Best Egg-Laying Chicken Breeds

If your main goal is a full egg basket, start with these breeds. Each one is a proven, steady layer that handles Maryland's hot summers and cold winters, and most start laying by 18–24 weeks.

Our best egg-laying breeds

• White Leghorn: The egg-laying champion, with large white eggs, about 280–320 a year.
• Rhode Island Red: Tough and low-maintenance, with large brown eggs, about 200–300 a year.
• Black Sex Link: A hybrid bred for production, with large brown eggs, about 250–300 a year.
• Black Australorp: Calm and quiet, with large light brown eggs, about 250 a year.
• Barred Plymouth Rock: A friendly classic, with large brown eggs, about 200 a year.
• Welsummer: For a darker, speckled egg, with large brown eggs, about 160–200 a year.

How to choose

For the most eggs, pick White Leghorns or Black Sex Links. For friendlier hens that still lay well, choose Black Australorps or Barred Rocks. Mixing two or three breeds gives you different egg colors and makes it easy to tell hens apart. In peak season, most good laying hens lay 4–6 eggs a week.

How ordering works

Mix any breeds on the same hatch date to reach the 6-chick shipping minimum, or order 12 or more and the Marek’s vaccine is free. Choose your hatch date on the product page or in the cart. Shipped chicks are covered by our live arrival guarantee, and local pickup in Preston, MD has no minimum. 2027 orders open November 1, 2026.

Also see our best breeds for beginners, colored egg layers and the chicken egg color chart.