Many people wonder seek out blue chickens for their stunning iridescent feathers. But which blue chickens are the best to keep? Its a great question and we have done the research for you on the 10 most popular breeds of blue chickens worldwide.
Blue chicken breeds are popular among backyard chicken keepers and commercial poultry farmers alike. These breeds are generally known for their beautiful blue feathers, friendly personalities, and great egg-laying abilities.
In this article, we will explore the 10 most common breeds of blue chickens 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!
- Blue Andalusian
- Blue Australorp
- Blue Cochin
- Blue Laced Wyandotte
- Blue Silkie
- Blue Bresse
- Blue Sumatra
- Blue Dutch Bantam
- Blue Ameraucana
- Delaware Blue
1. Blue Andalusian
The Blue Andalusian originates from Spain. They are beautiful fowls that lay about 150 eggs a year or 3 eggs a week. They handle the heat fairly well but should have a fair amount of shade cover to protect them from heatstroke. Blue Andalusians don’t like the cold. Make sure they have a safe, warm place to live during the colder months. They still lay eggs during winter, which is a tremendous bonus if you rely on your chickens for eggs. Blue Andalusians are healthy birds that rarely suffer from common fowl diseases. They can be friendly but don’t enjoy being held. You will also need a large backyard or pasture because they become aggressive if cooped up in small spaces.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Great egg layers | ❌ Not tolerant of being handled |
| ✔ Heat tolerant | ❌ Tend to do better with more space |
| ✔ Hardy and disease resistant |
2. Blue Australorp
A Blue Australorp’s desirable blue plumage, calm personality, and dependable laying make them an ideal backyard chicken. One Australorp holds the world record for laying 364 eggs in 365 days under official Australian testing.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly | ❌ Can be broody |
| ✔ Great egg layers | |
| ✔ Hardy and resistant to disease |
3. Blue Cochin
Blue Cochin chickens are large fowl compared to the average breeds. Females weigh around 8 ½ pounds, while roosters weigh approximately 12 pounds. Blue Cochins have short wings, so these chickens cannot fly. Their large bodies make them poor flyers and an easy target for predators. Blue Cochins aren’t reliable layers, although hens lay between 80 and 100 eggs yearly. They stop laying when they are around three years old. Although most people keep them for aesthetics, they can be decent meat producers because of their hefty bodies. Blue Cochins are healthy chickens that live for around a decade
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Good egg layers | ❌ Easy target for predators |
| ✔ Good meat birds | ❌ Stop laying after 3 years |
| ✔ Live for around 10 years | ❌ Due to their bigger size can require more space |
| ✔ Poor flyers so do not escape easily |
4. Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
The Blue Laced Red Wyandotte is another popular blue chicken breed that is known for its beautiful lacing pattern on its feathers.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly | ❌ Subject to the usual lice, mites and worms |
| ✔ Good egg layers | ❌ Can be subject to low fertility issues |
| ✔ Generally healthy and robust | |
| ✔ Beautiful to look at |
5. Blue Silkie
The Blue Silkie is a small, fluffy chicken breed that is known for its friendly and docile nature.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Family friendly | ❌ Not suitable for egg production |
| ✔ Docile | ❌ Can be prone to bullying |
| ✔ Cute | ❌ Not suited to wet or very cold weather |
6. Blue Bresse
The Blue Bresse Gauloise is a French breed of domestic chicken that originated in Bresse region of France. This chicken is known for its delicious meat.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Need more space than other breeds | ❌ Independent nature so not used to being held |
| ✔ Dual purpose for eggs and meat | ❌ Can be shy and flighty |
| ✔ Great foragers |
7. Blue Sumatra
The Blue Sumatra is a rare and exotic chicken breed that is known for its striking blue-black plumage.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Beautiful to look at | ❌ Poor layers |
| ✔ Gentle | ❌ Great flyers so can escape easily |
| ✔ Friendly personalities |
8. Blue Dutch Bantam
The Blue Dutch Bantam is a small and active chicken breed that is known for its beautiful blue plumage.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Make good mothers | ❌ Can escape easily due to flying abilities |
| ✔ Don’t require much space | |
| ✔ Gentle | |
| ✔ Lively and active |
9. Blue Ameraucana
The Blue Ameraucana is an American chicken breed that is known for laying blue eggs.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly and easy to handle | ❌ Not the best layers – average egg layers |
| ✔ Lay blue eggs | ❌ Need to be able to free range |
| ✔ Do well in hot and cold environments | ❌ Slower than other chickens |
10. Delaware Blue
The Delaware Blue Hen is a hardy and productive chicken breed that is known for its beautiful blue plumage.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Great egg layers and good for meat too | ❌ Are not doting mothers |
| ✔ Heat and cold tolerant | ❌ Their combs can be prone to frost bite |
| ✔ Very friendly and curious |
Blue Chickens (For Sale)
Cackle Hatchery supplies and delivers over 200 varieties of chicken breeds. To purchase white chicken breeds including the breeds discussed above, check out current supplies and prices here.
