Guide to Choosing Backyard Chickens
This guide will help you identify the chicken breeds that fit your wants as well as your needs. All chickens are mostly friendly with the exception of a few flighty breeds; and there are some exceptionally sweet breeds. Getting chickens at a young age will also help them to acclimate to your company and their new home, which makes them more friendly.
By Productivity
and Personality
By Egg Color
and Noise
By Popularity
and Rarity
EXCELLENT EGG LAYERS
(5-7 eggs per week)
FRIENDLY
Barred Rocks
Rhode Island Reds
Sexlinks
Australorps
Easter Eggers
FLIGHTY
Leghorns
GOOD EGG LAYERS
(4-5 eggs per week)
EXCEPTIONALLY FRIENDLY
Orpingtons
Wyandottes
FRIENDLY
Dominiques
Sussex
Welsummers
MOSTLY FRIENDLY
Andalusians
Javas
Marans
FLIGHTY
Campines
Egyptian Fayoumis
Hamburgs
Lakenvelders
Vorwerks
White Faced Black Spanish
DECENT LAYERS
(3-4 eggs per week)
EXCEPTIONALLY FRIENDLY
Brahmas
Cochins
Russian Orloffs
FRIENDLY
Barnevelders
Faverolles
FLIGHTY
Sicilian Buttercups
POOR LAYERS
(1-3 eggs per week)
EXCEPTIONALLY FRIENDLY
Frizzles
Polishes
Silkies
FLIGHTY
Sebrights
EGG COLOR
WHITE, LIGHT, OR CREAM
Andalusians
Campines
Egyptian Fayoumis
Faverolles
Frizzles
Hamburgs
Lakenvelders
Leghorns
Polishes
Sebrights
Sicilian Buttercups
Silkies
Vorwerks
White Faced Black Spanish
BROWN
Australorps
Brahmas
Cochins
Dominiques
Javas
New Hampshire Reds
Orpingtons
Plymouth Rocks
Rhode Island Reds
Rhode Island Whites
Russian Orloffs
Sexlinks
Sussex
Wyandottes
BLUE, GREEN, OR PINK
Easter Eggers
(Also: Ameraucanas &
Araucaunas)
DARK BROWN OR SPECKLED
Marans
Welsummers
Barnevelders
NOISE LEVEL
EXCEPTIONALLY QUIET
Brahmas
Cochins
Orpingtons
Wyandottes
TALKATIVE/PERSONABLE
Plymouth Rocks
Rhode Island Reds
New Hampshire Reds
Easter Eggers
Sexlinks
NOISY
Campines
Egyptian Fayoumis
Lakenvelders
Leghorns
Vorwerks
White Faced Black Spanish
POPULARITY
COMMON/POPULAR
(Go-to-Breeds, Common, and Easy to Find)
Australorps
Easter Eggers
Leghorns
Orpingtons
Plymouth Rocks
Rhode Island Reds
Sexlinks
Sussex
Wyandottes
RARE
(Hard to Find, Not in )
Barnevelders
Campines
Dominiques
Egyptian Fayoumis
Faverolles
Hamburgs
Lakenvelders
Marans
Russian Orloffs
Sebrights
Sicilian Buttercups
Vorwerks
White Faced Black Spanish
EXOTIC
Frizzles
Polishes
Sebrights
Silkies
White Faced Black Spanish
AMERICAN LIVESTOCK BREEDS CONSERVANCY STATUS
ENDANGERED
Campine
Russian Orloff
White Faced Black Spanish
THREATENED
Andalusian
Buttercup
Faverolles
Javas
Lakenvelders
WATCH
Brahma
Cochin
Dominique
Hamburg
New Hampshire
Polish
Rhode Island White
Sebright