The Best Brown Egg Laying Hens

Hens that lay brown eggs have red ear lobes, where hens with white ear lobes lay white eggs. When purchasing a hen consider such things as egg laying stock, meal types, dual-purpose and the color of the egg produced. It is also important to determine your goals, such as personal consumption or to sell. The Rhode Island hen can produce up to 300 eggs per year but can be slightly aggressive, whereas the Wyandotte produces up to 200 eggs per year and makes a good pet.

  1. Rhode Island Hen

    • Originally developed in New England in the 19th century, the Red Island hen is an American breed. This bird weighs an average of 6 1/2 lbs. and is most commonly rust colored. It is a dual-purpose hen that produces rich, medium brown eggs and is popular in exhibition shows. This hen is one of the best breeds due to its ability to lay 300 eggs per year. It adapts well to confinement or free-range environments and is hardy in both cold and warm climates. Its temperament varies from calm and docile to aggressive.

    Plymouth Rock Hen

    • Originally developed in New England in the 19th century, the Plymouth Rock hen is also considered an American breed. This dual-purpose bird weighs an average of 7 1/2 lbs. and comes in varieties such as barred, white, buff, silver penciled, partridge, Columbian and blue. This hen produces light brown eggs and is popular as a home or backyard hen, making it an excellent choice as a pet. Plymouth hens are good mothers, docile, calm, easy to handle and do well in confinement or free-range environments

    Wyandotte Hen

    • This hen was developed in New York State and Wisconsin in the 19th century. The Wyandotte is a dual-purpose bird that comes in varieties such as silver laced, golden laced, white, buff, partridge, silver penciled and Columbian. This bird is popular at shows and exhibitions and is known to make a good pet. It produces approximately 200 light brown eggs per year and is known to be an excellent mother. It is a cold hardy bird that is calm and does well in confinement and free-range environments.

    New Hampshire Red Hen

    • This hen was developed from the Rhode Island Red hen in the 20th century. It is a proficient egg-laying hen due to its quick maturity. It comes in light brown and red varieties only and produces light to medium brown eggs. It is both cold and heat hardy and does well in confined or free-range environments. The temperament varies in the breed from calm, curious and docile to aggressive and competitive.