10 Best Backyard Chicken Breeds for Beginners: Chicken Care 101 (2024)

by Dakota Storage Buildings, on December 05, 2022

10 Best Backyard Chicken Breeds for Beginners: Chicken Care 101 (1)

Raising chickens is a great family activity. Raising chickens helps provide fresh eggs, and can be a source of entertainment and companionship. These birds come in many different types of chickens, and each has its own unique personality. The following is a list of the 10 best chicken breeds for families looking into raising the best chickens for beginners.

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1. Rhode Island Red

If you're looking for an easy-to-raise chicken breed for your backyard, the Rhode Island Red is a great choice. This hardy bird is relatively disease-resistant and can withstand cold weather. They're also great foragers, so they don't require as much supplemental feed as some others. Rhode Island Reds are good egg layers, producing large brown eggs. And if you're interested in showing your chickens, this breed is eligible for exhibition in most poultry shows.

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2. Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock chickens are the best starter chicken breeds for beginners. They're friendly, hardy, and make great egg layers. Plymouth Rocks are also relatively easy to find - you can purchase them from many hatcheries and feed stores. However, before you bring any chickens home, be sure to do your research to make sure you're prepared for chicken ownership.

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3. Orpington

If you're thinking about getting chickens, but aren't sure which breed to get, Orpingtons are an excellent choice for beginners. They're gentle and friendly, so they make great backyard chickens. They're also good egg layers, so you'll get plenty of eggs from them. And, since they're a larger breed, they're less likely to be killed by predators.

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4. Sussex

Sussex is a great breed to start with. They're friendly and docile, so they make good pets for kids. Sussex are also good layers, producing around 250 eggs per year. They're a hardy breed, so they can withstand cold winters and hot summers. Lastly, Sussex are affordable, costing around $10 per chick.

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5. Ameraucana

If you're looking to add chickens to your backyard flock, the Ameraucana is a great breed to start with. They're friendly and curious by nature, which makes them a joy to have around. Ameraucanas are also known for being good layers of large blue eggs. As a bonus, the Ameraucana breed is known for being cold hardy so they can withstand colder temperatures better than some other breeds.

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6. Marans

If you're thinking about adding chickens to your backyard flock, the Marans breed is a great choice for beginners. Marans are docile and make good egg layers, producing rich brown eggs. They're also relatively quiet, so you won't have to worry about disturbing the neighbors. Marans are hardy birds and can tolerate hot and cold weather, making them a versatile choice for any climate.

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7. Cochin

Cochin chickens are a great backyard chicken breed for beginners. They are friendly and docile, making them easy to handle. Cochin chickens are also good layers, producing large brown eggs. They are a hardy breed, able to withstand cold weather. Cochin chickens are a good choice for those looking for a pet chicken.

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8. Brahma

Brahma chickens are a great backyard chicken breed for beginners. They are friendly, docile, and easy to handle. Brahmas are also good layers of brown eggs.

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9. Silkie

If you're a beginner looking for a backyard chicken breed, look no further than the silkie! Silkies are gentle giants and make great family pets. They're also one of the most docile chicken breeds, so they're perfect if you're looking for a low-maintenance pet. Plus, their fluffy feathers make them extra adorable!

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10. Bantam

Bantam chickens are a popular breed for backyard chicken enthusiasts. They are smaller in size than standard chickens, which makes them easier to handle. Bantams are also less likely to fly over fences, making them a good choice for those who want to keep their chickens contained. Bantams come in a variety of colors and patterns, so you can find one that suits your aesthetic. If you're thinking about getting backyard chickens, bantams are a great breed to start with.

Find the Perfect Coop

Finding the perfect chicken coop for raising chickens can be a difficult task. We manufacture quality outdoor storage structures for the safe keeping of animals, and we have a reputation for manufacturing the highest quality products. Our chicken coops are made from the finest materials and are built to last. We offer a variety of sizes and styles to choose from, so you're sure to find the perfect one for your needs.

This guide will teach you how to evaluate the best-fit chicken coop for your best chickens for beginners. We'll cover the important factors to consider when making your purchase, such as size, ventilation, predator-proofing, and more. By the end of this guide, you'll know exactly what to look for in a chicken coop - and which one is the best fit for raising chickens.

