Searching for the perfect backyard chicken can feel overwhelming with countless types of chickens and with countless breeds, shapes, colors, and sizes to choose from!
As a chicken keeper for over a decade, I’ve developed this no-nonsense guide to simplify your chicken-picking journey. Most folks want friendly, beautiful birds that are generous with their yummy eggs while making excellent family pets. From gentle giants to teeny bantams, from skinny minnies to big-bottomed fluff bombs—each type of chicken has unique traits. Some have distinctive features like beards, black bones, extra toes, or lay blue eggs.
The chickens’ personalities range from affectionate to grumpy, and they can even be born fighters, showcasing varying skills as mothers who could practically raise your kids! When selecting birds for your barnyard, consider which will behave well in your specific setup.
Chickens are formally categorized by breed, use, and type—and origin, but most human keepers focus on practical types—which lay the most eggs, make the best pets, look attractive, or are easiest to care for. Finding your perfect hatch match involves understanding your priorities rather than tracing a bird’s great-grandfather. Beyond formal terminology, consider whether you’re the right type for your hen—can you provide proper climate, care, diet, coop, a safe environment with adequate room, and a six-foot fence?
Most of our customers keep chickens for similar main reasons: eggs and meat production, as pets where eggs are a bonus, or for showing at exhibitions. Your specific goals will determine which of the hundreds of breeds is ideal for your unique two-way relationship with these remarkable birds. Remember that chicken keeping is both art and science—matching your expectations with what you can provide.
HOW MANY TYPES OF CHICKEN ARE THERE?
The number of chicken breeds worldwide remains largely unknown, but experts confirm hundreds of different types exist today. Choosing your perfect chicken can feel difficult when facing so many options, but knowing what type you want is the first step. Understanding essential chicken jargon like pure breeds versus hybrid breeds makes the selection process less mind-blowing.
Poultry enthusiasts categorize individual birds by size, use, origin, and abundance as well as geographical origin. From the large, rare, Asiatic Dong Tao meat bird to adorable bantam breeds (those smaller versions of standard chickens), the diversity is remarkable.
Purpose-Based Chicken Varieties
When we talk about chicken types, we’re usually referring to their purpose. There are four types of chicken by what they’re bred to do. Production chicken breeds include layers (those amazing egg-popping machines), meat birds (which develop fast and are used mainly for meat), and dual-purpose birds that lay well but can be butchered successfully when needed. The fourth type—ornamental breeds—are simply bred to look gorgeous rather than perform a practical job.
Origin-Based Chicken Classifications
When I began, I learned how breeders use a classification or class of chicken by breed’s origin, sorting into six classes or six types. In my flock, I had to choose a breed among all other standard breeds of chickens: American, Continental, and English.
As winter set in, hardy Easter Eggers, Cream Legbars, Barred (Plymouth) Rocks, Brahmas, Wyandottes, Dorkings, Sussex, and Cochins thrived in cold or cold climate conditions as a cold-hardy bird group. I also counted Ameraucanas, Araucanas, and Buff Orpingtons braving frostbite risk and refusing to freeze, thanks to fluffy feathers and living well between 55 and 75° Fahrenheit, enjoying small pools of water, a fan in the coop, shade or coverage, mixed-breed chickens, and mixed climates, while they continued to thrive in any environment or weather with steady water access.
By summer, Naked Necks, Rhode Island Reds, and New Hampshire Reds handled the hot climate and hot summer temperatures without severe heat stress. I added electrolytes to their water, hoping to reduce heat impacts when extreme high summer temperatures pushed them beyond warm environments.
For other purposes, I studied Ameraucana, Brass, Marans, Minorca, Silkies, Wellsummer, and White Leghorn, noting their pea combs, small pea combs, egg-laying process, and even offering frozen treats. Observing each helped me see how thick coats of feathers and unique coloring reflect the origins that shape behavior.
Chicken Varieties: A World of Diversity
The USA officially counts 463 recognized chicken breeds, though there are hundreds more depending on which country you’re in. Beyond officially recognized breeds, many backyard flock owners like myself prefer popular hybrids like Easter Eggers, Golden Comets, and ISA Browns—birds that are famous among poultry people but may require more research before purchase.
The APA-recognized breeds can be categorized by size and color into different types. Currently, there are 33 standard-sized breeds comprising 189 varieties, plus 60 bantams. When I started my flock, I was overwhelmed by these options until I learned to focus on specific characteristics that would thrive in my particular environment.
Chickens grouped by their size
If you mean by type their size, there are three types of chicken according to size category. Within these categories—Peep the bantam, Nugget the standard-sized Orpington, and Cluckzilla the giant Jersey Giant—you’ll find further categorization with terms like true bantam, miniaturized standard, and large fowl.
