The Top 16 Chicken Breeds for Your Backyard Flock

For the past couple decades, chickens have been growing in popularity as people become more interested in knowing where their food comes from, and desire to live a more natural lifestyle. But they are so much more than just egg factories. Watching chickens scratch about the yard is relaxing and de-stressing after a long day at work. Many pet chickens are extremely tame and will eat out of your hand and sit on your lap. Need more convincing that chickens are awesome?

Ameraucana: Ameraucanas lay beautiful medium-size blue eggs in a wide range of shades, with an average of about 3 to 4 per week. But don't expect eggs right away from this breed. On average, this breed will "come into lay" a couple months later than other hens. When talking about their Ameraucanas, most folks say they're docile but very alert and predator savvy. Personality can vary with each unique bird – it seems they enjoy being around humans, but may be a little more on the skittish side, not necessarily enjoying cuddles as much as some chicken breeds. Plumage color ranges from blue to buff and wheaten to lavender. A lavender or blue splash Ameraucana is on my dream flock list! Like many chickens, this breed is quite cold hardy but not particularly heat hardy.