15 Most Common Chicken Breeds [With Pictures]

Australorp chicken

In our last article, we talked about the rare chicken breeds in the world.

However, today we would be taking a look at the common chicken breeds you can easily find.

These chickens can be easily found on backyard farms and poultry.

Furthermore, these common chicken breeds are bred mainly for meat and egg production.

Therefore, if you would love to raise any common chicken breed, here is a good list to choose from.

List of Common Chicken Breeds

Listed below are 16 common chicken breeds you can find out there in the poultry world. 

  • Orpingtons 
  • Plymouth Rock
  • Australorp
  • Leghorn
  • Silkie
  • Brahma
  • Jersey Giant
  • Polish
  • Cochin
  • Wyandotte
  • Sussex
  • Araucana
  • Faverolles
  • Minorca
  • Sebright
  • ISA Brown

#1. Orpingtons 

buff orpington chicken

The first common chicken breed on our list is the Orpington chicken.

They are one of the cutest and fluffy chicken breeds in the world. 

These common chicken breeds are quite calm and polite in nature.   

They come off as a large breed weighing about 10lbs when fully grown.

And regardless of their size, they do pretty well in confinement.

In addition, they are raised on both meat and eggs.

Literally, their hens make great mothers.

Most times they go broody and love to raise their young with great delight.

Furthermore, they can also give you a decent amount of 280 medium-sized light brown eggs per year.

Also, the Orpington chicken comes in a variety of beautiful colors including; black, white, buff, blue, etc. 

These colors do not affect their size in any way.

Furthermore, despite their size, these birds are quite easy to manage and maintain.

#2. Plymouth Rock:

plymouth rock chicken characteristics, origin, breed information and lifespan

The next common chicken breed on our list is the Plymouth Rock chicken. They are an amazing heritage breed that comes in different variations such as buff, silver, blue, black, etc.

These birds are good dual-purpose breeds that produce awesome meat and eggs.

Their hens can produce about 280 eggs in a year.

Also, they are calm and friendly and will do well as family pets.

If you have kids in your neighborhood they are sure to fall in love with this elegant breed.

Furthermore, one good thing about this chicken breed is that they are not hard to find.

And that’s exactly why they are on this list.

This common chicken breed always makes an awesome backyard chicken.

#3. Australorp:

Australorp chicken

Another fabulous chicken you can easily find is the Australorp chicken

Dating as far back as the 1800s these chickens originate from Australia.

Furthermore, they are closely related to the Orpington chicken.

The Australians created the Australorp to be excellent egg layers.

And they were successful with this.

Therefore, if you are looking for an excellent egg layer then the Australorp chicken is certainly a good choice.

These chickens lay approximately 300 eggs in a year. 

In addition, they are also great foragers and can find food for themselves if left to roam.

Furthermore, the Australorp chicken breed comes in a variety of colors, but its common variety is black.

Furthermore, these chickens are also friendly and easy to get along with.

#4. Leghorn:

red leghorn chicken

The Leghorn chicken breed is an intelligent, smart, and active breed.

These birds love to free-range and can find their own food in the process.

These birds come in different color varieties but the most common color is white.

They have bright red comb and rattles and are such a beauty to behold.

Furthermore, their tails are held a little bit higher showing off their feathers.

They are also made up of yellow skin and legs.

In addition to its beauty, this chicken is an amazing egg layer.

They lay approximately 280-300 large white eggs in a year.

As I mentioned earlier they love to forage a lot.

And as good foragers, finding their own food isn’t a difficult task.

Therefore, this makes them an ideal breed for a low-budget poultry farmer.

Nevertheless, they do pretty well in confinement too, when there’s enough room to roam.

Learn more: Leghorn Chicken – Characteristics, Origin, Breed Info, and Lifespan

#5. Silkies:

black silkie chicken

The Silkie chicken is one lovely bird to add to your farm.

These birds are small chicken breeds covered in silky feathers.

They are made up of black bones, skin, and meat. 

In addition, these birds are made up of five toes instead of the standard four.

In as much as they are covered with silkie feathers, they are often susceptible to cold. 

Therefore they require special attention during cold weather.

Interestingly, their meat is thought to have magical medicinal benefits.

Although they are not very good egg layers they are often kept for their brooding ability.

Literally, Silkies can sit on any egg until it hatches and will be more than happy to raise them.

Nevertheless, you can rely on a Silkie to lay about 100 eggs in a year.

