Chicken Breeds


Andalusian The rare Andalusian originated in Spain in the mid-1800s. The breed’s only recognized color is blue, but the color doesn’t breed true. Breeding two blue chickens together results in a 50-percent chance of getting a white chicken or a black chicken. More »
Campine First developed in Belgium’s Campine region, the Campine chicken comes in both standard and bantam sizes and in two recognized colors: silver and golden. The breed is known for its beautiful markings, which feature finely penciled feathers. A good layer, Campines are somewhat rare in the U.S. More »
Cochin The Cochin chicken breed originated in China and became popular in England and the U.S. in the mid-1800s. Developed as a dual-purpose chicken, the Cochin provides both meat and eggs. More »
Delaware This calm and friendly chicken breed was developed in 1940 in the U.S. by crossing the Plymouth Rock and the New Hampshire chicken breeds. Created to produce both meat and eggs, the breed declined in popularity over time and is now listed as Threatened by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. More »
Hamburg Hamburgs, also known as Dutch Everyday Layers, are a common chicken available in both standard and bantam sizes. Originally from Holland, this ancient breed was refined by the British in the 1700s. More »
Java Developed in America during the mid-1800s from chickens of Far Eastern descent, the Java chicken was bred for both meat and egg production. The chicken breed comes in both standard and bantam sizes and is available in two color varieties: black and mottled. More »
Jersey Giant The largest recognized chicken breed in the U.S., the Jersey Giant was developed in Burlington County, N.J., in the late 1890s. Bred to be both a meat bird and an egg layer, the Jersey Giant comes in two recognized colors: black and white. More »
Leghorn Available in standard and bantam varieties, Leghorns were first developed in Italy. The breed gets its name from the Italian city of Leghorn (also known as Livorno), where it originated. Leghorns come in two recognized colors: white and pearl white. More »
Nankin One of the oldest breeds of bantam chickens still in existence, the Nankin has been known in England since at least the 1500s. The Nankin was used to create other bantam chicken breeds, including the Sebright. Known for its rich chestnut-colored feathers, the Nankin is a very rare breed. More »
Orpington A rare breed, the Orpington chicken was developed in England in the late 1800s and brought to America shortly after. Available in black, blue, buff and white varieties, they were bred to provide both meat and eggs. They come in both standard and bantam sizes. More »
Plymouth Rock A popular chicken breed, Plymouth Rocks are also known as Barred Rocks. The breed was first developed in the U.S. in the mid-1800s to produce both meat and eggs. They come in eight recognized varieties: barred, white, buff, partridge, silver penciled, blue, Columbian and black. More »
Rhode Island Red A classic American breed, the Rhode Island Red was first developed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the 1840s and is the official bird of Rhode Island. One of the most popular breeds of chickens with small-scale farmers, they come in both standard and bantam sizes. More »
Rhode Island White Developed in Rhode Island in 1888, the Rhode Island White chicken breed was developed by crossing White Wyandottes with Partridge Cochins and rose-comb White Leghorns. The breed was successful until the 1960s, when numbers began to decline. More »
Silkie The breed comes in two varieties: bearded and non-bearded. Colors are black, white, partridge, buff, gray and blue. More »
White-faced Black Spanish The rare White-faced Black Spanish chicken originated in Spain during the Middle Ages and came to the New World by way of the Caribbean Islands. Also known as the Clown chicken, the breed is easily recognized by its large white earlobes. More »
Wyandotte Developed in the 1870s in the U.S., the Wyandotte is known for its many colorations and dual purpose. A total of 17 colorations are seen in this chicken throughout the world, though only a handful are recognized in the U.S. The breed comes in both standard and bantam sizes. More »