What Are the Best Egg-Laying Chicken Breeds?

Discover which chicken breeds are best for laying eggs.

If you’re thinking about raising backyard chickens, you have to consider which breeds will suit your needs. If fresh egg production is your goal, make sure you choose a good egg-laying breed, as some breeds lay more eggs than others.

With the help of Blain’s Farm & Fleet, you can learn which chickens are best for egg production. We break down the breeds of chickens by rating their egg production by excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor.

Excellent Egg Production

Black Australorp

These birds are perfect for winter egg laying. This dual-purpose chicken is bred for egg production but also makes an excellent meat bird.

Cinnamon Queen

Cinnamon Queens are known for producing large to extra large eggs that are brown in color. These hybrid birds lay eggs at a younger age, providing you with faster egg production than other standard breeds.

Easter Egger

Easter Eggers produce eggs that vary in egg shell color, ranging from a light blue to green to pink.

Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Reds are great dual-purpose birds that you can use for egg or meat production. They lay light brown eggs and are hardy birds.

White Leghorn

These free-ranging chickens are excellent egg layers. They average 280 eggs a year, and sometimes even lay up to 320 eggs.

Very Good Egg Production

Barred Rock

The Barred Rock is a kid-friendly bird that’s a staple in backyard poultry production. They lay in the winter and summer, producing brown eggs.

Black Sex Link

A Black Sex Link is a hybrid bird, crossbred from a Rhode Island Red rooster a Barred Rock hen. While they’re not show chickens, these hardy birds have very good brown egg production.

Buff Orpington

These large chickens lay medium-sized brown eggs. They’re excellent egg setters and mothers for baby chicks.

White Rock

White Rocks start laying eggs at about five months old. They lay large to extra large brown eggs and are hardy even in cold weather.

Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock chickens are popular among hobby farmers. They’re a gentle breed, and they’re great for both egg laying and meat production.

Good Egg Production

Austra White

These birds come from crossbreeding a Black Australorp rooster and a White Leghorn hen. Austra Whites lay off-white/cream-colored eggs throughout the whole year.

Light Brahma

These beautiful birds are good layers of brown eggs. They’re also kid-friendly and great brood mothers.

Red Sex Link

A Red Sex Link is a crossbreed of a Rhode Island Red rooster and Delaware hen. The breed combination makes for good egg production from a backyard chicken.

Silver Laced Wynadotte

The dual-purpose birds lay tan or pale brown eggs and are popular show birds. They also make excellent mothers.

Speckled Sussex

These speckled birds blend in with their surroundings, making them safer against chicken coop predators. They’re good layers of brown eggs.

Fair Egg Production

Black Cochin

Black Cochin are rated fair as far as laying eggs, but they make excellent pets and show chickens.

Buff Laced Polish

These striking birds are known for their rich, buff-colored feathers and feathery beard. They lay white eggs but are generally used for ornamental purposes.

Lakenvelder

Lakenvelder hens lay white eggs and are non-setters.

Silver Laced Polish

Their main use is as an ornamental bird. They’re non-setters and lay white eggs.

White Silkie Bantam

These small chickens are popular show birds and make great pets.

Poor Egg Production

Cornish Cross

Cornish cross are raised as meat birds. Because of their expedited growth rate, they must be harvested at eight weeks. If they’re not harvested, they can suffer from a plethora of health issues.

At Blain’s Farm & Fleet, you can start your own flock by ordering birds during Chick Days. There are over 190 varieties of birds available, including chickens, bantams, geese, turkeys, ducks, game birds, and more. For a complete look at the different birds available, visit our Chick Days page.

You can also learn more about raising your flock by visiting our Chickens & Poultry Blog.