Best Backyard Chicken Breeds For Suburban Homesteads

Backyard chickens are an easy venture into raising meat on the homestead and trying to find the right chicken breeds for backyard flocks can be challenging,  Suburban homesteads and urban homesteads have different needs for a backyard chicken breeds in a flock than a homestead with acres available!  Read on to find out the breeds I have raised in suburbia and which were the best!

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What Backyard Chicken Breeds To Choose?

So you want to take a leap and start raising meat or protein on the homestead?  Well congratulations for taking this big step, I’m sure you will love it!

I absolutely love having backyard chickens and I have had a number of different breeds here in Utah.  Chickens are very personable, full of attitude and have even outsmarted my efforts to keep them warm in a prefabricated coop!  No really they did until I put cardboard in…you can see the video on YouTube right here:

 

Why Do You Want Chickens?

The first place to start when selecting your backyard chicken breeds is to decide what you want them for:

• Meat?
• Eggs?
• Meat and eggs?

On my homestead, I mostly raise dual purpose breeds which means that the hens are good for both eggs and meat. I choose dual purpose so that once the egg production is reduced after 2 years, the bird is still good for the table.

Climate

There are chicken breeds which do better in certain climates, colder areas will want backyard chicken breeds which have short combs or downy, fluffy feathers so they are less susceptible to frostbite and cold weather problems.  Do a bit of research on what breeds do well in your area before heading to the farm store or ordering online.  That way you might be less tempted by the pretty plumage and should have some great, productive birds!

Backyard Chicken Breeds Raised On A Suburban Homestead

Some specific requirements for backyard chicken breeds for urban homestead include that they are quiet and don’t easily succumb to cooped up cabin fever.  Quiet chickens means that your neighbors are less likely to complain about them and chickens which cannot get free-ranging forage time can develop behavior problems like feather-pecking, excessive bullying and in extreme circumstances, cannibalism.  Chickens can be real peckers.

Chickens will cluck rather loudly once they have laid an egg, some of the breeds I have raised are noisier than others but they are no where near as noisy as a rooster.  Oh and in case you were wondering, no you don’t need a rooster to get eggs.  A rooster will give you fertilized eggs if you want to start your own hatchery but hens will lay eggs without a big ol’ cockerel around strutting his stuff.

See the video of my birds here so you can get an idea of some of the noises chickens make:

Most cities which allow chickens write into the ordinance that they must remain in a run to stop them from escaping and being taken by predatory birds or animals for dinner.  A run also stops them from pooping all over your back step and trying to get into the house like creepy feathered demons in a horror movie.

Just like people chickens come in all shapes, sizes and personality types. Some are quiet and timid whilst others are divas or bossy bulldozers in the flock. I can only speak for how my hens are in the flock your interaction with your own backyard chickens might be different!  

I have raised the following:

• Rhode Island Red
• Delaware
• Wyandotte
• Brahma
• Jersey Giant
• Australorp
• Barred Plymouth Rock
• Speckled Sussex
• Cuckoo Maran
• White Leghorn

Let’s take a look at the birds I have raised and their stats below.

Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Red Pullet (young hen before they lay)

Have you ever seen the movie Chicken Run?  We named our  Rhode Island Red Ginger after the main character in the movie trying to escape.  The Rhode Island Red is a rockstar breed here in Utah.  They do well through the cold winter, are able to forage and are smart enough to learn quickly that following me around the yard when I have a spade in my hand means that they will get worms and bugs to eat.  Rhode Island Reds are a great backyard chicken breed for suburban homesteaders, whilst my hen does  “talk” to me and sits on my shoulder like a pet parrot, she’s pretty quiet and does reasonably well cooped up but she is the top dog or top of the pecking order in my flock.

Stats:

Egg color: peachy-buff

Egg size: Medium

Typical egg production per year: 260

Average weight of hens: 6 lbs

Wyandotte

Black Laced Wyandotte Pullet

We currently have a golden laced Wyandotte and previously had a black laced Wyandotte who was affectionately called “Mother Clucker”.  I have found the breed to be timid and a little on the nervous side.  The Wyandottes have been good table birds which have been flavorful.  They are relatively quiet, more so than the Rhode Island Red and have always been lower on the pecking order in our mixed backyard flocks, often coming in at the bottom.  In a flock of their own, Wyandottes make good dual purpose backyard chicken breed.

Stats:

Egg color: peachy-buff, tan

Egg size: Medium

Typical egg production per year: 200

Average weight of hens: 6 lbs

 

 

Delaware

Delaware Hen

Attila the Hen is our Delaware hen.  She’s a reliable layer and a lot more noisy than the Rhode Island Red.  Delawares are a friendly and inquisitive breed which forages well and gets along with other breeds in a mixed flock.  Delawares are known for being friendly birds and are often a good choice for homesteads with children.  Attila the Hen is usually forging her own path about the yard and will waddle off to go forage in different areas without the safety in numbers of the main flock.

