33 breeds
Best chickens for beginners
Your first flock should forgive a few rookie mistakes. These breeds are calm to handle, hardy across most climates, and steady layers — the birds experienced keepers hand new owners without a second thought.
1
Golden Comet🌱Sweet and people-oriented · 250–320 eggs/yrUnited States2
ISA Brown🌱Docile and affectionate · 280–320 eggs/yrFrance3
White Leghorn🌱Active and flighty · 260–320 eggs/yrItaly4
Black Sex Link🌱Friendly and hardy · 250–300 eggs/yrUnited States5
Rhode Island Red🌱Confident and hardy · 200–300 eggs/yrUnited States6
Australorp🌱Gentle and calm · 200–280 eggs/yrAustralia7
Barred Plymouth Rock🌱Friendly and easygoing · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States8
Buff Orpington🌱Affectionate and docile · 180–280 eggs/yrEngland9
Delaware🌱Calm and friendly · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States10
Easter Egger🌱Friendly and curious · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States11
Dominique🌱Calm and steady · 180–260 eggs/yrUnited States12
Ameraucana🌱Friendly and curious · 180–250 eggs/yrUnited States13
Rhode Island White🌱Calm and docile · 200–250 eggs/yrUnited States14
Sussex🌱Curious and gentle · 200–250 eggs/yrEngland15Holland🌱Calm and adaptable · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States16
New Hampshire🌱Friendly and food-motivated · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States17
Wyandotte🌱Calm and confident · 180–240 eggs/yrUnited States18
Cream Legbar🌱Active and inquisitive · 180–230 eggs/yrEngland19
Chantecler🌱Calm and gentle · 180–220 eggs/yrCanada20
Welsummer🌱Friendly and intelligent · 160–220 eggs/yrNetherlands21
Barnevelder🌱Calm and friendly · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands22
Black Copper Marans🌱Gentle and quiet · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance23
Brahma🌱Gentle and docile · 130–200 eggs/yrUnited States24
Buckeye🌱Friendly and active · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States25
Jersey Giant🌱Mellow gentle giant · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States26
Langshan🌱Calm and dignified · 150–200 eggs/yrChina27
Naked Neck (Turken)🌱Calm and friendly · 150–200 eggs/yrTransylvania (Romania)28
Olive Egger🌱Friendly, but varies with the parents · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States29
Polish🌱Sweet but easily startled · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands30
Salmon Faverolles🌱Comically sweet and chatty · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance31
Cochin🌱Exceptionally docile · 150–180 eggs/yrChina32Java🌱Calm and self-reliant · 150–180 eggs/yrUnited States33
Silkie🌱Exceptionally sweet and cuddly · 100–120 eggs/yrChina
Golden Comet🌱Sweet and people-oriented · 250–320 eggs/yrUnited States2ISA Brown🌱Docile and affectionate · 280–320 eggs/yrFrance3White Leghorn🌱Active and flighty · 260–320 eggs/yrItaly4Black Sex Link🌱Friendly and hardy · 250–300 eggs/yrUnited States5Rhode Island Red🌱Confident and hardy · 200–300 eggs/yrUnited States6Australorp🌱Gentle and calm · 200–280 eggs/yrAustralia7Barred Plymouth Rock🌱Friendly and easygoing · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States8Buff Orpington🌱Affectionate and docile · 180–280 eggs/yrEngland9Delaware🌱Calm and friendly · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States10Easter Egger🌱Friendly and curious · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States11Dominique🌱Calm and steady · 180–260 eggs/yrUnited States12Ameraucana🌱Friendly and curious · 180–250 eggs/yrUnited States13Rhode Island White🌱Calm and docile · 200–250 eggs/yrUnited States14Sussex🌱Curious and gentle · 200–250 eggs/yrEngland15Holland🌱Calm and adaptable · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States16New Hampshire🌱Friendly and food-motivated · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States17Wyandotte🌱Calm and confident · 180–240 eggs/yrUnited States18Cream Legbar🌱Active and inquisitive · 180–230 eggs/yrEngland19Chantecler🌱Calm and gentle · 180–220 eggs/yrCanada20Welsummer🌱Friendly and intelligent · 160–220 eggs/yrNetherlands21Barnevelder🌱Calm and friendly · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands22Black Copper Marans🌱Gentle and quiet · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance23Brahma🌱Gentle and docile · 130–200 eggs/yrUnited States24Buckeye🌱Friendly and active · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States25Jersey Giant🌱Mellow gentle giant · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States26Langshan🌱Calm and dignified · 150–200 eggs/yrChina27Naked Neck (Turken)🌱Calm and friendly · 150–200 eggs/yrTransylvania (Romania)28Olive Egger🌱Friendly, but varies with the parents · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States29Polish🌱Sweet but easily startled · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands30Salmon Faverolles🌱Comically sweet and chatty · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance31Cochin🌱Exceptionally docile · 150–180 eggs/yrChina32Java🌱Calm and self-reliant · 150–180 eggs/yrUnited States33Silkie🌱Exceptionally sweet and cuddly · 100–120 eggs/yrChinaHow this list is built: Every breed here is flagged beginner-friendly in our profiles: even-tempered, adaptable to heat and cold, and reliable in the nest box. It updates automatically as we add breeds — no hand-picking.
Keep exploring
New to this? Raising Backyard Chickens for Beginners: The Complete Starter Guide walks you through it. Or browse all 51 breed profiles.
Found your breed? Track your flock.
PoultryPal gives every bird a profile — breed, eggs, hatches, and expenses — so you can see which hens actually earn their feed. Free on iOS and Android.
