A Comparison of Egg-Laying Breeds of Chickens

There are three main categories of chicken breeds including meat stock, egg-laying stock and dual-purpose stock. There are several breeds of egg-laying chickens and each breed is different from the size of the egg, including small, medium or large, to the color of the egg, including white, brown, blue and green.

  1. Rhode Island Red

    • The Rhode Island red chicken is an American breed of chicken that varies in color from rust to black, weighs up to 6.5 lb.s and is useful for both meat and eggs. The Rhode Island red chicken produces approximately 250 to 300 light brown to dark brown eggs every year. These birds are an ideal choice for backyard chickens, as they possess a good nature, are resistant to most illnesses and can make a good pet.

    Leghorn

    • The leghorn chicken is an Italian breed of chicken that comes in a variety of colors including white, black, red and buff, weighs up to 4.5 lbs. and is the most commonly used chicken for commercial white egg production. This small-bodied chicken is an excellent egg-laying breed that produces approximately 300 eggs every year. There are many varieties of leghorn chickens, the most common being the white leghorn, all are somewhat nervous, noisy and active in nature.

    Barred Rock

    • The barred rock chicken is an American breed of chicken that varies in color depending on the sex of the bird, weighs up to 7 or 8 lbs. and is useful for both meat and eggs. The barred rock chicken produces approximately 250 large brown eggs every year. Considered a docile type of bird, these hardy chickens are ideal for backyards or subdivisions as they are mellow, friendly, quiet, can withstand cold weather, live for long periods and are able to adapt quickly to an environment.

    Bantam Chicken Breeds

    • The bantam chicken breeds, also referred to as a miniature or small-scale chickens, are a specialty breed of chicken that vary in color, are found all over the world and are ideal for small-scale meat and egg production. These rare and somewhat expensive chickens are ideal for individuals that live alone or are interested in chickens as pets rather than for production. The bantam chicken breeds lay small eggs, are not always productive but make excellent pets.