Top 12 Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners

Owning some chickens is not easy; they require continuous care and attention. People new to raising chickens can’t fulfill their needs due to a lack of experience, so they choose high-maintenance chicken breeds and fail.

But don’t worry—we solve these issues and find the best chicken breeds for beginners. These chickens are easy to care for, lay enough eggs, and don’t require your attention all the time.

You can choose one of these good chicken breeds and start your chicken-keeping journey today. Let’s get started.

Contents

Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners

Let’s discuss 12 of the best chicken breeds for beginners one by one. These are easy to care for, lay many eggs, have friendly personalities, and are hardy to cold and heat.

#1. Orpingtons

Origin	United States
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Friendly & Sociale
Lifespan	5 to 8 years
Egg Production	180 to 220 per year
Broodiness	Go Broody
Hardiness	Especially Cold Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium
Varieties	Jubilee, Black, Blue, Buff, White, Chocolate

The top of the list is Orpingtons. These are some of the best chicken breeds for beginners to raise. They are available in many varieties, all with large, fluffy feathers.

Orpingtons are easy to care for and low-maintenance breeds. They do not always require your attention, so they will thrive well in any backyard, even in small areas.

They also have affectionate and gentle temperaments and good egg-laying abilities, which make them a perfect choice for new chicken keepers.

Moreover, Orpingtons tolerate high heat well, but they are incredibly cold-hardy. Their many feathers work as blankets and keep them warm in harsh winters.

Lastly, they also go broody; they will do this well whenever you want to hatch Orpington chicks as a beginner.

Considering all these beginner-friendly features, Orpingtons are the best chickens for your kids and your family.

#2. Australorps

Origin	Australia
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Friendly & Sweet
Lifespan	6 to 10 years
Egg Production	About 300 per year
Broodiness	Occasionally Go Broody
Hardiness	Cold Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium

Another best choice is Australorps, a dual-purpose breed with fitting feathers and a long and broad back.

These chickens are very low-maintenance and do not want continuous care all day. You can raise them in a small backyard or confinement with little outdoor access.

Austrolorps are also great layers and meat producers. Whenever they stop laying, you can slaughter them for their fine meat.

Their sweet and friendly personality makes them great for children and families who want a cuddling breed.

Another good thing is their hardiness to cold weather. They will grow well in winter; in contrast, they do not tolerate high heat well, so be sure to address this whenever raising them.

#3. Rhode Island Reds

Origin	United States
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Friendly & Gentle
Lifespan	5 to 8 years
Egg Production	250 to 300 per year
Broodiness	Occasionally Go Broody
Hardiness	Cold & Heat Hardy
Disease Resistant	High
Varieties	Single comb and Rose comb

Rhode Island reds are a famous chicken breed in the USA. They are known for being easy to care for and low maintenance.

The best quality of these chickens is their disease resistance. They are resistant to many diseases and protect themselves from illness.

Another exciting fact is that these breeds are eligible for poultry shows, and you can participate with them.

In addition to all these qualities, they have unique feathers, prolific laying ability, excellent foraging skills, and are cold and heat-tolerant.

#4. Sussex

Origin	England
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Friendly & Curious
Lifespan	5 to 8 years
Egg Production	250 to 300 per year
Broodiness	Go Broody
Hardiness	Cold & Heat Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium
Varieties	Brown, Buff, Coronation, Light, Red, Silver, Speckled and White

Sussex is another beginner-friendly breed with an attractive appearance. It is easy to care for and raise well in any small backyard.

Because of their curious personality, they always look for new things. They are also docile and friendly with their friends, chickens, and owners.

Also, these chickens are prolific layers. They lay almost all year, and once they stop laying eggs, you can use them for table meat.

Moreover, they adapt to both cold and hot climates very well, preventing themselves from various diseases.

Lastly, Sussex is affordable, making it a good chicken breed for new chicken keepers and perfect for any backyard.

#5. ISA Browns

Origin	France
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Friendly & Calm
Lifespan	4 to 8 years
Egg Production	More than 300 per year
Broodiness	Not considered very Broody
Hardiness	Cold Hardy
Disease Resistant	Low
Varieties	Chestnut, Honey, and Red

Isa browns are famous chickens among egg lovers. They are mostly kept for eggs as they lay almost all year with no break.

I raised one of these chickens without any hard care. Even just freeing them and offering some food will go well.

These chickens are called Cinnamon Queens, Red Sex Link, Golden Comets, etc. They are a sex-link breed, so you can easily identify males and females in chicks.

