Many people wonder if having the biggest chicken breed means bigger eggs and more meat. Its a great question and we have done the research for you on what are the 10 biggest chicken breeds worldwide, their top characteristics including eggs and meat and the pros and cons of keeping these large breeds of chicken.
When choosing a chicken breed for your backyard coop or farm, there are many factors to consider, including the breed’s temperament, egg production, meat production, hardiness, and feathering.
Big chicken breeds are favoured by many chicken keepers around the world due to their larger eggs and abundance of meat.
But just like any other chicken breed, they have their own pros and cons.
In this article, we will explore 10 biggest chicken breeds worldwide.
What this article covers
This is a long article, so below are some quick links. Click any of them to go straight to that section – or just carry on reading for the full guide!
- Jersey Giant Chicken
- Dong Tao Chicken
- Belgian Cuckoo Malines Chicken
- Brahma Chicken
- Malay Chicken
- Orpington Chicken
- Faverolles Chicken
- Plymouth Rock Chicken
- Cochin Chicken
- Leghorn Chicken
Largest Chicken Breeds For Sale (where to purchase)
Shopping list of items needed to look after large chicken breeds
1. Jersey Giant Chicken
The Jersey Giant really is a giant chicken, with some individuals weighing up to 20 pounds and standing 26 inches tall. This is the largest existing chicken breed and is docile laying very large eggs. They are a great addition to the backyard chicken gang.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly | ❌ Eats a lot |
| ✔ Very large eggs | ❌ Need more room that other breeds |
| ✔ Docile |
2. Dong Tao Chicken
Also known as the “dragon chicken,” Dong Taos have a very unique appearance. Weighing in at about 12 pounds and with a height of 16 inches, this breed has enlarged legs and feet. They originated in Vietnam, where they’re prized for their meat. Their big legs make it difficult to lay eggs and move around, so they’re not kept for their eggs.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly | ❌ Expensive to buy |
| ✔ Unique to look at | ❌ Not prolific egg layers |
| ✔ Quiet | ❌ Hard to find outside of Vietnam |
3. Belgian Cuckoo Malines Chicken
The Malines breed is not a common one. Originating from Belgium in the 1800s, this chicken is huge one and can weigh up to 12lbs. Its on par with the Jersey Giant!
Despite their size, Maline chickens are exceptionally tender and mild. They’re awesome if you have kids!
Malines are not prolific egg layers and are more purposed to being meat birds. They will lay around 140 eggs per year.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Docile and friendly | ❌ Cam be hard to find this breed |
| ✔ Suitable for families with children | ❌ Prone to frostbite in very cold weather |
| ✔ Beautiful to look at | ❌ Not prolific egg layers |
| ✔ Great for meat purposes |
4. Brahma Chicken
Brahma chickens are known for their striking appearance, large size, and gentle temperament. They are one of the most popular big chicken breeds available and they also come with feathered feet. Weighing in at 9lbs and 18 inches high, they are often used for both meat and egg production.
Brahmas have soft and fluffy feathers that cover their feet and legs, giving them a unique look that is sure to turn heads.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly | ❌ Slow growing breed |
| ✔ Suitable for families with children | ❌ Feet feathers can get wet and muddy easily |
| ✔ Great Layers with up to 250 eggs per year | ❌ Can be broody |
| ✔ Good birds for meat production |
5. Malay Chicken
The Malay chicken breed is usually considered the tallest chicken breed. They generally weight around 9lbs and can be as tall as 30 inches high.
These chickens do not lay very many eggs at all, maybe around 30 per year. They can be used as meat birds.
Malays are relatively rare to source and are now kept mainly for decorative and show purposes.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Can defend themselves and are ready to fight predators | ❌ Can be aggressive |
| ✔ Great foragers | ❌ Hard to source |
| ✔ Show birds | ❌ Very infrequent egg layers |
6. Orpington Chicken
The Orpington chickens are dual purpose breed chickens. They are bred for their egg-laying power and their meat giving qualities. They are a hardy breed, raised to survive even the most bitter of English winters due to their layering of feathers.
Orpingtons generally weigh around 8lbs and are approximately 18 inches high.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Docile and friendly | ❌ Not great in hot weather |
| ✔ Good egg layer | ❌ Can be prone to being bullied |
| ✔ Good for meat production | ❌ Can get very broody |
| ✔ Beautiful appearance | |
| ✔ Very cold hardy |
7. Faverolles Chicken
The Faverolles Chicken is a French breed that is known for its large size and feathered feet. it has a distinctive beard and muffs. This chicken has an average weight of 7.5lbs and a height of 17 inches and is purposed for eggs and meat. This breed is known for its friendly and docile personality, as well as its ability to lay a good number of eggs each year. Salmon is a popular color choice for this breed of chicken.
Faverolles are also known for their ability to be great foragers, which makes them a great choice for free-range chickens.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly | ❌ Prone to mite infestations |
| ✔ Great Foragers | ❌ Can be frightened easily |
| ✔ Good layers | |
| ✔ Unique to look at |
8. Plymouth Rock Chicken
Plymouth Rocks are beautiful, sturdy and heavy chickens that have a full breast and a long, slightly curved back. They have a yellow beak that is the same color as their legs and feet, while their combs and lobes are a beautiful bright red.
These chickens are excellent egg layers and will give you around 240 eggs per year. They generally weigh around 7lbs and have a height of 17 inches.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Great egg layers | ❌ Can be prone to frostbite |
| ✔ Suitable for families with children | ❌ Not great in very hot weather |
| ✔ Gets on with other breeds | ❌ Can sometimes only lay up to 3 years |
| ✔ Beautiful feather pattern | |
| ✔ Easy to handle | |
9. Cochin Chicken
Cochin chickens are a large bred of chicken that also come with feathered feet. With an average weight of 8.5lbs and height of 17.25 inches, they are known for their striking appearance, large size, and gentle temperament. Cochin chickens have thick, fluffy feathers that cover their feet, legs, and bodies, giving them a unique look that is sure to turn heads.
They are often used for ornamental purposes and make great pets.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly and easy to handle | ❌ Can be overheated in summer |
| ✔ Great layers, up to 200 very large eggs per year | ❌ Can be prone to wet and muddied feathers in wet and cold conditions |
| ✔ Make great mothers | ❌ Have large appetites |
10. Leghorn Chicken
These chickens are popular egg laying birds. They lay around 280 eggs per year. You may remember the most famous white leghorn of all being Foghorn Leghorn from the popular cartoon ‘The Looney Tunes’.
Leghorn chickens generally weigh around 4.5lbs and have a height of 14.5 inches.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Great egg layers | ❌ Can be prone to frostbite in very cold weather |
| ✔ Easy breed to find | ❌ Can be nervous and flighty |
| ✔ A very tame and domesticated chicken |
Largest Chicken Breeds (For Sale) / Biggest Chicken Breeds (For Sale)
Cackle Hatchery supplies and delivers over 200 varieties of chicken breeds. To purchase large chicken breeds including the breeds discussed above, check out current supplies and prices here.
