7 Best Egg Laying Chickens for Georgia

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Chickens have an impressive range of adaptability, allowing them to thrive in a wide variety of settings. However, some varieties of chickens do better in warmer or colder environments.

Regarding the United States, Georgia is one of the warmest states. To avoid losing your hens to the heat, select a breed that is known for its heat tolerance.

Leghorns and Minorcas, both of which originate from the Mediterranean, are ideal for warm weather. These heat-tolerant, lighter-weight fowl make excellent egg layers.

However, if you’re looking for a heavier, dual-purpose breed that thrives in hot weather, Plymouth Rocks are a fantastic choice.

Depending on your farming needs, hens of the seven breeds we choose for you in this article should do well in the Georgia countryside, so continue reading!

brown hen sitting in nest with egg in chicken coop

Table of Contents

Climate of Georgia

Summer High	Around 95°F
Winter Low	Around 30°F

Georgia is among the warmest regions in the United States of America.

Georgia’s climate is characterized by long and hot summers and short, usually moderate winters as a result of the state’s location at subtropical latitudes and close proximity to the warm seas of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

The state of Georgia has all four of the yearly seasons.

The summer season is characterized by extended stretches of hot and humid weather.

In the summer, temperatures in Georgia typically range from a low of 80°F to a high of 95°F.

Winter months have more extreme temperature swings. It’s common for chilly spells to be interspersed with milder weather periods.

Highs throughout the winter typically range from the mid-50s to the low-60s. The mid-30s are the typical lower temperatures.

List of the Best Chickens for Laying Eggs in Georgia

Welsummer	Lays about 160 eggs each year. Bird with a calm attitude and high intelligence. Dual purpose breed. Good for beginners.
Leghorn	Lays about 280–320 eggs each year. Great forager. Not recommended for beginners or kids. Noisy. Flighty.
Minorca	Lays about 120–220 eggs each year. Thrives in hot climates. Good for kids and new chicken keepers. Robust and requires little care.
Blue Andalusian	Lays about 160–200 eggs each year. Great forager. Hardy and requires little care. Does not tolerate confinement well.
Egyptian Fayoumi	Lays about 150–200 eggs each year. Hardy and heat resistant. Not recommended for beginners or kids.
Campine	Lays about 150 eggs each year. Friendly. Great forager. Hardy and low maintenance. Flighty.
Plymouth Rock	Lays about 200–300 eggs each year. Dual-purpose breed. Ideal for novice chicken keepers and younger kids. Hardy and requires little care.

1. Welsummer

group of welsummer chicken in the garden

Since “summer” is part of the Welsummer name, it’s not surprising that these chickens do well in warm climates.

Despite their development as dual-purpose birds, the Welsummer is smaller and lighter than most meat-producing birds.

Hens are typically approximately 6 pounds in weight, while roosters average 7.

Welsummer eggs have a striking appearance. Their shells look gorgeous, covered with freckles in chocolate and reddish tones.

Because of their unusual coloration, these eggs stand out from the crowd of standard brown ones.

The average first-year yield is around 150–180 eggs, with the second year yielding around 120–140. From there, a hen’s egg production gradually decreases over the next four to six years.

Welsummers have a reputation for being lively birds, yet they are also calm and social. They aren’t as friendly as some breeds, but they’re fairly tame and appear to enjoy being handled.

2. Leghorn

The Leghorn chicken is a famously heat-resistant Mediterranean breed developed in Italy’s Tuscany region.

They are the best layers due to years of selective breeding and work on the development of these hens in terms of efficiency in egg production.

Producing between 300 and 320 eggs each year, Leghorn chickens are currently considered one of the best egg-laying breeds in the world.

These birds endure confinement well, which is important because they are good flyers and rapid runners, so owners should consider restricting their freedom to forage freely.

Since they descended from wild birds, these chickens have retained their fierce independence. In general, they are not hostile, but they are also not particularly pleasant and friendly.

Due to their personality, there are better options than Leghorns for families with young children or adults looking for pet chickens.

3. Minorca

Minorca chickens, originally from Spain, are the biggest and heaviest of any poultry breed across the Mediterranean.

The birds of Minorca are well-known for their toughness and ability to survive in extremely hot and dry conditions.

Despite being productive layers, they are commonly kept for their aesthetic value.

