What's your goal?
Lots of Eggs
These breeds will lay 6-7 eggs per week on average!
Temperament: Flighty
Eggs: 350+ Large White
Broody?: Rare
Not super friendly, but they will give you lots of eggs and stay out of your way. Rarely broody. However, leghorns come in several colors, and the white ones tend to be the most flighty and least friendly of the bunch. So, if you like the egg count but want a more dependable bird, you could get a different variety of leghorn.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 300+ XL Brown
Broody?: Common
Does very well in cold climates and confinement. Their personalities can go either way; however, they can be super sweet or rather mean. With this, you must also consider their broodiness. If it’s an overly broody hen, she may be trying to protect her babies, whether or not she has any.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 300+ Large White
Broody?: Rare
Can be flighty, but not as bad as the leghorns. If you like the white look but want a friendlier bird or a high producer but not so many eggs, then I suggest the Californias.
Temperament: Docile, Sweet
Eggs: 290 Large – XL Brown
Broody: Uncommon
Super friendly, sweet, and cold-hardy. Does very well with people, chickens, and other animals. Very pretty birds and my personal favorite.
Colorful Eggs
These breeds will lay a variety of blues, greens, and chocolate browns!
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 290 Medium Blue
Broody: Rare
Friendly, smaller-sized birds with funny head poofs. They can be incredibly sweet. They are rarely mean birds but can be flighty.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 280 Medium Green
Broody: Rare
This is a mutt-type breed that comes in a variety of colors and temperaments. They range from a dark brown to a bright yellow and have tons of unique markings, and can even get fun head poofs or even mohawks.
Temperament: Docile, friendly
Eggs: 260 Medium Chocolate Brown
Broody: Rare
Any maran will give you beautiful brown eggs. French marans are more cold-hardy due to their feathered feet. Marans are beautiful birds and very friendly.
Temperament: Docile, Sweet
Eggs: 240 Medium Green, Blue, or Brown
Broody: Rare
Super friendly and sweet. This is a very popular breed, known for its distinctive cheek poofs and affectionate nature towards people. They can be feral in a fun way. A flock of Americanas is like herding cats or toddlers. They are an entertaining variety that comes in lots of different colors and sizes.
Fun Looks
These breeds will have a variety of fun and exotic looks!
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 180 Small White
Broody: Rare
This breed comes in a variety of colors and has fun afros that give them personality. They are very sweet birds that will definitely liven up your flock.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 180 Small White
Broody: Very Common
This funny, fluffy chicken comes in a variety of colors and makes a wonderful mama. They can actually be a fairly good source of eggs; the “problem” is that they love to go broody and hatch their own babies, so this slows down their production a lot.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 260 Large White
Broody: Common
This particular breed often goes by its other name, “Naked Neck,” due to the lack of feathers on its neck. They look very silly and either you love them or hate them, but they are decent layers and make a great mama.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 160 Medium White
Broody: Uncommon
Spitzhaubens are a fun bird for many reasons. They have mohawks, they come in a variety of colors, and you sound cool because you know German words. They are very sweet chickens that will add a fun touch of personality to your flock.
Friendly Breeds
These breeds will make a calm and kind addition to your flock!
Temperament: Friendly
Eggs: 240 Large Brown
Broody: Common
Orpingtons are one of the most popular breeds. They come in a variety of colors, the most common being buff, chocolate, and lavender. They are an incredibly sweet, cuddly breed and perfect for families.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 240 Large Brown
Broody: Common
Wyandottes come in just about every color and tend to be incredibly hardy birds. Very friendly and a wonderful addition to your flock.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 260 Large Brown
Broody: Common
This is a more debated breed due to their more bipolar temperament. I’ve heard many people swear by them and their sweet personality, and I’ve had people tell me they are never going to own them again because they are mean. In my opinion, they are a sweet but standoffish breed.
Temperament: Docile
Eggs: 250 Large Brown
Broody: Uncommon
This breed tends to be rather large and, therefore, is less of a target for aerial predators. They have feathered feet and manage wonderfully in the winter. Their biological clock is flipped from your standard chicken. So, they lay all winter and slow down in the spring. I highly suggest mixing this breed into your flock. However, like I said, they can get big, so they won’t fit in every coop.