Lastly, these common chicken breeds are very friendly and also make good family pets.

#6. Brahma:

how big is the brahma chicken

Brahma chicken is one great chicken to add to your backyard coop. 

They are popularly known for their large size and have been nicknamed the king of Chickens.

These big guys weigh about 7-12lbs when grown.

Furthermore, they enjoy confinement but can also be raised in free-range as well. 

Due to their size, these birds are mostly used for meat but can lay a tangible about of eggs too.

You can expect a Brahma hen lay up to 150 eggs in a year.

If you live in a code climate then Brahma could be the right choice for you. 

Because they are cold hardy birds and can easily survive in cold weather conditions.

Amazingly, their large size doesn’t stop them from being friendly and gentle.

#7. Jersey Giant:

Another common chicken breed that is very large is the Jersey Giant chicken.

These ones are larger than the Brahma chickens.

And just as the name implies these chicken breeds are indeed giants in the chicken world.

They are one of the largest birds in the history of birds weighing about 9-15lbs.

The Jersey Giant chicken was initially bred for meat. 

However, it became a dual-purpose breed and can easily give you up to 150 – 200 large brown eggs in a year.

If you are an egg lover then you will definitely fall in love with Jersey Giant’s large brown eggs.

Furthermore, as much as they come in three different colors, the black breed is more common.

Despite their size, these chicken breeds are gentle, calm, and easy-going and love to forage a lot.

Nevertheless, they tolerate confinement too and will make a good family bird.

Amazingly, apart from being a weighty bird the Jersey Giant Chicken also has some height.

#8. Polish:

Polish-Chicken breed

The Polish Chicken is a great backyard chicken breed with a unique appearance.

These birds have feathered crests that block their sight at times making them quite nervous around humans.

To avoid this, it is always better to keep their crest trimmed.

Nevertheless, the Polish Chicken is one friendly chicken you will enjoy.

This is because they are also docile and easy to tame.

Also if you are looking for a nice cuddly chicken, the Polish Chicken is there for you.

Although they are quite curious they also do well in confinement.

These birds are not prolific layers but they can lay about 180 eggs in a year.

#9. Cochin:

cochin chicken breed for backyard poultry

Cochins are simply adorable.

These chickens are quite friendly and cuddly and most certainly, they make excellent pets.

Apart from being friendly, it is also a dual-purpose breed used for both meat and egg production.

Hence, you can expect a Cochin hen to lay at least 180 small to medium-sized eggs in a year.

These hens also go broody and make great mothers too.

They are also regarded as a large chicken breed weighing about 8-11lbs.

Furthermore, apart from being one of the largest chicken breeds, it is also a lovely sight to behold.

They love being fed, are easily tamed, and also love to be cuddled. 

Because they are quite easy to tame, Cochins will spice up your backyard farm and give desirable benefits.

Furthermore, these chicken breeds fluffy feathers from top to bottom.

Therefore they do not really thrive well in hot climate conditions.

Learn more about the Cochin chicken breed in this article: Cochin Chicken – Characteristics, Origin, Breed Info, and Lifespan

#10. Wyandotte:

wyandotte chicken breed

The Wyandotte chicken is a calm, friendly and docile chicken that is easy to find.

They weigh about 6-10lbs and are popular show birds.

Founded in North America in 1883 these birds are excellent birds in and out.  

Its plumage is lovely and unique and they are generally docile and friendly in nature.

They come in a variety of colors such as silver penciled, Golden laced, and blue. 

They are also nice dual-purpose breeds that can provide eggs and meat for you.

You can expect your Wyandotte hen to lay about 200 large brown eggs in a year.

Furthermore, these hens make great mothers and take good care of their chicks. 

In addition, these birds can be quite adventurous and bold. 

#11. Sussex:

Buff sussex chicken breed

Sussex chickens come in different color varieties such as red, and brown. speckled and silver.

However, the Speckled Sussex chicken is more common.

These chickens make a great dual-purpose breed.  

They are mostly calm and docile in nature.

Furthermore, they are also large chicken breeds weighing about 6-10lbs.

Their hens lay about 250 large-sized eggs in a year.

These eggs are brown to pink in color.

Furthermore, their hens are known for going broody and taking care of their chicks.

Basically, these birds are docile, happy, and friendly birds.

#12. Araucana

characteristics of araucana chickens being rumpless or having no tail

One amazing and friendly chicken breed is the Araucana chicken.