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10 Best Backyard Chicken Breeds for Beginners: Chicken Care 101 (2024)

FAQs

What is the best breed of chicken for beginners? ›

Good breeds for beginners include Australorp, Orpingtons, Leghorns, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes,Light Sussex and Red or Brown Shavers. Before you go ahead and contact your local poultry farmer, it's practical to do a little research on the best chicken breeds for beginners.

What is the best chicken for a first time owner? ›

If you are just beginning the journey of chicken keeping, it might be best to choose a dual-purpose breed. The most popular dual-purpose breeds include Brahmas, Cochins, New Hampshire and Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes, Ameraucanas, Barred Rocks, or Buff Orpingtons.

How many chickens should a beginner start with? ›

If you have no previous experience looking after chickens, it's best to start with just two or three hens. All hens, note - no co*ckerels. This will introduce you gently to the routines of egg-collecting, coop cleaning, and hen feeding.

How many chickens do you need to get a dozen eggs a week? ›

Planning for Egg Production Per Week

If you wanted to get about a dozen eggs per week, you would need between 3 to 5 laying hens. For two dozen eggs a week, you would need to double those numbers for a flock size of between 6 to 10 laying hens.

How do I choose a backyard chicken? ›

Climate plays a pivotal role in choosing the right chicken breeds for your backyard. Some breeds are hardy and can thrive in colder temperatures, while others are more suited to warmer climates. For Warmer Climates: Consider breeds like the Leghorn and Rhode Island Red.

What chicken is best value for money? ›

Chicken Thighs:
  • Description: Chicken thighs are darker meat with a richer flavor and slightly higher fat content compared to chicken breasts.
  • Price: Thighs are generally more affordable than chicken breasts, priced at around $1.50 to $2.50 per pound.
Aug 3, 2023

What is the best age to buy chickens? ›

The usual age to purchase chickens, especially those that are wanting fresh eggs pronto, is point of lay. Point of lay is the age when a chicken should be on the point of laying her first lots of eggs. This age can be quite difficult to predict, but most hybrid breeds will begin to lay around 18-20 weeks.

Is it cheaper to raise chickens or buy eggs? ›

Additionally, if you have a large family or use a lot of eggs in your cooking, then the cost savings may be more significant. However, if you're simply looking to save money on eggs, then it's likely that buying eggs from the store will be more cost-effective in the long run.

How many eggs will 4 chickens lay? ›

6. Table for estimating how many hens you need
Number of Hens200 Eggs/Year250 Eggs/Year
41514
51924
62329
72734
5 more rows

How often should you clean the chicken coop? ›

How often you should be cleaning a chicken coop? You should provide fresh food and fresh water every day, and you should clean the bedding out once a week or once a month(the deeper the bedding layer the less often you have to clean it out). It's best practice to do a total clean-out at least twice a year.

What are the easiest chickens for beginners? ›

If you're thinking about getting chickens, but aren't sure which breed to get, Orpingtons are an excellent choice for beginners. They're gentle and friendly, so they make great backyard chickens. They're also good egg layers, so you'll get plenty of eggs from them.

What is the best number of chickens to keep in your yard? ›

Chickens are social animals that like to hang out in groups. Ideally, flocks should contain at least three hens. For most backyard flocks, five or six chickens is an ideal flock size.

Which chicken is the easiest to raise? ›

10 Best Backyard Chicken Breeds for Beginners: Chicken Care 101
  1. Rhode Island Red. If you're looking for an easy-to-raise chicken breed for your backyard, the Rhode Island Red is a great choice. ...
  2. Plymouth Rock. ...
  3. Orpington. ...
  4. Sussex. ...
  5. Ameraucana. ...
  6. Marans. ...
  7. Cochin. ...
  8. Brahma.
Dec 5, 2022

What are the best chickens for laying eggs? ›

Not all breeds are great egg layers.

A great egg layer can produce up to 300 eggs in the first year. Australorps, Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds and Easter Eggers are examples of great egg layers. Bantams and Silkies are some of the worst egg layers. They may only provide less than 100 eggs in the first year.

What breed of chicken makes the best pet? ›

Plymouth Rock chickens are known to be extremely friendly in nature, easy to raise and trainable, making them a great choice for a backyard and pet chicken.

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