The Best Chicken Breeds For Your Backyard (Pick the Right Ones!)

Imagine a basket overflowing with colorful eggs – shades of blue, green, even chocolate brown. Picture a flock of friendly chickens clucking contentedly in your backyard, providing you with fresh eggs and endless entertainment. You can all of this, but it all starts with choosing the right chicken breeds. And trust me, this part of keeping backyard chickens not as simple as you might think…

Choosing the Right Chicken Breed (Special Considerations)

There are plenty of breeds meant for eggs or butchering and we’ll get to those. But if you want a pet-like bird, a classic breed, or just something beautiful, these are all worth a look.

• The Friendliest Chicken Breeds
• Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds
• The Prettiest Chicken Breeds
• Heritage Chicken Breeds

Recommended Products:

 The Concise Encyclopedia of Poultry Breeds: An Illustrated Directory of over 100 Chickens, Ducks, Geese and Turkeys, With 275 Photographs The Chicken Encyclopedia: An Illustrated Reference Chickens: The Best Backyard Chicken Breeds for Organic Meat, and Eggs (poultry, homesteading, coop, self-sufficient, backyard chickens, hens, off the grid)

 

Choosing Chickens For Colored Eggs

Eggshell color is genetic and has nothing to do with what a bird eats, how it’s raised, or anything else. That means for the prettiest egg basket in town, you need to pick the right breeds.

• Chickens That Lay Blue Eggs
• Chickens That Lay Green Eggs
• Chickens That Lay Brown Eggs
• Chickens That Lay White Eggs
• Chickens That Lay Chocolate Eggs
• Chickens That Lay Cream Colored Eggs
• My Top Picks for Eggs of Each Color

Choosing Chickens for Productivity

Let’s be honest, sometimes we just want a lot of eggs or a lot of meat. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Whether you’re dreaming of omelets every morning or stocking your freezer for the winter, choosing the right breeds can make all the difference. So let’s explore the chicken world’s high achievers.

• What Chickens Lay the Most Eggs?
• Best Chickens for Meat

Deep-Dives Into Specific Breeds

Let’s get up close and personal with some of my favorite breeds. These are the chickens that have won my heart (and my children’s!) over the years. Each one has its own unique personality and quirks, and I can’t wait to share them with you. 

• Barred Rock Chickens
• California Whites
• Wyandotte Chickens
• Buff Orpingtons
• Delaware Chickens
• Cinnamon Queens
• Green Queens
• Ameracauna Chickens
• Easter Egger Chickens
• White Leghorns
• Silkie Chickens

These are some of my favorite breeds. (If you get a few of each you’ll have a very balanced and productive flock.)

Backyard Breed FAQs

Caring for Your Chickens Once They’re Home

Picking chicken breeds is fun, but it’s just the beginning. To learn about to care for your flock, you’ll find more inn my collection of articles about how to care for chickens.

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Now you’re ready to take the next step in your chicken-keeping journey. Visit your local hatchery, browse online resources, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Your perfect flock is waiting.