Minorca is also known as the “Red Faced Black Chicken,” and it is easy to see why. Long, muscular bodies, bright red combs and wattles, and sleek black feathers contribute to their outstanding appearance.

The hens rarely go broody, but they provide a steady supply of huge, white-shelled eggs throughout the year.

About 120 white eggs are produced annually from laying hens, and they begin laying as early as 26 weeks.

The Minorca chickens are friendly and love to be around their owners. But they are a flighty breed, so make sure their enclosures are secure.

4. Blue Andalusian

The Andalusia region of southern Spain is often believed to be the original home of the blue Andalusian chicken.

With their high heat tolerance and adaptability, Andalusian chickens are a great option, especially for people with the space to let their flock roam freely.

Chickens of the Blue Andalusian breed range in size from small to medium; hens weigh around 5.5 pounds, while roosters average 7 pounds.

Andalusian hens are known for their high output, laying anywhere from 160 to 200 medium-to-large white eggs annually, making them great suppliers of eggs in the wintertime.

Andalusian hens are not only smart and curious but also strongly independent.

The Andalusian chicken is a remarkably energetic breed that likes to roam about rather than be kept in captivity, and they do not tolerate confinement well.

On the other hand, unlike many different varieties of Mediterranean poultry, they are both less flighty and less noisy.

5. Egyptian Fayoumi

Egyptian fayoumi hen standing while other chickens are resting

The origins of the Egyptian Fayoumi chicken may be traced back to exotic and hot Middle Egypt.

Although the Egyptian Fayoumi breed has likely been around for centuries, it wasn’t introduced to the US until just eighty years ago.

In comparison to other breeds, they mature early and stay rather small. A rooster typically weighs around 4.5 pounds, while a hen is closer to 3.5 pounds.

They are stunning birds with a graceful appearance. They stand out from the crowd because of their long necks and huge black eyes.

Fayoumi hens begin laying eggs at an early age and continue to do so for the rest of their lives. The average annual egg production for an Egyptian Fayoumi chicken is between 150 and 200 eggs.

Although smaller than a regular egg, these are not only delicious but also have significantly less cholesterol.

This breed of chicken is not the best choice if you want a lap chicken.

Generally speaking, the Egyptian Fayoumi is difficult to fully domesticate. Even if you begin socializing chicks right away as they hatch, it is quite hard to totally tame them.

6. Campine

A classic European egg layer, Campine chickens may be traced back to northern Belgium.

Campine hens have a reputation for being particularly robust. They are tolerant of warm temperatures, simple to care for, and unlikely to cause you any trouble.

They lay an average of 3 eggs per week, which works out to roughly 150 eggs per year; therefore, Campines are also regarded as good layers.

A Campine chicken is a lively and energetic bird. They are expert foragers and do their best when given plenty of opportunity to roam around.

These birds have great flying abilities. It’s also possible for them to be fearful and anxious.

Although they do not enjoy being handled, these curious birds are still friendly and pleasant.

7. Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock chicken standing in a farm

The Plymouth Rock is an American chicken breed famous for its sociability, hardiness, and tolerance of extreme temperatures.

Male Plymouth Rocks are also highly recommended as roosters for the backyard flock because they are generally more docile and sociable than other roosters.

The hens are sociable and would make wonderful companions for kids. They also have the potential to become broody and are excellent mothers.

Plymouth Rock hens can lay anything from 200 to 300 eggs per year. And the quality of their big, brown eggs is unparalleled.

In addition to being hardy in both hot and cold weather, Plymouth Rock hens require little in the way of care.

Although Plymouth Rocks can adapt to captivity, they thrive when allowed to roam freely.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best chicken breeds for your flock requires careful consideration of a wide range of characteristics.

Your local weather is a significant element to consider when choosing the right chicken breed. Since the summers in Georgia are very hot, you should select chicken breeds that can handle the heat.

Selecting a chicken that can withstand high temperatures requires some knowledge. Chickens that can survive hot temperatures have the following traits:

Bigger is better when it comes to the comb and the wattle because they provide cooling properties.
Pick a species that has fewer feathers overall and none on its feet.
Lighter-colored chickens are more comfortable in the sunlight.
Pick a lighter, more compact chicken with less mass to cool.

You can use this as a general rule of thumb, but keep in mind that there are exceptions to every rule.

So, save your time for research and use this article before making your final decision.