Chicken Breeds Made in America

Just in time for Fourth of July, it’s fun to consider adding some chicken breeds made in America to your flock. These breeds are the backbone of a hardy, productive flock. They are good egg layers with high levels of production. They can endure the tough weather we often get in this country. And many have unique features, such as hawk-coloring to avoid predator detection. Nothing fancy, only purpose, for these breeds whose history, in many cases, goes back to our founding fathers and helped to bring about a growing nation.

Ameraucana

Developed in the 1970s and first admitted to the American Poultry Standard in 1984, this breed is perhaps the most confused by consumers since many hatcheries mistakenly sell their Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas. True Ameraucanas are beautiful birds with muffs and a well-feathered body that lay blue/green eggs long into the season.

Class: All Other Standard Breeds
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Pea
Colors: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten, White
Standard Size: 5.5 Pounds (Hen) 6.5 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Blue/Green Egg
Size: Large
Production: 3+ Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Very Cold Hardy
Disposition: Docile, Active, Friendly

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Buckeye

Developed in Ohio and named for the state tree because their color is comparable to the mahogany in a buckeye nut, the Buckeye is the only breed developed solely by a woman. They also hold the distinction of being the only pea-combed breed developed in the United States. Buckeyes are winter hardy, good layers and make good backyard pets with their friendly personalities.

Class: American
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Pea
Color: Mahogany Red
Standard Size: 6.5 Pounds (Hen) 9 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Brown
Egg Size: Medium
Production: 3 to 4 Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Very Cold Hardy
Disposition: Friendly, Sociable

Buckeye bantam.

Delaware

Named for the state where it was developed, the Delaware chicken was once a staple of the broiler industry. This is a friendly, dual-purpose bird that can be used for eggs or meat. Interestingly, female Delawares may be mated with male New Hampshire or Rhode Island Reds and the resulting chicks are sex-linked and able to be sexed according to their color.

Class: American
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Single
Color: White with Incomplete Black Barring
Standard Size: 6.5 Pounds (Hen) 8.5 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Brown
Egg Size: Large
Production: 4 to 5 Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy
Disposition: Calm

Dominique & Plymouth Rock

The Dominique is thought to be the oldest American breed, one of the first breed of chickens established in America. Dominiques were replaced in popularity by the Barred Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rocks are said to have been developed in Massachusetts after the Civil War and were named for one of the state’s most famous landmarks. The two breeds look similar with a barred color pattern that’s referred to as hawk-coloring, meaning it confuses aerial predators. If you look closely, you can tell the two apart because the Dominique has a rose comb while the Barred Plymouth Rock has a single comb. Plymouth Rocks can be found in other colors. Dominiques nearly became extinct, but are regaining in numbers.

Dominique
Class: American
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Rose
Color: Black and White Barred
Standard Size: 5 Pounds (Hen) 7 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Brown
Egg Size: Medium
Production: 3 to 4 Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy
Disposition: Calm, Gentle, Good Forager

Plymouth Rock
Class: American
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Single
Popular Colors: Barred, Black, Blue, Buff, Columbian, Partridge, Silver Penciled, and White Standard Size: 7.5 Pounds (Hen) 9.5 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Brown
Egg Size: Large
Production: 4 to 5 Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Cold Hardy
Disposition: Especially Docile

Barred Plymouth Rock

Java

Admitted to the Standard of Perfection in 1883, the Java is considered to be the second oldest breed of chicken developed in America and was the foundation stock for the creation of the Plymouth Rock and Jersey Giant. The stock for the Java chicken we know today came from Asia, hence the name. 

Class: American

Origin: United States

Comb Type: Single

Colors: Black, Mottled

Standard Size: 7.5 Pounds (Hen) 9.5 Pounds (Rooster)

Egg Color: Brown

Egg Size: Large

Production: 3 to 4 Eggs Per Week

Hardiness: Cold Hardy

Disposition: Calm, Forager

Mottled Java

Jersey Giant

As its name implies, make sure you have room to house your Jersey Giants, known to be one of the largest chicken breeds. Also as the name implies, this breed was developed in New Jersey. This is a slowly maturing bird with beautiful black feathers that become iridescent in the sun.

Class: American
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Single
Colors: Black, White
Standard Size: 10 Pounds (Hen) 13 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Brown
Egg Size: Large
Production: 3 to 4 Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Cold Hardy
Disposition: Calm, Gentle

Jersey Giant hen.

New Hampshire

This is a great family-friendly bird that’s named for the state where it was developed. Many confuse this breed with the Rhode Island Red, which makes sense because it was originally developed from Rhode Island Red stock. This is a dual-purpose bird that matures early and consistently lays brown eggs.

Class: American
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Single
Color: Red
Standard Size: 6.5 Pounds (Hen) 8.5 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Brown Egg
Size: Large
Production: 4 to 5 Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Cold and Heat Tolerant
Disposition: Calm, Friendly

Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Reds were developed in the 1800s and the breed was named after the state where it was developed. This breed holds the distinction of being Rhode Island’s state bird. This is a utility breed that can be used for eggs and meat. It is considered a superior bird for backyard flocks.

Class: American
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Single
Color: Red
Standard Size: 6.5 Pounds (Hen) 8.5 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Brown
Egg Size: Large to Extra Large
Production: 5+ Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy
Disposition: Docile

Wyandotte

Wyandottes were developed in New York and Wisconsin and named after the Native American Wendat tribe. The family’s parent variety is the Silver Laced Wyandotte. From there, many color variations have been bred, some recognized by the American Poultry Association, others not. This is a hardy, all-around useful chicken that graces many backyard flocks across America.

Class: American
Origin: United States
Comb Type: Rose
Popular Colors: Silver Laced, Golden Laced, White, Black, Partridge, Silver Penciled, Columbian, and Blue
Standard Size: 6.5 Pounds (Hen) 8.5 Pounds (Rooster)
Egg Color: Brown
Egg Size: Large
Production: 4 to 5 Eggs Per Week
Hardiness: Cold Hardy
Disposition: Calm

Golden Laced Wyandotte