Deciding what breed of chickens to add to your backyard coop should not done spur of the moment or you might not end up with what you were expecting. Many people start with something easy, like deciding what color of chickens they want, just to help narrow down the field.
If you want to add some solid white chickens to your farm, you are in luck! There are several hardy chicken breeds that include solid white chickens among their ranks. Among them, the different breeds of white chickens offer different qualities that you may or may not want on your farm.
You should first decide if you want to harvest eggs daily, harvest your chickens for meat, raise baby chicks, or just keep them around for the simple pleasure of raising chickens.
Once you know why you want them, then you can determine which breeds will work best for your coop. The following are some of the most popular farm-friendly solid white chicken breeds out there.
Table of Contents
Top White Chicken Breeds
Chicken Breed | Body Size (lbs) | Purpose | Egg Production | Egg Color | Egg Size | Broody |
White Leghorn | 4.5-6 | Eggs | Excellent | White | Large/X-Large | No |
White Ameraucana | 5.5-6.5 | Eggs, Show | Good | Blue | Med/Large | No |
Rhode Island White | 6.5-8.5 | Eggs, Meat | Great | Brown | Large | Sometimes |
California White Chicken | 5.5-7 | Eggs | Excellent | White | Large | No |
White Faverolles | 6.5-8 | Eggs | Good | Cream | Medium | Yes |
White Frizzle | 1.75-2 | Ornamental | Fair | Brown | Small | Yes |
White Plymouth Rock | 7.5-9.5 | Eggs, Meat | Great | Brown | Large | Yes |
White Orpington | 7-12 | Eggs, Meat | Good | Brown | Medium | Yes |
White Jersey Giant | 10-13 | Eggs, Meat | Good | Brown | Medium | Yes |
White Sultan | 4-6 | Eggs, Ornamental | Fair | White | Small | Sometimes |
White Wyandottes | 6.5-8.5 | Eggs, Meat | Good | Brown | Large | No |
1. White Leghorn
White Leghorn chickens are extremely popular backyard chickens for a number of reasons. They have gorgeous solid white plumage with yellow skin and yellow legs.
White Leghorns are prolific egg layers, producing an impressive 300 or more eggs annually. Their eggs are solid white, just like they are, and they are large in size.
White Leghorn chickens will typically start laying eggs at around 5 months old and they are an extremely hardy chicken breed. White Leghorns are small chickens, weighing from 4-5.5 pounds as adults.
They are mainly used for their egg production since their small size makes them not ideal as a meat source. While they do lay a lot of eggs each year, they do not tend to be very broody and often will not sit their own eggs.
2. White Ameraucana
White Ameraucana chickens are just one of many different color varieties that exist in the Ameraucana breed. The breed itself was designed by breeders using Easter Egger chickens.
White Ameraucanas are solid white in color with grey legs and usually have distinctive muffs and beards on their heads. They lay gorgeous blue eggs that are usually medium to large depending on the chicken.
White Ameraucanas are average layers, providing around 200 or so eggs each year. They are usually not very broody and tend to be a little flighty but are an overall hardy breed that does well in backyard farms.
3. Rhode Island White
The Rhode Island White chicken is easily confused with a White Leghorn as it is solid white with yellow skin and yellow legs, but they do tend to be a couple pounds larger than a Leghorn.
They are known to be very friendly chickens that fit in well in most backyard coops. Rhode Island Whites are good layers, producing somewhere between 220 and 280 each annually in the right conditions.
They lay large brown eggs and sometimes can be broody, meaning they will set their own eggs at times. They are known as a quality meat source if you want to harvest your chickens for food purposes.
4. California White Chicken
The California White chicken breed was designed by combining a White Leghorn chicken and a California Grey chicken, producing this almost solid white chicken that has tiny black specks of color in its feathers.
Known to be a very hardy chicken, the California White chicken is an excellent egg layer, providing upwards of 300 or more eggs each year! They are primarily used for egg-laying but are not often very broody. They lay gorgeous white eggs that are medium to large. They are said to do extremely well in small confined areas like chicken coops.
5. White Faverolles
The Faverolles chicken breed includes chickens of a variety of colors, however, in the United States, the salmon and white colors are the main staples of the breed.
The White Faverolle is absolutely gorgeous, featuring a fluffy look with solid white feathers as well as adorable feathering on their feet! They are a medium-size chicken with short legs and are very hardy in various weather conditions.
Faverolles tend to be broody and love to sit their own eggs when they can. They are decent layers, producing around 150 to 180 eggs yearly. Faverolles of the white variety are not only fun to look at, they are also very friendly by nature!
6. White Frizzle Cochin Bantam
If you are looking for the most adorable white-feathered chicken around, look no further than the White Frizzle Cochin Bantam! These super cute chickens are solid white and have frizzle feathers that twist outwards making them look utterly adorable.
They lay small brown eggs, but their production is only fair, however, your purpose for having them probably will not be for their eggs. They are a poor meat source, but their exceptional look will make them one of your favorites in the coop.
It is important to know that their small size and unique feathering makes them more susceptible to predators and freezing in cold weather.
7. White Plymouth Rock (White Rock)
The White Plymouth Rock chicken is a great addition to any backyard farm because it is not only a hardy chicken, it is also very friendly.They are solid white with yellow legs.
People utilize these chickens for their eggs as well as a meat source. They lay brown eggs, up to 280 eggs per year in the right conditions. They are a medium to large size chicken and they lay large eggs.
White Plymouth Rock chickens are known to be broody and will often set their own eggs as well as the eggs of other chickens in the coop. They can weigh around 7.5-9.5 pounds as adults, depending on their sex.
8. White Orpington
White Orpington chickens are well-known as docile birds that make excellent additions to any coop. They are rather large chickens that have solid white feathers with light pink skin.
Orpingtons lay medium-sized brown eggs but unlike many chickens on this list, they are good setters! The White Orpington’s large size makes it a great choice for meat harvesting as well.
They can reach an impressive 12 pounds as adults. Their thick frames make them a hardy chicken that will do well in most weather conditions, especially the cold.
9. White Jersey Giant
The White Jersey Giant is an extra-large chicken that is solid white with yellow skin and legs. It will grow bigger than a Plymouth Rock or Rhode Island chicken, up to 13 pounds.
They lay medium-sized brown eggs and they lay them fairly often, up to 260 eggs annually. White Jersey Giants are used for meat as well as their egg production.
They tend to be a calm, friendly chicken that will set its own eggs. They make a great addition to any chicken farm thanks to their dual purpose as a meat source and egg producer.
10. White Sultan
A petite chicken with a grand personality, the White Sultan breed of chicken sports solid white plumage, feathered feet and adorable muffs. They are extremely friendly but can often get bullied in a coop with larger chickens.
Sultans only get up to between 4 and 6 pounds and they lay small eggs. They are not ideal as a meat source due to their size. White Sultans are an ornamental breed, meaning they are raised mainly for their appearance, which is stunning.
11. White Wyandottes
White Wyandottes are stunning solid white chickens that sport fluffy white feathers and yellow legs with rose colored combs. They lay large brown eggs and are considered to be good egg producers.
White Wyandottes are a large chicken, reaching up to 8.5 pounds and are often raised as a meat source. They are not very broody and often will not sit on their own eggs. Their thick feathers and large bodies make them ideal for cold weather, but they will do well in most climates.
Final Thoughts
There are a number of different breeds if solid white chickens that may or may not be right for your backyard coop. The important thing is to decide what exactly you want to utilize your chickens for and go from there. Maybe you want a good variety of egg layers, meat production and visually appealing chickens on your farm and luckily, you can find the perfect chickens to suit your needs!