reputation has grown to great heights. They are a popular choice for farmers and backyard chicken coop keepers, and these gorgeous chickens are a renowned favorite for many reasons. We love the ISA Brown for its gentle nature, solidity, and extraordinary egg-laying talents that leave all other chickens in the dust bath!
2. Plymouth Rock:
The Plymouth Rock hen is a beautiful breed of chicken for beginner keepers and experienced farmers alike. They are responsive, relaxed, and radiant and make any coop a fun and more loving place to be. Introduced in the late 20th century, the breed was named after its origin town and quickly rose in fame worldwide due to its excellent egg-laying skills and carefree outlook on life. Plymouth Rock hens are great additions to backyard chicken coops, and the experts love their kid-friendly nature and chilled-out vibes.
3. Barnevelder:
The Dutch-reared barnevelder breed is one of the most attractive, popular, and distinctive types of backyard chickens primarily found in Australia. Although breeds like Orpingtons, ISA Browns, and Australorps are insanely popular due to their high egg yield, these Dutch-bred hens stand out due to their quirky personality, unique plumage, and those attractive and peculiar eggs that they lay.
4. Australorp:
These locally bred chicks are a favorite in many Australian yards due to their exceptional egg-laying talents, brilliant blue, black, or white fluff, and characteristic happy attitude. Even though we love chickens from around the world, from the alluring American Rhode Island Reds to the elegant English Orpingtons, there is something extraordinary about a homebred hen.
5. Naked Neck:
Most chicken breeders will never forget the first time they look at a quirky, distinctive, and downright strange naked-neck chicken. When people first see a naked neck chicken, they always wonder if something’s wrong with it. These hens look peculiar, but that’s how nature made them. Stemming in Transylvania, naked neck chickens are famous for having featherless collars, which makes them look a little like turkeys. Naked-neck chickens are irrefutably different on their terms, making this extraordinary breed all the more loveable.
6. Orpington:
The cute, courtly, and courteous Orpington chicken might be one of the best mothers in the animal world. Developed by British chicken breeders in the 1900s, the Orpington chicken was planned to be a hardy breed that could endure even the bitterest winters in England while still laying eggs at an unstoppable rate. These fluffy, cuddly, and heavy-set ladies are dignified and graceful in any backyard coop. Orpington chickens may seem commonplace and homely; however, these center egg-laying wonders will make a surprising addition to any chicken lovers’ backyard flock.
7. Silkie:
Silkie chickens have a status for standing out due to their puffy and fluffy fuzz. You might imagine a black or brown mess of feathers, but silkie chickens have great style compared to some of their cousins, like australorps and ISA browns. Silkies may be miniature, only weighing around 1.5 to 2 kg, but they always leave a big mark because of their unique appearance.
8. New Hampshire Red:
The New Hampshire chicken breed is a robust and reliable hen that doesn’t fail when laying delicious eggs or making incredible feathered bonds. These birds are warm and gentle, make excellent mums, and are serenely beautiful. Think of the New Hampshire hen as the humble hen next door that deserves more of your attention than her looks might make it seem. The breed originated in the early 1900s by New Hampshire chicken breeders who wanted to develop the current Rhode Island Reds and have a chick breed to call their own. The farmers focused on rearing hens that were early to lay, fast-growing, and hardy in the severely cold winters of north-eastern America. The resulting bird was officially devised in New Hampshire in 1935.
9. Belgian d’Uccle:
The Belgian d’Uccle hen is one of the cuddliest, sweetest, and loveliest pets worldwide. Originating in Uccle in Belgium, these vivacious ladies come in various sizes, shapes, and colors. Whether you’re searching for a chicken that looks as stylish and stunning as a disco dancer or a chick that’s classy, sleek, and elegant, you’ll undoubtedly be able to find a Belgian d’Uccle that fits your unique taste.
10. Frizzle:
The stunning and dramatic Frizzle chicken is a curious-looking bird with a warm nature and an astonishing amount of grit for something so glamorous! These hens come in standard sizes and have great feathers that coil outwards instead of resting flat. To the inexpert eye, these feathers give the Frizzle girls the appearance of someone who has had a disastrous blow dry, but these hens are ahead of the styles! They’re aware that they are setting trends with their unique looks and wear their fluffy and frazzled feathers with smugness. You can usually find these chickens strutting around a pet show, taking home prizes for their frizzle feature, but they aren’t the next star in line! The Frizzle hen can join your common backyard flock and makes a great addition to your coop and a delightful choice of pet for your family.
11. Rhode Island Red:
These birds are the go-to chicken breed for backyard hen keepers who want to add a relaxed level to their backyard flock. These hens are famous for their durability in any environment. Snow or summer sun, rain or shine, the Rhode Island Red is happy and content in any kind of backyard! They are ladies with grit but don’t let that tough demeanor fool you; these ruby-red girls also possess a lot of temperament! They make the ideal companion pet for any Chicken Lad or Lady and a great friend for kids of all ages. Developed on chicken farms in Rhode Island in the late 19th century, the Rhode Island Red chicken breed became famous throughout America, eventually becoming the national bird of Rhode Island. A well-deserved honor for such an easy-to-care-for and friendly bird!
