Many people wonder seek out white chickens for their bigger eggs and meat giving qualities. But which white chickens are the most common and best to keep? Its a great question and we have done the research for you on the 10 most popular breeds of white chickens worldwide.
White chicken breeds are popular among backyard chicken keepers and commercial poultry farmers alike. These breeds are generally known for their beautiful white plumage, friendly personalities, and great egg-laying abilities.
In this article, we will explore the 10 most common breeds of white 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!
- White Leghorn
- Rhode Island White
- White Silkie
- Araucana
- Sultan
- Bresse
- Yokohama
- Hamburg
- White Plymouth Rock
- White Australorp
1. White Leghorn
White Leghorns are medium-sized birds with beautiful snow-white plumage, bright red comb, red wattles, and white earlobes, which signals they lay white eggs. They have a single comb, although a rose comb is also allowed in some countries. Their legs are clean and yellow; their skin color is also yellow. White Leghorns are known for not exhibiting the maternal behavior of egg incubation, often known as broodiness. White Leghorn hens can lay up to 300 medium white eggs per year.
| 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 |
2. Rhode Island White
Rhode Island White Chicken is a great dual-purpose breed originating in the U.S, state of Rhode Island. It is the white-colored variety of one of the most popular American chicken breeds, the Rhode Island Red. But the white variety is not as popular as the red variety. These chickens are extremely useful and productive birds, being outstanding for both eggs and meat production. Despite their very similar names and shared place of origin, Rhode Island White is actually a distinctly different breed from the Rhode Island Red chicken. And the crossing of a Rhode Island Red and a Rhode Island White chicken will create Red Sex-Link hybrid offspring (meaning the chicks can easily be separated by down color alone at hatch, Males are white and females are red), such as the ISA Brown.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly and easy going | ❌ Not as popular as their red counterparts so harder to source |
| ✔ Great egg layers | ❌ Can be aggressive at times |
| ✔ Hardy and resistant to disease |
3. White Silkie
The pure white is the most common colored Silkie chicken available. The ideal standard for the white bird is pure white fluffy feathers with no stiff quills and no brassiness or yellow tint in the plumage. White Silkie chickens lay eggs that are something between pure white to cream or even Ivory colored.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Docile and friendly | ❌ Not suitable for very wet or cold environments |
| ✔ Suitable for families with children | ❌ Prone to being bullied by other breeds |
| ✔ Beautiful to look at | ❌ Not a good breed choice for eggs or meat |
| ✔ Doting mothers to their chicks |
4. Araucana
The Araucana (Spanish: Gallina Mapuche) is a breed of domestic chicken from Chile. Its name derives from the Araucanía region of Chile where it is believed to have originated. It lays blue-shelled eggs, one of very few breeds that do so. Breed standards for the Araucana vary from country to country.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly | ❌ Can have genetic issues |
| ✔ Good egg layers | ❌ Can be flighty |
| ✔ Generally healthy and robust | |
| ✔ Can tolerate a wide range of environmental temperatures |
5. Sultan
Sultan chickens are small to medium-sized birds with an abundance of soft feathers that cover their entire body including their feet and legs. They have a large crest on their head, a beard under their beak, and large nostrils. They have a small v-shaped comb and small wattles. Their earlobes are large and round.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Calm and good natured | ❌ Can be broody |
| ✔ Great foragers | ❌ Can be prone to bullying |
| ✔ Unique looking chickens | ❌ Can be slow to react to predators |
6. Bresse
Bresse Gauloise is a French breed of domestic chicken that originated in Bresse region of France.
| 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. Yokohama
Yokohama chickens are an ornamental breed that originated in Japan. They have long tail feathers and come in several colors including white.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Suitable as a show bird | ❌ Not suitable for egg and meat production |
| ✔ Docile | ❌ Do better in warm and dry climates |
| ✔ Quiet |
8. Hamburg
Hamburg chickens are small to medium-sized birds that come in several colors including white. They have a rose comb and large round wattles.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Do well in cold weather | ❌ Easily startled |
| ✔ Very alert | ❌ Do not tolerate confinement |
| ✔ Great forager | ❌ Not recommended for young children |
| ✔ Prolific egg layers |
9. White Plymouth Rock
The White Plymouth Rock breed of chickens is part of the same group as Barred Plymouth Rock. The Plymouth Rock, as a breed, is an all-American breed of medium-sized chickens that was seen for the first time in Massachusetts, in the early nineteenth century.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Friendly and easy to handle | ❌ Can be overheated in summer |
| ✔ Great layers | ❌ Need more space |
| ✔ Great for meat and egg laying | ❌ Can be prone to frostbite |
10. White Australorp
White Australorps are rare but they do exist! They have bright, white feathers. The Australorp has three recognized colors according to the Australian Poultry Standard: black, white and blue.
| Pros 👍 | Cons 👎 |
| ✔ Great egg layers | ❌ Can be territorial and aggressive around other breeds |
| ✔ Heat and cold tolerant | ❌ Can fly well so need to be properly fenced in |
| ✔ Very friendly and curious |
White Chicken Breeds (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.