Additionally, they are low-maintenance and great foragers. They find food for themselves and do not disturb you every time.

They are also very friendly and calm chickens; they will play with you and your kids and don’t disturb their friends and you with continuous clucking.

#6. Plymouth Rocks (Barred Rocks)

Origin	United States
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Docile & Active
Lifespan	Average 10 years
Egg Production	180 to 220 per year
Broodiness	Less likely Go Broody
Hardiness	Cold & Heat Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium
Varieties	Buff, Barred, Blue, Silver Penciled, Partridge, White, Columbian.

Plymouth or barred rocks are easy to care for and available. They are known for their unique black-blue with white spots feathers.

They are a dual-purpose breed, considered a good egg layer, and produce delicate meat. While they are less likely to go broody, they are good and attentive mothers when they do.

Also, these chickens do well in hot summers and cold winters and can easily adapt to your region’s environment and climates.

Lastly, they are active birds that always want to do something new, and their docile plus friendly personality makes them perfect for any beginner.

#7. Leghorns

Origin	Italy
Primary Use	Eggs
Personality	Friendly & Active
Lifespan	4 to 6 years
Egg Production	More than 300 per year
Broodiness	Rarely Go Broody
Hardiness	Heat Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium
Varieties	Silver, Red, White, Black-Tailed Red, Black, Light Brown, Dark Brown, Buff, Buff Columbian, Isabella, Barred, Columbian, Blue-breasted etc

Leghorns has 24 recognized varieties, almost all of which are great commercial egg layers. The first two years of laying are considered the golden time of laying.

These chickens are super foragers who find food and roost in trees. Leghorns are a low-maintenance and easy-to-handle breed that is best for beginners.

Also, these chickens tolerate heat better than cold and can resist various chicken diseases.

Another great thing about these breeds is their faster growth rate. They are small, light chickens that mature fast.

They are a little nervous but active, and their friendly and docile personality makes them a good option for any newbie keeper.

#8. Cochins

Origin	China
Primary Use	Exhibition
Personality	Friendly & Quite
Lifespan	8 to 10 years
Egg Production	180 to 220 per year
Broodiness	Excellent Broody
Hardiness	Cold Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium
Varieties	Barred, White, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Partridge, Silver Laced and Golden Laced

Cochins are exhibition birds and do well there, which makes them the best beginner option for those who want to participate in poultry shows.

These chickens will lay enough eggs for you and can hatch the eggs you want as they are also excellent broody.

In addition, these birds adapt to coldness more well than heat, especially the female cochin, which seems more stressed in high heat.

Furthermore, they are reticent and do not disturb people with their clucking. Their friendly and sweet personalities make them the best chickens for cuddling.

#9. Wyandottes

Origin	United States
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Friendly & Docile
Lifespan	6 to 12 years
Egg Production	250 to 300 per year
Broodiness	Go Broody
Hardiness	Cold Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium
Varieties	Blue, Buff, Black, Columbian, Lavender, Golden Laced, Partridge, Silver Penciled, and Silver Laced.

Wyandotte are dual-purpose breeds known for their heavy feathers, robust appearance, and fast growth and maturity.

They are usually cold-hardy, laying and living well in colder months. Wyandottes have strong immunity and resist many chicken diseases.

With their strong hardiness ability, they are great layers. As a plus, they also go broody and are considered good mothers.

All varieties of Wyandotte have friendly, docile, and playful personalities, which are perfect pet qualities for families with children.

#10. Easter Eggers

Origin	Chile
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Assertive, Friendly, and Comical
Lifespan	5 to 8 years
Egg Production	About 300 per year
Broodiness	Rarely Go Broody
Hardiness	Cold Hardy
Disease Resistant	High

Easter eggers are famous backyard chickens known for laying colorful eggs. They come in various colors and varieties like fibro, lavender, etc, and all have fluffy beards and soft feathers, giving them an aseptic look.

Also, this breed is an excellent egg layer, laying almost yearly but sometimes stopping laying on harsh, colder days.

However, they resist colder climates and have high disease-resistant immunity, which prevents them from many health problems.

Likewise, they have friendly and confident personalities. They also have comical behavior, sometimes looking and acting funny.

#11. New Hampshire

Origin	United States
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Family Friendly
Lifespan	7 to 9 years
Egg Production	About 300 per year
Broodiness	Go Broody
Hardiness	Cold Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium

New Hampshire chickens are popular in the US because they are prolific egg-layers and produce flavorful table meat.