Stats:

Egg color: tan, light brown

Egg size: Medium

Typical egg production per year: 280

Average weight of hens: 6.5 lbs

Brahma

Dark Brahma Hen

Gentle giants and supposedly one of the quietest breeds. My dark Brahma Wookie is like the curious scientist; quiet, watchful and occasionally experiments by eating new stuff. The light Brahma by contrast is the noisest bloody chicken I have had! 

Brahma chickens make great cold weather birds because they have flat combs, fluffy feathers and feathered feet. They lay large eggs about every other day for me but they have a low average egg production.  The dark brahmas have beautiful, lace-like feathers and are quite the gentle giants.  They are a slow growing breed which was created for meat production however, for my homestead, I would rather have Jersey Giants for a large breed which are better layers than the brahma.

Stats:

Egg color: brown

Egg size: large

Typical egg production per year: 150

Average weight of hens: 10 lbs

Australorp

Australorp Pullet

A reliable layer, the Australorp makes a calm, friendly backyard chicken breed for suburban homesteaders.  Ours was quiet, with a sweet nature and laid eggs no matter the weather.  Australorps, like Buff Orpingtons make wonderful breeds for homesteads with children.

Stats:

Egg color: brown

Egg size: Medium

Typical egg production per year: 250

Average weight of hens: 7 lbs

Barred Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Barred Rock (Front, Center)

A very popular dual purpose breed, the Barred Plymouth Rock has a decent average egg production and makes a relatively good eating bird too.  They are excellent foragers and much prefer having free-range time than being in a confined run or tunnel.

Stats:

Egg color: peachy-buff, light brown

Egg size: Medium

Typical egg production per year: 280

Average weight of hens: 7 lbs

Jersey Giant

Jersey Giant Pullet

These are a heavy breed bird which are slow to grow, needed over 6 months to mature and start laying.  Once they start, they are decent layers and ours lays about 3-4 times a week large light brown eggs.  Mine is a little timid and has taken a role as a pseudo-rooster in the flock.  They’re a good breed if you are wanting large meat birds and eggs, they are definitely a breed I would get again, especially to raise as chicks through winter.

Stats:

Egg color: tan, light brown

Egg size: Large

Typical egg production per year: 260

Average weight of hens: 10 lbs

Speckled Sussex

Speckled Sussex 

Henghis is the best bug catcher of the flock.  She is the quietest chicken of all of them and is lightning fast to catch crickets, grasshoppers and other bugs thrown into the run.  Her beautiful speckled and iridescent plumage would make beautiful jewelry if you were considering that as a side business to fund your chicken habit.  The Sussex has done well in the cold winter of Utah and definitely a breed I would get again as she lays regularly.

Stats:

Egg color: peachy-buff, light brown, speckled or tan

Egg size: Medium

Typical egg production per year: 250

Average weight of hens: 7 lbs

White Leghorn

White Leghorn Hens

Small, jittery, nervous and we lost one to a hawk or cat or maybe she just flew off.  Egg production on a white leghorn is pretty amazing for a small bird but they need frostbite care in cold, long winters and run the risk of being lost if free ranged.  Small ark or moveable coops might be good for a small backyard flock of leghorns but they really only are for egg production.  Their small weight does not make them a good bird for the table, these birds manage being enclosed in s run but may not be a great backyard chicken breed for new chicken owners.

Stats:

Egg color:  white

Egg size: medium

Typical egg production per year: 280

Average weight of hens: 5 lbs

Cuckoo Maran

Small Cuckoo Maran Hen

Famed for the dark brown eggs, the cuckoo maran is too small for a decent table bird and has a low egg production.  It is not a breed I would recommend for suburban homesteads unless you wanted to sell dark brown eggs or sell different colored eggs with an olive egger or Easter egger breed with them.  Our maran is gentle mannered and sweet and really enjoys to be out foraging.  They are a cold hardy breed with small combs and wattles.

Stats:

Egg color: Dark brown, speckled

Egg size: Medium

Typical egg production per year: 150

Average weight of hens: 5 lbs

Remember to do your research for your city to find out the regulations for keeping chickens in your backyard.  When choosing backyard chicken breeds for your suburban homestead, it is really worth going for dual purpose breed especially if your flock is small.  A dual purpose backyard chicken breed will allow you to have the both eggs and a decent meat bird for the table as well.  

My favorite dual purpose breeds for a suburban homestead setting are:

• Rhode Island Red
• Jersey Giant
• Speckled Sussex

Do your research for breeds which perform well in your climate and narrow down with any other behavior needs like quietness or friendliness.  Remember that not all of the breeds are quiet or good layers and there is much natural variance and personalities within chicken breeds!

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