The Best Beginner-Friendly Chicken Breeds for 2027 (Complete Guide)
Chad SimsBy Chad Sims, founder, Chesapeake Farm & Hatchery, Preston, MD
Choosing the right breed is the easiest way to make your first flock a success. The breeds below are calm, hardy and easy to care for, and every one of them is available as day-old chicks for the 2027 season.
Quick picks
- Friendliest: Buff Orpington or Lavender Orpington
- Most eggs: Rhode Island Red or Black Australorp
- Blue eggs: Cream Legbar
- Dark chocolate eggs: French Black Copper Marans
- Cold winters: Golden Laced or Silver Laced Wyandotte
- All-around classic: Barred Plymouth Rock
1. Buff Orpingtons
The classic "first chicken." Buffs are big, fluffy, golden and famously easy to handle, which makes them a favorite with families and kids. Some hens go broody, which is a plus if you ever want a hen to raise chicks for you.
Egg color: Large Light Brown · Eggs per year: 180–200 · Starts laying: 20–24 weeks · Temperament: Docile and people-friendly; may go broody.
2. Barred Rocks
One of America's most popular backyard breeds for a reason. Barred Rocks are hardy in heat and cold, steady layers, and curious, friendly birds that settle into small or large flocks.
Egg color: Large Brown · Eggs per year: ~200 · Starts laying: 16–20 weeks · Temperament: Calm and friendly.
Shop Barred Plymouth Rock chicks →
3. Rhode Island Reds
If eggs are the goal, start here. Rhode Island Reds are tough, low-maintenance and among the most productive brown-egg layers you can raise. They start laying young, at about 18–20 weeks.
Egg color: Large Brown · Eggs per year: 200–300 · Starts laying: 18–20 weeks · Temperament: Friendly and independent; individual temperament varies.
Shop Rhode Island Red chicks →
4. Black Australorps
Gentle, quiet and beautiful, with glossy black feathers that shine green in the sun. Australorps are known for strong egg production and calm personalities, a great pick if you have neighbors close by.
Egg color: Large Light Brown · Eggs per year: ~250 · Starts laying: 22–24 weeks · Temperament: Gentle, calm, and quiet.
Shop Black Australorp chicks →
5. Cream Legbars
Want blue eggs? Cream Legbars lay sky-blue eggs, and they are auto-sexing, so you can tell the pullets from the cockerels by their down color at hatch. They are active foragers that do well with room to roam.
Egg color: Medium Blue · Eggs per year: 180–200 · Starts laying: 20–24 weeks · Temperament: Active and independent.
6. French Black Copper Marans
For the darkest eggs in your basket. Marans lay deep chocolate-brown eggs and are calm, sturdy birds. They lay a little less than the breeds above, but every egg is a showpiece.
Egg color: Large Dark Chocolate · Eggs per year: 150–200 · Starts laying: 24–26 weeks · Temperament: Calm and independent.
Shop French Black Copper Marans chicks →
7. Wyandottes (Golden and Silver Laced)
Wyandottes have rose combs and dense feathers that hold up well in cold weather, and their laced feathers look hand-painted. Calm and docile, they are a good winter-hardy choice for Maryland and beyond.
Egg color: Brown · Eggs per year: about 200–240 · Starts laying: 18–20 weeks · Temperament: Calm and docile.
Shop Golden Laced Wyandotte chicks →
Shop Silver Laced Wyandotte chicks →
8. Lavender Orpingtons
All the sweetness of a Buff Orpington in a soft lavender-gray color. They are gentle, people-friendly birds and one of our most popular breeds every season.
Egg color: Large Light Brown · Eggs per year: 150–200 · Starts laying: 22–24 weeks · Temperament: Gentle and people-friendly; may go broody.
Shop Lavender Orpington chicks →
Which beginner breed should you choose?
Many first-time keepers mix two or three breeds so they get a basket of different egg colors. A popular starter mix is Buff Orpingtons for friendliness, Rhode Island Reds for eggs, and Cream Legbars for blue eggs. You can mix and match any breeds in one order.
How many chicks should you start with?
Chickens are flock animals and do best in groups, so plan on at least 3–6 hens. Shipped orders have a 6-chick minimum, which you can mix across breeds. If you pick up at the hatchery in Preston, MD, there is no minimum.
Ordering for 2027
2027 orders open November 1, 2026, and our first hatch is scheduled for February 23, 2027. You choose your hatch date at checkout, and popular breeds and spring dates fill first. Shipped chicks are covered by our live arrival guarantee.
Shop all day-old chicks → · See our backyard starter breeds → · Local pickup information
Before your chicks arrive
Set up your brooder a day or two ahead so it is warm when the chicks get home. Our guides walk you through it: How to set up a brooder for baby chicks and What to expect after getting your chicks home. Questions? See our FAQs.
We are glad to help you start your flock.
Chad Sims, founder