These are very cold-hardy birds, but some also tolerate heat well. Their strong immune systems allow them to resist many poultry diseases.

In addition, they have strong momma behavior and can go broody, allowing them to hatch eggs when needed.

New Hampshires are generally social, calm, and family-friendly, making them suitable for families with children and an excellent choice for beginners.

Lastly, these chickens grow fast and can reach their full adult weight faster than most breeds, making them good for meat.

#12. Delaware

Origin	United States
Primary Use	Eggs & Meat
Personality	Friendly & Calm
Lifespan	5 to 7 years
Egg Production	About 300 per year
Broodiness	Occasionally Go Broody
Hardiness	Cold & Heat Hardy
Disease Resistant	Medium

Delaware chickens have a distinctive “Columbian” color pattern. They are almost entirely white with black feathers on the tail and neck.

These breeds are prolific layers and lay all year, even in winter, which is good for us in cold climates.

Delaware chickens are known for their calm, friendly, and curious natures. They get along well with other chickens and thrive in free-range environments.

They also adapt well to hot and cold weather, but sometimes, their combs are susceptible to frostbite in extreme cold, so it’s recommended that they heat and warm their coop in freezing weather.

Even with low maintenance, Delawares grow and mature quickly. These qualities make the Delaware breed best for beginners.

Choosing the Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners

Let’s look at some important factors before finalizing the best chicken breed as a newbie.

Those that are easy to maintain are considered good chickens for beginners.
That lays enough eggs, not just empty birds.
That should be family-friendly and not aggressive with kids or owners.
That quiet and calm, don’t disturb others, especially you and your neighbors.
That is hardy enough or suited to your region’s climate and environment.
That doesn’t require ample space and thrives in small areas in your backyard.
That fits your needs and environment.

Consider these factors when choosing a good chicken for a beginner or yourself so that you can quickly start and achieve success in chicken raising.

Choosing the right breed is crucial for beginners. It’s not enough to produce eggs and meat; the breed should also be friendly so it will cuddle with you and be suitable for your kids.

The above 12 are the best chicken breeds for beginners. They will play with your kids and are considered great chickens to own.

Comparison Chart: Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners

Here is a simple comparison chart of the best chickens for beginners to identify a perfect fit.

Are Roosters Good for Beginners?

A rooster protects the flock, helping to produce fertile eggs, and even leads the flock. However, roosters also have challenges to keep. The first is their aggressive behavior and noise, which require ample space.

You can keep a rooster if you need fertile eggs and want to protect your flock. But as a beginner, its drawbacks will make you stressed and worried.

If you ask me about this case, I would not recommend a rooster when you are a complete beginner. However, you can keep one if you have experience raising and keeping chickens.

Yet, if you still want to keep a rooster but want to avoid its challenges, you should keep a Silkie (Black, Blue, Buff, Splash, etc), Cochin, or Orpington breed rooster. These are considered more docile and friendly than others.

Summary

As a beginner, you need a breed that is easy to care for, low maintenance, and produce enough eggs. The above are some of the best chicken breeds for beginners that will fit you.

Lastly, choosing a breed from the above list is the best decision, but still, they will require basic needs like a coop, some feed, health care, and little outdoor space to succeed on your first try at raising chickens.

I hope this article helps you. If you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments section.

Are there any other best chickens to own in your mind? Let us know

Commonly Asked Questions

What are the best chickens to own for beginners?

Chickens that are easy to care for and low maintenance are considered the best breeds for beginners, such as Orpingotns, Isa browns, Plymouth rocks, Australorps, and Rhode Island reds.

What kind of chicken is easiest to take care of?

Australorps, Sussex, and Rhode Island reds are among the easiest chickens to care for. These are also low-maintenance and do not require your attention every time.

How many chickens should a beginner start with?

A beginner lacks experience in all this; they should find their ability on how many chickens they can raise. If you are new to raising chickens, keep 3 to 5 chickens.

What are good chickens for beginners?

All the above are the good chicken for newbie but still if you want the very best from the list the orpingotns, isa browns, plymouth rocks, australorps and rhode island reds are the options.

What is the friendliest chicken to raise?

The Orpingtons, cochin, Plymouth rocks, and Rhode Island reds are the friendliest chicken breeds for anyone, especially for families with kids.

Do chickens recognize their owners?

Chickens have excellent memories —in fact, they can remember 100 faces—unique! Chickens especially remember people who care for them and are always around them.

Sharing is Caring – Takes Few Seconds