Most backyard chicken keepers would prefer to have friendly chickens in their backyard flock. Friendly chickens have a docile personality, making them ideal for beginners with children and experts alike.
Many of the breeds below would make wonderful pet chickens in addition to being egg-laying or even dual-purpose breeds.
Here is a list of the 15 most friendly chicken breeds, and what makes them perfect for your backyard chicken coop!
Table of Contents
1. Silkie Chicken
Silkie chickens are incredibly well-known to chicken keepers, with the bantam variety of the breed easily being the most popular. They are tiny birds, weighing less than 2 pounds and are easily handled.
They come in a variety of colors and bearded or non-bearded varieties. Their feathers resemble that of a newborn chick, and they have a soft, fluffy appearance, and a silk-like texture.
Silkie chickens have feathered legs, with blue earlobes, and black skin and bones. They also have five toes instead of four – which is a rarity amongst chicken breeds.
They do not do well in wet, rainy conditions because of their feathers, so many people keep them in confinement, and treat them as pets.
These birds are known to be calm, sweet, friendly and easy to handle, and that, coupled with their beautiful appearance make them one of the best choices if you are seeking a friendly bird.
2. Sultan Chicken
Sultan chickens are considered exotic for their appearance and were originally used as ornamental birds at court for the Sultans of the Ottoman empire – hence their name.
These gentle birds are not good egg producers, but make wonderful exhibition birds.
Their wings are low and they are a feather legged variety. They will definitely stand out in a mixed flock for their vulture hocks.
They are very friendly, easy to handle, and do best in warm climates. You can also raise them indoors unlike many other breeds, so they make ideal pets.
3. Buff Orpington chicken
Orpingtons come in different colors, including lavender, blue, black and white – but the Buff Orpington chicken is usually easier to find than the other varieties.
The Buff Orpington is popular as a dual-purpose chicken, that is a broiler but also lays around 200 brown eggs per year on average.
Orpingtons are people-friendly chickens that are docile and easy to handle. They enjoy cuddles now and again and make good pets. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance bird, a Buff Orpington would be a fabulous choice.
4. Brahma Chicken
Brahma chickens are one of the largest, friendliest cold-hardy breed of chickens out there. This breed also has incredibly cute feathered feet!
Brahma hens on average will produce around 150 eggs each year, so while they aren’t terrific egg layers, they can still be relied upon to produce some eggs, and can also be raised for meat.
Brahma chickens are popular as pets for their calm demeanor and outgoing personality.
5. Polish Chickens
Polish chickens have a unique look, with over-the-top feathered crests, and while they tend to be friendly, they can be a bit nervous around new people and are easily startled.
If you are okay with trimming their crest so they can see properly, they won’t be as nervous and will be more welcoming.
Polish chickens come with beard and without beards, and the roosters of the breed have a rock-star look to them.
Polish chickens do well in confinement, and they are an inquisitive breed that enjoys daily interaction and being handled. They are friendly birds that are also great egg producers and will provide around 4 eggs per week.
6. Wyandotte Chicken
Wyandotte chickens are stunning to look at with beautiful laced feathers. They are quiet birds that are known for their sweet personalities.
Wyandottes are easy to train and enjoy treats. They are good egg layers and produce 200 large brown eggs on average every year.
Wyandotte chickens are also used as broilers, so this dual-purpose bird is one of the best all-around chickens on our list.
7. Barbu D’Uccle’s Chicken
These gorgeous birds hail from Belgium, near the Uccle area and were developed in the early 1900s. These birds are bantams and have sweet temperaments.
They come in a variety of colors like mottled black, millefleur, and porcelain. They have feathered muffs and beards and feathered legs, with a single comb.
They are talkative birds and can be a bit noisy, and like parrots – they enjoy riding on the shoulders of their human keepers. They also love to be held and cuddled, making them wonderful pet chickens.
8. Sussex Chicken
Sussex chickens are smart, curious, and incredibly friendly. They enjoy human interaction and are incredibly popular in the United States, although they are originally from England.
