At Putakputak.com you will find a great variety of white chicken breeds, beautiful white roosters as well as beautiful white hens. Each of these breeds has unique characteristics. Looking to add some chickens to your chicken coop? We can help you make the best decision!
Chickens come in many color varieties such as black, white, orange, red, lavender, and many more. In many cases, they can even come with multi-colored plumage.
In this article, we will discuss white chicken breeds. We will focus on the purpose they serve, their behavior, and some information about them.
1. Rhode Island White
The first on our list of breeds of white hens are Rhode Island developed in the United States in the year 1888. They are quiet and medium-sized birds. As its name implies, it is solid white with yellow skin and yellow legs. Although the Rhode Island Red is the most popular chicken breed, the White is not far behind.
They are known to be very friendly birds that fit well in most backyard chicken coops. Rhode Island whites are good layers, producing between 220 and 280 each year under the right conditions.
They lay large brown eggs and make good brooder hens. They are also prized as a source of quality meat if you wish to raise chickens for food.
2. White Leghorn
White Leghorn chickens are popular with farmers for a number of reasons. They have beautiful solid white plumage with yellow fur and yellow legs.
Leghorn hens make excellent laying hens, producing more than 300 eggs annually. Their eggs are solid white, just like them, and they are large in size.
Leghorn chickens generally begin laying eggs around 5 months of age and are a very hardy breed of hen. White Leghorns are small birds that weigh between 4 and 5.5 pounds when they are adults.
They are used mainly for the production of eggs as their small size makes them not ideal as a source of meat. While they lay a lot of eggs each year, they don’t tend to be very broody.
White Leghorn chickens are the most popular white chicken breeds and are the basis of more than 80% of hybrid layers.
3. White Ameraucana
White Ameraucanas are just one of the many different colored varieties that exist in the Ameraucana breed. Solid white with gray legs and generally have distinctive muffs and whiskers on the head. They lay beautiful blue eggs that are generally medium to large in size depending on the hen.
White Ameraucanas are average laying hens, producing around 200 eggs each year. They do not generally hatch their eggs and tend to be a bit frivolous, but overall they are a hardy breed that does well on backyard farms.
4. White Araucana
The white Araucanas are chickens with unique characteristics of small size originating from Araucanía, Chile. Araucanas came to the United States in the 1930s and were documented by the APA in the 1970s.
This breed of chicken is one of the few that lays blue eggs. They also have a unique physical appearance. White Araucanas have an upright posture with a back that slopes downward.
If you are trying to add a white Araucana to your chicken coop, look for the distinctive tufts that may be on one or both sides of your cheeks. Another useful feature to identify the Araucana hen is the absence of a feather on the tail.
5. Yokohama
These exotic birds were originally bred for display and this remains their primary purpose today. One of the main differentiating characteristics of the Yokohama breed is its long and flowing tail, especially in the roosters of this breed.
The Yokohama are docile, friendly, and good-natured, and they endure confinement well. They are considered exceptional ornamental birds in urban settings but require special housing to accommodate the length of their tails. They are not good egg-laying hens. The breed is globally endangered and is listed as critical on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s conservation priority list.
6. California White
The California hen breed was developed by crossing a White Leghorn chicken and a California Gray chicken, producing this solid white hen that has small black specks of color on its feathers.
Known for being a very hardy bird, this breed from California makes an excellent egg layer, providing over 300 or more eggs each year! They are used mainly for laying eggs, but they are not usually very broody. They lay beautiful white eggs that are medium to large in size. They are said to work extremely well in small, confined areas like chicken coops.
7. White Faverolles
The Faverolles breed of hen comes in a variety of colors, however, in the United States, salmon and white are considered the main varieties of the breed.
The White Faverolle is absolutely gorgeous, looking fluffy with solid white feathers and adorable feathers on its feet. It is a medium-sized bird with short legs, very resistant to various climatic conditions.
Faverolles tend to get broody and love to hatch their eggs. They are decent layers, producing 150-180 eggs a year. Faverolles of the white variety is not only fun to watch, but they are also very friendly by nature!
8. Bresse Gauloise
Bresse Gauloise is a domestic breed originating from Bresse, France. They are available in 4 colors: white, black, gray and blue. They have simple combs, bluish legs and feet, and white earlobes.
Also known as La Bresse, this dual-purpose breed is raised for its eggs and meat. On average, Bresse Gauloise hens lay between 200 and 250 white eggs per year. Males weigh 5.5 to 6.6 pounds and females weigh 4.4 to 5.5 pounds.
9. White Plymouth Rock
The White Plymouth Rock hen is a great addition to any backyard farm because not only is it a hardy bird, it is also very friendly. They are solid white with yellow legs.
People raise these chickens for their good egg production and also as a source of meat. They lay up to 280 brown eggs per year in the right conditions. They are medium to large-sized chickens.
Plymouth Rock white hens are known to be broody and will often hatch their eggs, as well as the eggs of other hens in the henhouse. They can weigh around 7.5-9.5 pounds as adults, depending on their gender.
10. White Australorp
Last on our list of white chicken breeds is the white Australorp, which originated in Australia. This breed was bred from the Orpington chicken, as breeders were looking for a thriving dual-purpose chicken. They come in 3 colors: black, blue, and white.
White Australorps are a dual-purpose breed and, on average, lay 250 to 300 eggs per year. One Australorp is said to have laid 364 eggs in 365 days, the highest of all recorded chickens.
White Australorps are also kept as pets as they are warm, friendly, and docile. They are sturdy and can withstand hot and cold temperatures. The breed weighs between 6.6 pounds and 8.8 pounds.
See Also:
- How to Treat Chicken Colds
- The Health Benefits of Feeding Garlic to Chickens
- How Long Does It Take For a Hen to Lay Her First Egg?
- How to Calm an Aggressive Rooster
- Why Do Hens Cackle after Laying an Egg?