Chickens Make My Breakfast: Best Backyard Breeds
Even if you live in an urban neighborhood and only have a small backyard, having your own small flock is totally doable.
Chickens are pretty low maintenance, just some feed, water, and a safe place to sleep is all it really takes.
And not only do they reward you with fresh eggs for breakfast, but they are also quite friendly and can be a great source of entertainment and stress relief.
Not to mention expert pest control.
I can pretty much guarantee if you stand by your coop and watch your flock for a few minutes, at least one of your hens will do something completely goofy that will make you laugh out loud, even if your having a really bad day.
I have raised chickens for over 16 years, and never once wished that I didn’t.
And who doesn’t love Baby Chicks !?
Having had a flock of a dozen to as many as 60 over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to try out different breeds.
Some were good, and some not so much.
Note: I Do Not recommend having a rooster. They are loud, aggressive, and rude.
Based on that experience, here is a list of some that I think are the best when considering egg production, temperament, and personality.
Rhode Island Red
The Rhode Island Red is one of the most famous and popular chicken breeds. These truly American chickens are great brown egg layers.
Developed in the early part of the last century in the state of Rhode Island as a dual purpose breed, they have led the charts for brown egg layers time after time. No other heavy breed lays more or better eggs than the Rhode Island Reds.
They have a good disposition and tend to keep the rest of the flock in line if you have a variety of breeds.
Rhode Island Red day-old baby chicks are a rusty red color, and mature birds are a variety of mahogany red.
Buff Orpingtons
Years ago at the Hamilton County Fair the poultry judge was asked to describe the correct plumage color for this variety.
Taking out his gold watch he said, “That’s the color for Buff Orpingtons.”
And pure gold they are, symbolic of great value and high quality.
Introduced from England in the late 1800’s, they became one of the most popular farm fowls in this country. These are large, stately birds of quiet disposition.
Their heavy, full plumage make them excellent winter layers, shelling out brown eggs right through cold weather.
They also make excellent setters and mothers.
But they can also become broody, refusing to leave the nest.
The baby chicks are a soft light buff color.
Barred Rocks
The Barred Rock (Plymouth Rock) chicken is one of the all-time, popular favorites in the U.S. They can’t be beat for steady, reliable chickens.
This Heritage Breed was developed in New England in the early 1800’s by crossing Dominiques and Black Javas.
Since then, the breed has spread to every part of the US and is an ideal, American chicken.
This breed of chickens is often referred to as a Plymouth Rock, but that title actually refers to the entire breed, not just the Barred variety. Other varieties include Buff, Partridge, Silver Penciled and White.
These hardy, dual-purpose chickens are known as prolific brown egg layers, and the hens are not discouraged by cold weather.
They are long, broad, and deep-bodied and are bred for strength and vitality.
Baby chicks are dark gray to black, with some white patches on their head and body.
Ameraucanas
The Ameraucana is a highly popular breed, known for their beautiful blue eggs. Sometimes referred to as Easter Eggers.
The Ameraucana breed was originally developed in the 1970s, derived from Araucanas. Ameraucanas were bred to retain the blue-egg laying gene but eliminate some of the issues associated with the Araucana breed.
Mature Ameraucanas are medium-sized birds with pea combs, are extremely hardy, and come in a wonderful combination of colors and color patterns making a beautiful laying flock.
Baby chicks come in all colors, just like the adults.
Silkies
Just because they’re goofy.
These are relatively small birds, and not really for laying purposes.
But what they lack in other areas they more than makeup for in personality and style.
A fairly unassuming little chicken that despite its size, seems to get along with all the other birds and has a style all its own.
They come in white, black, or buff colors, with black skin underneath.
If Your Looking For Something Different
For those that would like to have a small flock, but are looking for something a little more exotic.
Here is a list of some other great choices.
Faverolles
The Salmon Faverolle was originally bred as a utility poultry breed in France for winter eggs.
Today the breed is rare and raised mostly for exhibition and novelty.
Faverolles are good-sized chickens with a beard, muff, feathered legs and feet, and a fifth toe.
Males are straw-colored with reddish-brown and black markings. Females are creamy white and salmon brown and lay cream-colored eggs.
Day-old baby chicks are fluffy and creamy white with muffs and fuzzy legs.
Faverolles do not do well in a free-range setting, but are good in colder weather and have a nice disposition.
Welsummer
The Welsummer is a single combed, clean legged breed of chicken that originated in Holland.
Welsummers have a docile temperament, are cold hardy, heat-tolerant, and lay rich, dark brown eggs.
The feathering of the males is very different from that of the females. The male’s saddle, head, and neck feathers are a rich golden brown, while their back, wing front, and wing bows are bright reddish-brown.
Each feather on the back of the females is reddish-brown, stippled with black, and has a distinct lighter shaft.
Gold Campines
This is a very old and rare breed that originated in Belgium.
Golden Campines features a beautiful combination of lustrous black and golden bay to make the distinctive barred feather pattern.
They are rather small and lay white eggs. The chicks are the most highly colored we hatch, showing a bright zigzag pattern of black, brown, and white stripes.
Speckled Sussex
The Speckled Sussex was developed in Sussex County, England over 100 years ago.
It was famous there as a table fowl with pinkish-white skin and a long, deep body ideal for fattening.
It is of medium size, in the heavy breed class, with a layer of light brown or tinted eggs, and the hens will set.
Its plumage color is a delight to the eye being of rich mahogany base color with individual feathers ending in a white tip separated from the rest of the feathers by a black bar.
Baby chicks vary greatly in color from a creamy buff to dark chestnut and some also have alternate dark and light stripes lengthwise on the back.
This variety combines beauty with utility and is very nice to raise for showing.
Bielefelders
This fairly new breed is making a huge splash in the poultry world.
This is a great starter chicken. They tend to be chatty, and friendly, and love being one of the family.
A good choice if you have children or grandchildren.
These gentle giants are extremely docile, beautiful and easy to raise — the hardest thing about raising Bielefelders is being able to pronounce their name.
These robust birds have large, round bodies that put Orpingtons to shame.
Males have barred feathers and are easily 10 pounds, and hens aren’t much smaller. These are great birds for both meat and eggs.
Conclusion
When you have made the decision that it’s time to get some chickens,
I highly recommend getting them from a breeder or hatchery.
This will insure that you’re getting healthy, quality birds that are true to breed and ensure your getting what you expect.
Those cute little chicks at Tractor Supply are what’s called straight-run chickens.
This means they know what kind they are but they haven’t been sexed.
So you could wind up with 5 roosters out of the 6 chicks you bought.
Whether you are just looking for a few laying hens or something more exotic, there are a lot of great choices out there.
Don’t be shy, get some and Get started.