Buff Orpington (HANDS DOWN): If you are starting and thinking about getting chickens, I would have a full flock just of these gold beauties. I haven’t had a single Buff that wasn’t friendly. These birds are hardy, and that’s important up here in North Idaho when the weather gets cold. These chickens will lay up to 280 eggs a year! They are perfect for little kids to hold however they want because their temperament is the best of all the chickens I’ve come into contact with.
Barred Rock: These chickens are big and fluffy. I love chickens that are so fat they make you want to squeeze their fat thighs! They are what you would think of when you picture a big fat laying hen in the prime of her life. Their beautiful black-and-white feathers are perfectly patterned, and they are friendly to boot. These chickens lay up to 250 eggs a year. Mabel (RIP) was my first Barred Rock, and she lived up to every chicken expectation. Love you, Mabes.
California White: If you want the classic-looking farm chicken from days of old, this is your girl. One of our favorite chickens (RIP Pearl) was a California White. Not only was she friendly, but she was not as filled out as some of the others listed. Everyone thought she was a rooster because of her large comb. They also lay white eggs, which are different from your regular brown ones, if you want some color differentiation in your egg basket. These chickens are prolific egg-laying machines- up to 300 eggs a year!
Silkie: described as the dog of the chicken world. These little fellas lay small eggs that have been coined in our home as “Kiki Eggs.” Our one Silkie, Kiki, gives us beautiful, small, cream-colored eggs. They are SO cute. These chickens are considered bantams, meaning they are a small breed. They lay up to 160 small eggs a year.
Australorp: Their feathers are hard not to stare at. They are black-feathered chickens, but when the sun hits them, they glow an emerald green. It is fascinating! Like every other chicken listed, they are easy to catch and make a great addition to the flock. These cuties lay light brown eggs—up to 250 a year! That’s pretty impressive. I love having black chickens in my flock. They stand out and put on quite a show.
Backyard Flock Mix [ Americana & Rhode Island Red]: I’m not counting this as one of the six breeds, but these chickens have become one of our favorites. This was a random Craigslist pickup in an empty Goodwill parking lot, but we have three amazing, friendly, mixed birds from it. It’s for sure the Rhode Island Red calming down the Americana, but these chickens are beautiful and so friendly. They also have the tuffs that the Americans have, which are so cute. I love that they are fluffier than Rhode Island Reds. Americana and Rhode Island Red chickens aren’t great separately, they are both a little wild, but bred together, they make a great chicken.
Cochins: These are amazing fluff balls. Our Cochin regularly comes up to us and wants to be petted and held. She loves being close to us. I love a fluffy chicken, and this chicken takes the cake. They aren’t the best egg layers, laying 150-180 medium eggs a year. They are known for being great pets because of their gentle temperament.
There you have it! A list of kid-friendly, adult-friendly, and family-friendly chicken breeds that are sure to bring love, laughter, and lots of poop to your backyard. This list is not exhaustive. These are the birds we have personally had that are amazing friends as well as layers!
If you are interested in buying chicks that you can pick out, I recommend My Pet Chicken. I love this company because it allows smaller order sizes. To do this, shipping costs go up, but it’s worth it to me because I get exactly what birds I want. My Pet Chicken
More LoDown posts:
A Beginners Guide to Raising Baby Chickens
Chicken Breeds for a Colorful Egg Basket