12. Polish:
Polish birds have extraordinary senses when it comes to style! Beauty may only be shallow, but these trendy girls are attractive inside and out. With magnificent looks, sweet personalities, and mysterious pasts, polish chickens are a prize when it concerns backyard birds. If you’re looking for a dazzling chicken to love, then look no further than these spectacularly feathered friends. If you’re looking for a stylish and elegant chicken that leaves other hens in the dust bath when it comes to chick-couture, you simply must get a Polish chicken!
13. Cochin
It might be hard for contemporary-day chicken lads and ladies to believe, but there was actually a period when city folk were not as crazy for hens as they are today! In fact, before the 19th century, chickens were seen as part of the agricultural and poultry landscape, existing to provide eggs and the occasional Sunday dinner and not much else. Certainly not the spoiled and adored hens we raise in our backyards today! Cochins played a big part in commencing the modern-day craze of owning chickens. Their unique looks and friendly nature still inspire chicken breeders today.
14. Leghorn:
Leghorn chickens are friendly, adventurous, spirited, and beautiful egg-layers. Originating in Livorno, Italian for “Leghorn” in Tuscany, and transported to Britain in the late 19th century, they became a famous pedigree chicken in America and later in Australia. The Leghorn chickens’ bold personalities, egg-laying ability, and savvy attitudes made them the most common purebred hens in Australia in the mid-1900s. Nowadays, every backyard breeder loves Leghorn chickens, not just for their skill to lay generously sized, bright eggs daily.
15. Sussex:
Sussex chickens are an excellent addition to any backyard hen coop looking for a chick with grit, grace, and friendly nature. Their long and notable family background and curious and kind nature make Sussex chickens ideal for starter chicken keepers and farmers wanting a sociable hen to add to their growing backyard zoo. You’ll never feel alone with a Sussex chicken; these birds make excellent companions. They enjoy being part of their beloved family, rummaging alongside you and taking a turn about the gardens. Still, they are just as happy when associating with their fellow fowls in the chicken run, the gardens, or the coop and finding their place in the clucking order of society.
16. Araucana:
Araucanas are striking chickens that always leave a mark inside or outside their coop. These exclusively blue egg-laying feathered beauties know how to stand out in a world full of poultry. From their distinctive featherings to their energetic personalities, there is nothing ordinary about the remarkable Araucana chickens – these birds were born to stand out!
17. Wyandotte:
The Wyandotte chickens are brave, bold, and beautiful birds inside and out. The Wyandotte breed was first developed in 1883 in North America. American breeders admired the perfect fuzz and feathers of the British Sebright chicken, so they set out to create a practical and pretty version of the chicks to suit the modern world. The Wyandotte chickens were not initially very popular, but eventually, these girls became leading players in the dual-purpose prospect, providing eggs and meat for a fast-evolving America. Their stunning array of fuzz colors and bold temperaments make them an excellent choice for beginner and expert backyard chicken keepers who want a relaxed and attractive hen to add to their backyard flock.
18. Minorca
Minorca chickens are energetic yet graceful girls that share their name with a beautiful island someway off the west shore of Spain. Taken on by the British in the late 1700s, these sleek ladies with spicy behaviors were hugely popular for around 100 years before being outdone by hybrid breeds and other more creative laying hens in the later 1900s. Now on the edge of extinction, these genuinely remarkable ladies are worthy of having their names up in lights in backyard coops worldwide!
19. Faverolles:
Advanced in Northern France at the turn of the 1900s, Faverolles is a feathery and fluffy chicken breed famous for its good looks and genial nature. Faverolles is a complex breed created from a combination of Dorkings, Cochins, and Houdans that is healthy, big, and strong in size, as well as being reliable and regular layers. Other popular hybrid breeds include Barnevelders, Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rock, and Wyandotte. However, Faverolles are one of the exceptional breeds of chicken. It will only take you a matter of moments to let these friendly French ladies soar into your minds and hearts.
20. Sebright:
Sebright chickens are inimitable and exotic looking girls with sweet natures and a proclivity for curiosity. Sir John Sebright was an avid animal keeper and a member of the British Parliament. In the early 1800s, he created his vision of the ideal hen. The resulting exceptionally feathered bird was the Sebright bantam. These small but impeccably formed birds became famous with pretentious poultry fanciers worldwide. Sir John took the method for creating the Sebright chicken breed to his grave, but it is supposed that they were developed from a mix of the Hamburg, Polish, and Nankin breeds of fowls. These rare and distinct birds can be hard to locate, but once you’ve kept a Sebright chicken, these hens will change you forever.
In the end, the most important point is that no matter the type of chicken you choose for your backyard coop, always ensure that you have researched enough and gotten the knowledge you require to raise a healthy and happy flock.