What is the point of maintaining a page called types of chicken if we don’t make a strong, large and filled with information article about the 20 Most Popular Chicken Breeds.

We made this list based on our own opinions and you should not care much about the numbering. These are our, thetypesofchicken.com team`s favorite breeds and we hope that you enjoy reading this article as much as we enjoyed creating it for you.

If you think that we missed out on some breed make sure that you contact us through the comment section.

1. Plymouth Rock



via Flickr

A chicken breed that enjoys life.

They are the perfect chicken breed for many chicken keepers. They enjoy living in a coop and being outside.

Great winter layers and capable of giving vast brown eggs you will never have a chicken in your coop such as the Plymouth Rock.

If you want to know more about this breed make sure that you check out typesofchicken.com weekly Pros & Cons articles, where the Plymouth Rock chickens are coming soon.

There is one very important thing that can influence the quality of the eggs and the mood of the hen – the coop. The quality of the chicken coop is crucial for you if you are serious about breeding chicken so i highly recommend that you (invest in this manual). This manual helped me and many other people to make chicken breeding easier and more simple.

2. Ameuricana



The breed that came from blue egg-laying chickens is the Ameraucana breed.

The interesting thing is that they didn’t inherit any breeding problems unlike their “cousins” Araucana`s which we will talk about more on number 17.

Their eggs have different shades of blue, and while we’re talking about the color blue, they also have blue legs.

The Ameraucana breed has muffs and a beard, they are hardy and sweet. More often they are confused with the Easter Eggers because their eggs can be blue and green.

3. Silkie



via Flickr

We had to put the Silkie on the top of this list because we are aware about the nature of this awesome chicken breed.

Excellent mothers, pets, egg layers and what makes them different from other breeds is that the Silkie chickens can be very comfortable living in an apartment.

Their fuzziness can make them slip into everyone`s heart and become your favorite chicken breed. The Silkie chickens are great with children and children enjoy playing with them.

If you don’t have the opportunity to own a big chicken coop but love keeping chickens and fresh eggs daily the Silkie chickens are most likely – the perfect breed for you.

What is also special about this particular breed of chickens is that they have extremely large cultural and historical values and you can find them even in Marco Polo`s writings. Their meat is said to have healing powers therefore can be very expensive in restaurants.

4. Rhode Island Red



via Flickr

The first breed we talked about in our weekly Pros & Cons articles, a very enjoyable chicken breed.

Excellent egg layers during the winter the Rhode Island Red Chickens are the perfect breed for you if you live in colder areas.

What is good about this breed is that they also give good meat but what is bad for you and them is that they can get a bit moody.

Outside of them being moody there is not much that can keep you from getting this breed for your flock.

5. Cochin



via Flickr

One of our favorite chicken breeds, the Cochin have held a place in many chicken keepers hearts.

AWESOME pets and very protective mothers.

Although you can often catch them bullying other chickens and they lay smallish eggs, it will never be a mistake if you add a Cochin to your flock.

They are very beautiful to have and they can quickly make their way in any non chicken keeper`s heart. This is the breed that most chicken keepers want to show off with due to the fact that they are very people friendly.

Something that is very important for you to know about this particular breed is that they don’t do very well in the summer so you need to make sure that if want to keep this breed that you can keep them properly hydrated during hot weather.

6. Australorp



via Flickr

Big, proud and very persistent egg layers.

The size of this breed makes them very adaptable to weather conditions.

However – the Australorp are also famous for their friendly attitude towards humans and animals alike. If you don’t have enough room to keep a chicken breed as big as this – don’t worry the Australorp is also available bantam.

There are some issues about their color availability in the United States so don’t be surprised if you cannot get some of the variety of colors this breed is available in if you live in the States.

7. Leghorn



via Flickr

Calm and curious, some chicken keepers call the Leghorn the “Winter Wonders” because of their ability to lay eggs during the winter.

They can be bullies and there are many situations where one of them can get lost because of their curious character.

Enjoyable to keep and maintain this is a chicken breed you cannot say no to.

Sometimes their calm side can turn into their lazy side and they can get very bossy towards you and the rest of your flock which can lead to problems in the pecking order.

If properly taken care of the Leghorn chickens can provide you with great white eggs.

Not very good provider of meat though so don’t consider this breed if you want a large quantity of meat out of your chickens.

8. Sussex



via Flickr

Very beautiful chicken breed, the Sussex are a good add to every flock.

Very persistent egg layers and famous for their intelligence and friendliness.

The Sussex chickens can also get greedy and scare other chickens from your flock so make sure that you put a bit more feed in your chicken feeder if you add a Sussex to a previously formed pecking order.

The curiosity that characterizes this breed can also be bad for them because they tend to get stuck in tight places. Keeping your run and chicken coop properly closed may be a good idea if you want to have this chicken breed in your flock.

9. Orpington



via Flickr

An almost too good to be true the Orpington chickens are a dual purpose breed than can get you quality eggs and meat.

Large and proud, what many chicken keepers have said is that the Orpingtons didn’t fit in their flock because they are too big and can unintentionally cause some trouble in the flock.

The Buff Orpington chickens are a heritage breed and it is very rare that chicken breeders mix them. Even though they are maybe one of the most perfect dual purpose breed this does not mean that you don’t need to keep proper care of them as much as any other breed of chicken.