Sussex chickens have been around for over a thousand years and come in a plethora of colors but the speckled sussex, red, and white varieties are the most popular.
They are prolific egg layers and will provide approximately 250 brown eggs each year. They also are great as meat birds.
They do well in small, low-maintenance flocks, and are perfect for families due to their tame personalities.
9. Plymouth Rock Chicken
The Plymouth Rock chicken is an incredibly popular heritage dual-purpose breed that is good for egg production (producing 280 eggs per year) as well as broilers.
These chickens come in many varieties including barred, blue, buff, silver-penciled, white, black, and black frizzle.
They have a calm personality and enjoy being around people. They prefer to be free-range and do well in different climates.
Plymouth Rock’s are easily available and one of the most friendly breeds that you can add to your chicken coop.
10. Jersey Giant Chicken
A true gentle giant, Jersey Giant chickens are one of the largest chicken breeds that exist. Roosters weigh around 13 pounds, and hens weigh around 10 pounds.
They are incredibly friendly, and calm birds that are not easily startled, and do well against predators.
These birds are wonderful for beginners and are dual-purpose birds that can be raised for meat, for exhibition, or for egg production. Jersey Giant hens lay around 150-200 eggs per year.
They make excellent mothers and often go broody, so if you are interested in breeding your chickens, they make a wonderful choice.
11. Faverolle Chicken
Faverolle chickens come from France and are one of the few breeds of chicken that has five instead of four toes.
They have a distinctive appearance with outward facing cheek feathers known as muffs, and an impressive feathered beard.
These birds are naturally tame, and can do well in confinement, with a calm and friendly demeanor. They are easily handled and a popular choice for families with small children.
Hens are good egg producers and will offer four eggs per week on average.
These birds come in a variety of colors but the most common is salmon.
12. White Leghorn Chicken
White Leghorn Chickens are one of the most common chicken breeds used in commercial egg production because they produce a prolific 280 large white eggs per year on average. They are originally from Italy and were once called “Italians” before being re-branded as White Leghorns.
They are quite docile and are both friendly and intelligent, making them excellent for beginners. They do quite well in warm climates, having a smaller than average body.
They will have a distinctive, pronounced comb (and some varieties have rose combs). They also come in standard and bantam varieties.
13. Australorp Chickens
Australorp’s are another friendly dual-purpose breed which is native to Australia. They are climate hardy birds and do well in both cold and heat.
These friendly chickens are excellent egg layers and produce 250 light brown eggs per year on average and also provide plentiful, flavorful meat.
They are available in a variety of colors including white, blue and black, and owners swear that this breed is one of the friendliest chicken breeds in the world that also makes great pets.
14. Cochin Chickens
Cochin chickens are one of the largest chicken breeds and have been called gentle giants because they are also one of the friendliest chicken breeds available.
These sweet birds are quiet, mellow, and enjoy cuddling. They enjoy petting and being held on your lap and make great pets!
Cochin hens are hardworking and produce 3 eggs on average each week, and also make wonderful mothers to their baby chicks.
One drawback of the Cochin is that while they are cold hardy, they do not do well in hot climates because of their extraordinary amount of fluffy feathers. If you live in a cold climate, this may be the perfect, friendly chicken for your coop.
15. Easter Egger
First of all, an Easter Egger really isn’t its own breed – at least it doesn’t fit into the breed standard for Ameraucana or Araucana chickens due to the colors of the eggs it produces. However, among enthusiasts who enjoy the Easter egg colors the laying hens produce, they are hugely popular.
Easter Egger chickens can produce eggs that are pastel blue, green or pink.
Much like their colorful eggs, they have a colorful personality to match. They are extremely friendly, docile, and are easily trained.
Summary
There are so many friendly varieties of chickens to choose from for your backyard flock. In deciding which bird works best, you should consider whether you want your chickens primarily for eggs, meat, exhibition, or simply as a pet.
Luckily, there are many breeds to choose from! Of course, you can always influence your chickens by how well you treat them and the age at which you get them.
Remember – the younger the chicken, the more likely you can train it and the friendlier it is likely to be.