🐓 LARGE CHICKEN BREEDS
Characteristics:
- Weight: 8–13 lbs (3.6–5.9 kg)
- Purpose: Dual-purpose (meat & eggs), calm, and hardy
Breed Types:
- Jersey Giant
- Brahma
- Cochin
- Orpington
- Langshan
- Sussex
- Plymouth Rock
- Australorp
- Wyandotte
- Delaware
🐔 MEDIUM CHICKEN BREEDS
Characteristics:
- Weight: 5–7.5 lbs (2.3–3.4 kg)
- Purpose: Primarily egg-layers, active and efficient
Breed Types:
- Leghorn
- Rhode Island Red
- Easter Egger
- Ancona
- Barnevelder
- Welsummer
- Dominique
- New Hampshire Red
- Cream Legbar
- Lakenvelder
🐣 SMALL CHICKEN BREEDS (BANTAMS)
Characteristics:
- Weight: 1–2.5 lbs (0.5–1.1 kg)
- Purpose: Ornamental, exhibition, some light egg-laying
Breed Types:
- Sebright
- Serama
- Belgian d’Uccle
- Dutch Bantam
- Japanese Bantam
- Silkie Bantam
- Bantam Cochin
- Bantam Orpington
- Bantam Wyandotte
- Bantam Leghorn
CHICKEN TYPES—CATEGORIZED BY EGGS
WHICH TYPE OF CHICKEN LAYS THE MOST EGGS?
The Isa Brown is thought to be the most egg-laying breed, which lays 330-350 eggs per year. To know the best breed that lays the most eggs, if you are looking for egg-laying machine breeds, then you must find out which breed lays the most eggs, which meets your expectations.
Top 10 High Egg-Producing Chickens:
- Isa Brown—300 to 350 eggs/year
- Hy-Line Brown—320 to 330 eggs/year
- Lohmann Brown —300 to 320 eggs/year
- White Leghorn—280 to 320 eggs/year
- Golden Comet—280 to 320 eggs/year
- Amberlink—270 to 300 eggs/year
- Australorp—250 to 300 eggs/year
- Rhode Island Red—250 to 300 eggs/year
- Sussex—250 to 280 eggs/year
- Plymouth Rock—200 to 280 eggs/year
Chickens That Lay Blue Eggs
Five types of chickens that lay blue eggs—probably you’ve heard the names before now.
Top 5 Blue Egg-Laying Chickens:
- Araucana
- Ameraucana
- Easter Egger
- Cream Legbar
- Arkansas Blue
Chickens That Lay Green Eggs
If you think about green egg-laying chicken breeds, Easter Egger is mainly the name. Others are eights, which lay olive-colored eggs.
Top 8 Green Egg-Laying Chickens:
- Easter Egger
- Olive Egger
- Isbar (Silverudd Blue)
- Favaucana
- Ice Cream Bar (Isbar × Cream Legbar cross)
- Sage Gem
- Starlight Green Egger
- Green Queen
Chickens That Lay Brown Eggs
Marans are known as the brown egg layers. There are a lot of breeds that lay brown eggs. Mainly these ten chicken breeds are the brown egg layers.
Top 10 Brown Egg-Laying Chickens:
- Marans
- Welsummer
- Wyandotte
- Brahma
- Jersey Giant
- Orpington
- Serama
- Silkie
- Rhode Island Reds
- Golden Comets
Chickens That Lay White Eggs
When we talk about chicken eggs, which color comes to our mind? Obviously White! So, hundreds of chicken types lay white eggs. Here are the famous breeds that lay white chicken eggs.
Top 10 White Egg-Laying Chicken Breeds
- California White
- Leghorn
- Ancona
- Polish
- Andalusian
- Sumatra
- Hamburg
- Minorca
- Lakenvelder
- Sicilian Buttercup
Chickens That Lay Large Eggs
The biggest eggs are commonly produced by hybrid types of chicken breeds. Hybrids are the biggest source for larger eggs. Here are the top ten biggest egg-laying breeds.
Top 10 Larger Egg-Laying Chicken Breeds
- California White
- Leghorn
- Ancona
- Polish
- Andalusian
- Sumatra
- Hamburg
- Minorca
- Lakenvelder
- Sicilian Buttercup
Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds:
The Wyandotte and the Rhode Island Red breeds likely see that dual-purpose breeds. These types of breeds give a great supply of meat and lay at least 200 eggs per year. They are very beneficial for chicken keepers.
Top 10 Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds
- The Wyandotte
- The Orpington
- The Rhode Island Red
- The Black Australorp
- The Sussex
- The Plymouth Rock
- The Brahma
- The Delaware
- The Dominique
- The Cochin
CHICKENS CATEGORIZED BY TEMPERAMENT
THE BEST TYPES OF CHICKEN FOR BEGINNERS
Getting started with keeping chickens can be alarming for you, but selecting a less demanding breed makes all the difference. Beginners typically favor certain chicken breeds with good reason—they’re popular because they’re easy to live with.
Don’t fear being boring with your first flock! While some delightful-looking divas can be a handful (save those for next year), there are plenty of stunning breeds to choose from that give as much as they take in the relationship and enjoy your affection.
Top 10 Chicken Breeds for Beginners:
- The Australorp Chicken
- The Orpington Chicken
- The Brahma Chicken
- The Rhode Island Red Chicken
- The Silkie Chicken
- The Barred Plymouth Rock Chicken
- The Cochin Chicken
- The Wyandotte Chicken
- The Sussex Chicken
- The Ameraucana Chicken
Chickens with friendly types
Are you craving a co-op mate who enjoys copious cuddles? Selecting the right chicken breed with a caring temperament is a no-brainer if you have kids who want to get hands-on with your hens. Finding a truly friendly chicken becomes especially important for families wanting to maximize interaction.
