If you’re thinking about raising chickens in your backyard, it’s important to select the right breed. Different breeds have different traits, such as laying eggs or being good foragers. The best backyard chicken breeds are those that are hardy and easy to take care of. Here are some of the best breeds of backyard chickens to consider:
- Plymouth Barred Rock
- Australorp
- Leghorn
- Rhode Island Red
There are many different kinds of chickens, but some breeds are better suited to backyard flocks than others.
There are dozens of chicken breeds with unique qualities and characteristics — no one breed is right for every situation. Some breeds are better suited to cold climates, some are good egg layers, some are more docile and others are great for meat production.
The best breeds of chickens for your backyard flock will depend on what you’re looking for in a bird. Here’s a list of the top ten most popular breeds of backyard chickens:
Best Breeds Of Backyard Chickens
1) Leghorn Chicken
2) Rhode Island Red Chicken
3) Delaware Chicken
4) Barred Rock Chicken
There are many different breeds of chickens, and each has its own unique characteristics. To find the best backyard chickens for you, consider your needs and then select a breed that matches them.
Some breeds are better suited to cold climates, while others do well in warmer areas. Some are good layers, while others are good for meat or both. Some have large broods that mature quickly and can be raised for meat in about six months, while others take longer than nine months to grow their first batch of chicks.
It’s also important to consider how much space you have available. Smaller birds like bantam hens need less room than larger ones do. If space is limited, try to choose breeds that are small enough to fit comfortably into your chicken coop or run without feeling cramped or crowded.
Chicken breeds range from the small bantams to the large, heavy-breed hens. The most popular backyard chicken breeds are:
Leghorns. These birds are great layers, but they are not very friendly or good foragers. They are also notorious for having poor feather quality and being susceptible to mites (tiny insects that live on a bird’s skin).
The Rhode Island Red is a hardy breed that can tolerate cold weather well and lay lots of eggs. They have coarse feathers that don’t keep them as warm as other chickens during the winter months, however (see below).
White Rocks are another good choice if you want a dual purpose bird (meat and eggs) because they grow quickly and produce lots of meat. However, they do not make great pets because they are not very friendly, nor will they lay many eggs when compared with other breeds.
Chickens have a bad reputation for being dirty and smelly, but they don’t have to be. With a little bit of care and attention, you can raise chickens that are clean, happy and healthy.
- Buff Orpington
The Buff Orpington chicken is a big, friendly bird with a fluffed-out tail and black feathers on its legs and feet. It’s an excellent layer that lays large brown eggs with dark orange yolks. They’re also good foragers and can reach maturity in just six months.
- Rhode Island Red
The Rhode Island red is an all-around great breed of chicken that has been popular since the late 1800s when it was first developed in Rhode Island by crossing several breeds of chickens together to create one strong bird. It’s known for being friendly, hardy and easy to raise — even for beginners — which makes them great for backyard chicken coops! Plus, they’re prolific egg layers that lay large white eggs every day!
- Barred Rock
The Barred Rock chicken is a cross between a barred Plymouth Rock rooster and a New Hampshire hen. The resulting offspring are very similar to their parents: They’re friendly, docile birds that lay