They are mostly calm, docile, and quiet in nature.

These birds do well both in confinement and free-range.

Araucanas lay about 250-280 medium-large blue-green eggs in a year. 

One outstanding thing about this breed is the broody nature of the hen. 

However, apart from egg laying they are also used for meat production and are known to grow fast.

Furthermore, these chickens are not known to have beards, muffs, and tails but likely have ear tufts.

#13. Faverolles

Salmon-Faverolle chicken

These chicken breeds are medium-sized chickens that mature early.

The Faverolles chicken is a unique bird with five toes instead of the standard four.

It has a fully feathered beard and fluffy cheek feathers.

From its name you can certainly guess that this chicken is a French bird.

They originated from the village of Faverolles in France.

Furthermore, they usually come in many color varieties, however, the Salmon color is more popular.

This chicken is also one of the friendliest chicken breeds that are docile and easy to tame.

Therefore they make great pets for kids.

#14. Minorca

Minorca-chicken-breed-information-and-characteristics

This chicken breed comes from the Spanish island of Minorca in the Mediterranean sea.

These birds are hardy birds that do well in warm temperatures and enjoy foraging. 

Also, they love to be in the company of humans.

Although Minorcas are dual-purpose breeds, they are mostly bred for their egg-laying ability.

The Minorca hen can lay up to 4 large white eggs in a week. 

Their eggs are the most amazing and largest white eggs among the Mediterranean poultry breeds. 

Black Minorcas are the most common colors that are available and although there are white ones they are rare. 

To learn more about Minorca chickens, read this article: Minorca Chicken – Characteristics, Origin, Breed Info and Lifespan

#15. Sebright

Silver_Sebright_hen

The Sebright chicken is popularly known as a true Bantam, which means it has no full-size counterpart.

These birds are mostly used for ornamental and show purposes.

Due to their miniature size, they do not make good foragers as they can easily fall prey to predators.

Nevertheless, they are quite easy to nurture.

These chickens are very friendly and get along well with children.

Although they are not excellent egg layers, they can lay about 160 small white eggs in a year.

In addition, the Sebright chicken hardly goes broody and doesn’t make great mothers.

Furthermore, Sebrights have large wings and can take to flight when frightened by an external force.

If you live in a very cold climate then these small chickens could be the right choice for you. 

Because they are cold hardy birds and can easily survive in cold weather conditions.

#16. ISA Brown

The isa brown chicken

The last but not the least common chicken breed on our list is the ISA Brown chicken.

Just as the name implies, these birds are one of the best egg layers you can find in the chicken world.

They are loved by poultry farmers for their egg-laying capacity.

You can totally rely on them to produce up to 300-350 brown eggs in a year.

In addition to this quality, they are also friendly and get along well with humans.

Therefore they make great family pets.

This brown chicken breed has a brown to reddish color and it’s made up of lighter feathers underneath.

Furthermore, they are hardy, loving, and quiet, and you will find their calm nature very attractive.

The rooster weighs about 6lbs while the hen weighs about 5lbs.

The ISA Brown chicken is also a dual-purpose breed.

Hence, they are raised for both egg and meat production.

Conclusion 

Invariably, all common chicken breeds mentioned in this article are very good chickens you can raise on a large or small scale.

We have come to the end of this article and we hope this article was beneficial to you.

Kindly share your thoughts in the comment section below, we would love to hear from you.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What are the 3 types of chickens?

    Many different breeds of chickens have been developed for different purposes. The most common types of chicken breeds can be classified as Laying chickens, meat-producing and dual-purpose breeds.

  2. What are standard chickens?

    A standard poultry breed is any breed that conforms to its ideal description, as formalized (or standardized) by a central organization and compiled into a periodically updated book.

  3. How do I know what breed my chicken is?

    Observe the egg color from the hens. Many different types of chickens lay eggs in a variety of colors. Ameraucanas are known for their greenish-blue eggs and Japanese Bantams have pale beige to cream colored eggs. Also, the egg size will give you information about the chicken breed.

  4. What does bantam chicken mean?

    Bantam in the poultry world refers to any of the numerous small domestic fowls that are often miniatures of members of the standard breeds. Simply put, bantam chickens are small chicken breeds.

References

  • petkeen – 22 chicken breeds and how to pick the best (with pictures)
  • backyardchickencoops– Top 20 chicken breeds for your backyard coop

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