A List of Chicken Breeds That Are Good for Eggs

With a trend towards homesteading and sustainable living sweeping the United States, and rising concerns over the safety of the national food supply, backyard chicken flocks are gaining in popularity. The Worldwatch Institute reports that small flocks are no longer confined to the country or even suburbia, but rather they are springing up in cities like Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston. Amateur chicken owners looking to build a small flock should consider both the egg production and personality qualities of individual chicken breeds.

  1. White Leghorn

    • Leghorn chickens are bred with 13 different recognized varieties, but the white are both the most common and the variety most often employed in large commercial laying facilities. The White Leghorn chicken, named for the city of Livorno in Italy, can be excitable and loud, despite their compact 4-lb. stature. White leghorns are considered to be one of the most prolific layers, averaging 300 white eggs annually.

    Rhode Island Red

    • The Rhode Island Red chicken was developed in Adamsville, a village in the state's Little Compton. The Rhode Island Red is considered to be a disease-resistant breed with good foraging skills. Hens weigh approximately 6-1/2 lbs. at maturity. Although Rhode Island Reds are considered docile with humans unless provoked, they can be hostile with other chickens, attacking members of their flock when in captivity. Rhode Island Reds are prolific layers of light brown eggs, producing between 250 and 300 large eggs annually.

    Orpington

    • Orpington chickens are well suited to backyard flock life due to their docile nature. William Cook first bred Orpingtons in 1886. Although the original birds were black, by 1905 he was also breeding Orpingtons in buff, blue and white. Orpingtons are heavy chickens, weighing between 7 and 10 lbs. at maturity. This breed continues to lay eggs throughout winter when many others have stopped. Average egg production by an Orpington is 110 to 160 light brown or off-white eggs annually.

    Plymouth Rock

    • John C. Bennet bred Plymouth Rock Chickens and brought them into the mainstream in New England in the 19th century. Plymouth Rock chickens are a docile, broody breed maturing to about 7-1/2 lbs. for hens. Plymouth Rock chickens with feather markings in Barred, Buff, Partridge, Blue, Columbian, White and Silver-Penciled variations. The Barred Plymouth Rock is both the original and the most widely available today. Plymouth Rock chickens lay approximately 200 light to medium brown eggs annually, with frequency decreasing in winter months.