10. Wayandotte



Colorful breed of chickens, their feathers come in many different patterns.

They are also very dependable if you want fresh eggs daily. A must have for every flock the Wayandotte are the favorite breed to a large number of chicken keepers.

11. Brahma



via Flickr

Excellent meat providers due to their size, but I know many chicken keepers that didn’t want to eat their Brahma chickens because they got close to them as pets.

Originating from India the Brahma chickens LOVE TO HUG, and their big size and fluffy feathers will make you love hugging them too.

Also one of the breeds that can enjoy living confined but also being outside I cannot think of why we put them on number 11.

12. Rosecomb



via Flcikr

Also called the fancy chickens- the Rosecomb chickens are very famous for their particular proud stance.

Also they are only available bantam and demand a bit more up-keeping than the rest of the chicken breeds so it is not recommended that you start chicken keeping with these gentle fancy chickens.

One of the most used chicken breed for shows.

13. New Hampshire



via Flickr

The New Hampshire Reds came from the Rhode Island Reds, but due to the fact that over the years they have modified from selective breeding, they are famous today as a new breed.

The Rhode Island Reds produces less meat and more eggs, this is where they differ.

The New Hampshire Reds produce more meat and fewer eggs – they grow quicker and mature earlier.

There is one very important thing that can influence the quality of the eggs and the mood of the hen – the coop. The quality of the chicken coop is crucial for you if you are serious about breeding chicken so i highly recommend that you (invest in this manual). This manual helped me and many other people to make chicken breeding easier and more simple.

This breed is American and is known to have 2 types: Large Fowl and Bantam. The New Hampshire Red Hen is heavy, around 7-8 lbs. The eggs they lay are brown and large.

Their personality varies, either way they are suitable for farms because they can handle colder weather, confinement and are adaptable.

14. Cornish



via Flcikr

Originating from England, the Cornish chickens are very sensitive to cold due to their short feathers.

However the Cornish chickens are very sufficient meat providers so it is never a bad idea if you decide to keep some in your flock.

Many chicken keepers don’t consider the Cornish chicken good pets but we at the typesofchicken.com team believe that any chicken can be friendly if you do something about it. Some chicken keepers disagree and say that the Cornish can be very good lap chickens because they enjoy petting and are not very active.

Read More About – Tips On How To Raise Friendly Chickens! You will be surprised with Number 2!!!

15. Barnevelder



via Flickr

Originating from Holland, the Barnevelder chicken breed can be found in America also.

Their dark colored eggs make them very famous and this is mostly why many chicken keepers enjoy having them in their flock.

Some chicken keepers say that the Barnevelder chickens enjoy staying in the coop more than going outside although we are not sure if we can confirm or deny that. Very quiet.

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16. Sebright



via Flickr

Named after Sir John Sebright who took 30 years to develop this breed. We cannot thank that guy enough for giving us the sweetest chicken breed there is.

Honestly, the Sebright chickens are the only ones that can compete with the Silkie chickens with their cuteness. They are available only bantam, so don’t expect to get large eggs from them.

17. Araucana



via Flickr

Earlier we mentioned the Araucanas and their difficulty to breed.

The cause factor of this is the tufted gene that makes a lot of baby chicks die in their shells, therefore, the tufts can be often noticed to be asymmetrical.

There are 2 types of Araucanas: Large Fowls and Bantam.

There is one very important thing that can influence the quality of the eggs and the mood of the hen – the coop. The quality of the chicken coop is crucial for you if you are serious about breeding chicken so i highly recommend that you (invest in this manual). This manual helped me and many other people to make chicken breeding easier and more simple.

They are small, 4-5 lbs. It is important to highlight their rarity and recognizable varieties such as black, black red, golden duckwing, silver duckwing and white.

Their eggs are medium sized and light blue but they must not be confused with the Easter Eggers (who can lay blue and green eggs). They are also suitable for backyard life because they tolerate winter, confinement and are adaptable.

18. Dorking



via Flickr

According to many, the Dorking chickens are the oldest chicken breed recorded in human history.

They differ from the modern breeds in many ways – they have five toes, their legs are considerably shorter than any other breeds and more.

They are very friendly and gentle and their presence in backyard chicken flocks can save them from being ENDANGERED.

So if you by any chance get the opportunity to keep Dorking chickens in your flock – don’t miss it and help the world have the pleasure of enjoying this historical breed.

19. Dominique



via Flickr

A heritage breed, the Dominique chickens are more than endangered – they are almost extinct.

They have been around for hundreds of years and are very similar to the Barred Rock chickens.

What makes these 2 breeds different is the rose comb of the Dominique chickens.

Generally, a dual purpose breed the Dominique chickens make excellent mothers. Not widely available due to the almost extinct part.

20. Ancona



via Flickr

Black with white spots, the Ancona chickens can start laying eggs earlier than other breeds and these are some of the characteristics that make them special.

They enjoy eating bugs more than other breeds and if you are good and calm with them they will be good and calm with you.

If you already have Ancona chickens in your flock make sure that you make good use of their feathers.

Very good egg layers in winter and very active it is very rare that adding this breed to your flock is a bad idea.

Do you agree with our list?

Make sure that you contact us with your ideas through the comment section or via e-mail support@typesofchicken.com