30 breeds
Best chickens for families with kids
The best family chicken is calm enough for small hands, tough enough to survive enthusiastic 'help,' and productive enough to keep the egg hunt exciting. These breeds check all three boxes.
1
Golden Comet🌱Sweet and people-oriented · 250–320 eggs/yrUnited States2
ISA Brown🌱Docile and affectionate · 280–320 eggs/yrFrance3
Black Sex Link🌱Friendly and hardy · 250–300 eggs/yrUnited States4
Australorp🌱Gentle and calm · 200–280 eggs/yrAustralia5
Barred Plymouth Rock🌱Friendly and easygoing · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States6
Buff Orpington🌱Affectionate and docile · 180–280 eggs/yrEngland7
Delaware🌱Calm and friendly · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States8
Easter Egger🌱Friendly and curious · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States9
Dominique🌱Calm and steady · 180–260 eggs/yrUnited States10
Ameraucana🌱Friendly and curious · 180–250 eggs/yrUnited States11
Rhode Island White🌱Calm and docile · 200–250 eggs/yrUnited States12
Sussex🌱Curious and gentle · 200–250 eggs/yrEngland13Holland🌱Calm and adaptable · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States14
New Hampshire🌱Friendly and food-motivated · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States15
Wyandotte🌱Calm and confident · 180–240 eggs/yrUnited States16
Chantecler🌱Calm and gentle · 180–220 eggs/yrCanada17
Welsummer🌱Friendly and intelligent · 160–220 eggs/yrNetherlands18
Barnevelder🌱Calm and friendly · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands19
Black Copper Marans🌱Gentle and quiet · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance20
Brahma🌱Gentle and docile · 130–200 eggs/yrUnited States21
Buckeye🌱Friendly and active · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States22
Jersey Giant🌱Mellow gentle giant · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States23
Langshan🌱Calm and dignified · 150–200 eggs/yrChina24
Naked Neck (Turken)🌱Calm and friendly · 150–200 eggs/yrTransylvania (Romania)25
Olive Egger🌱Friendly, but varies with the parents · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States26
Polish🌱Sweet but easily startled · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands27
Salmon Faverolles🌱Comically sweet and chatty · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance28
Cochin🌱Exceptionally docile · 150–180 eggs/yrChina29Java🌱Calm and self-reliant · 150–180 eggs/yrUnited States30
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/yrFrance3Black Sex Link🌱Friendly and hardy · 250–300 eggs/yrUnited States4Australorp🌱Gentle and calm · 200–280 eggs/yrAustralia5Barred Plymouth Rock🌱Friendly and easygoing · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States6Buff Orpington🌱Affectionate and docile · 180–280 eggs/yrEngland7Delaware🌱Calm and friendly · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States8Easter Egger🌱Friendly and curious · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States9Dominique🌱Calm and steady · 180–260 eggs/yrUnited States10Ameraucana🌱Friendly and curious · 180–250 eggs/yrUnited States11Rhode Island White🌱Calm and docile · 200–250 eggs/yrUnited States12Sussex🌱Curious and gentle · 200–250 eggs/yrEngland13Holland🌱Calm and adaptable · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States14New Hampshire🌱Friendly and food-motivated · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States15Wyandotte🌱Calm and confident · 180–240 eggs/yrUnited States16Chantecler🌱Calm and gentle · 180–220 eggs/yrCanada17Welsummer🌱Friendly and intelligent · 160–220 eggs/yrNetherlands18Barnevelder🌱Calm and friendly · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands19Black Copper Marans🌱Gentle and quiet · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance20Brahma🌱Gentle and docile · 130–200 eggs/yrUnited States21Buckeye🌱Friendly and active · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States22Jersey Giant🌱Mellow gentle giant · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States23Langshan🌱Calm and dignified · 150–200 eggs/yrChina24Naked Neck (Turken)🌱Calm and friendly · 150–200 eggs/yrTransylvania (Romania)25Olive Egger🌱Friendly, but varies with the parents · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States26Polish🌱Sweet but easily startled · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands27Salmon Faverolles🌱Comically sweet and chatty · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance28Cochin🌱Exceptionally docile · 150–180 eggs/yrChina29Java🌱Calm and self-reliant · 150–180 eggs/yrUnited States30Silkie🌱Exceptionally sweet and cuddly · 100–120 eggs/yrChinaHow this list is built: The overlap of beginner-friendly and gentle-tempered breeds from our profiles — hardy, docile, and rewarding for young keepers. 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.