Remember that chickens are individuals—no breed comes with a guaranteed character trait. While certain breeds are more likely to become your snuggle buddy than others, I’ve found through years of raising various breeds that early handling and gentle interaction often matter more than genetics alone.
Top 10 Friendly-Type Chicken Breeds:
- Silkie Chicken
- Rhode Island Red Chicken
- Buff Orpington Chicken
- Sussex Chicken
- Cochin Chicken
- Wyandotte Chicken
- Jersey Giant Chicken
- Easter Egger Chicken
- Faverolles Chicken
- Australorp Chicken
Popular Breeds in the US
Most of the keepers in the US prefer these categories and breeds in the time of keeping for their backyard. In my opinion, these are the best and most popular breeds for particular reasons, like these are the friendliest and good for beginners. I think it’s best to say that we have some in number that list down here.
10 Most Popular Chicken Breeds in the US:
- The Brahma
- The Silkie
- The Cochin
- The Leghorn
- The Orpington
- The Plymouth Rock
- The Wyandotte
- The Ameraucana
- The Jersey Giant
- The Rhode Island Red
CHICKENS CATEGORIZED BY LOOKS
CHICKEN COLOR TYPES
Many chicken breeds come in the same color, and most of the breeds come in multiple colors.
The American Poultry Association (APA) lists down all the breeds by their color. Same-color breeds like Rhode Island Red obviously come in red. Some single breeds (like the Old English Game Bantam) have 30+ color varieties alone.
10 Most Common Colors for Chickens:
- Black
- White
- Buff
- Gray
- Silver
- Blue
- Red
- Lavender
- Wheaten
- Golden Laced
THE MOST ATTRACTIVE TYPES OF CHICKEN
It’s so funny when we talk about the most attractive and beautiful chickens; most people mean chickens that are so fluffy, like silkies. But there are ten other, more eye-catching breeds.
The Top 10 Best-Looking Chickens are
- The Belgian d’Uccle
- The Frizzle
- The Golden Polish
- The Plymouth Rock
- The Sebright
- The Phoenix
- The Silkie
- The Onagadori
- The Gold & Silver Laced Wyandotte
- The Hamburg
Feathery Fluff Balls for Your Flock
When discussing the fluffiest birds for your backyard flock, Silkies top the list with their uniquely barbless feathers that keep them looking like down-covered baby chicks their entire lives.
But other fluffy chicken varieties deserve attention too! The Cochin stands out as a big, round, heavily-feathered beauty that fits massive feathery cuddle bubbles when fully grown. With dozens of fluffy types available, you can pick your favorite snuggle buddy from among the 10 most snuggly-looking clucks that also make good backyard breeds.
What makes these birds so touchable? Many have extra down feathers that make already large birds appear even fluffier, while others possess special feather types that give them a satiny soft or extra feathery appearance. My first Silkies transformed my humble coop into a showcase of soft and feathery charm that delighted visitors of all ages. Fluffy chicken is perfect for everyone!
Most fluffy chicken breeds are remarkably friendly and docile, making them fun additions to any flock. After raising various varieties, my favorite fluffy chicken breeds continuously demonstrate calmer temperaments than their sleeker counterparts, making them perfect companions for families new to chicken keeping.
Top 10 Fluffy Chickens:
- Silkie
- Frizzle
- Cochin
- Polish
- Sultan
- Ameraucana
- Orpington
- Faverolle
- Brahma
- Marans
The World’s Most Unusual Chickens
The world’s rarest chickens are classified by The Livestock Conservancy. These unique breeds are often over 200 years old, with less than 1000 birds existing globally, making them hard to find and difficult to get.
Rare breed chickens are often singled out from other chicken breeds due to their exotic features. The Rainbow chicken, for a while, has feathers shining brightly with multiple colors, making these gals and guys the talk of the town when you add them to your flock.
While The Livestock Conservancy’s list does not include all endangered varieties, it has determined that several special breeds have limited breeding individuals in the United States and worldwide. Some authorities have considered and listed around 10 rare chicken breeds as of 2021, all deemed worthy of preservation efforts to maintain their numbers.
10 Rarest Chickens in the World:
- Svart Hona
- Holland
- Onagadori
- Sultan
- Erminette
- Hedemora
- Derbyshire Redcap
- La Flèche
- Campine
- Burmese
WHICH TYPE OF CHICKEN SHOULD I CHOOSE?
In order to select a breed for your backyard, you have a lot of options out there. But you have to select those who are richer to fill your egg boxes.
Your backyard farm is just like a family if you add multiple types or breeds. If you are a beginner, then in my suggestion, you need to add at least three categories of chickens, and they do not have the same size, color, or equal temperaments.
To find careful and friendly chickens for your existing flock and for a new one, you have to consider consideration. Finding the best chicken for your flock may be interesting for you.
Picking out your perfect chicken is just the beginning—there’s a whole chicken-keeping adventure waiting for you!