I love having a variety of colors in my backyard chicken eggs, and that means white as well! In this post I’ll cover 5 breeds of chickens that lay white eggs.
Traditionally the eggs found in the grocery store were always white. The modern egg producers use hybrid White Leghorns or sex-linked hybrids that lay white eggs.
Recently, however, as people become more conscious of where their food comes from and a desire for more natural, farm-fresh eggs becomes high, other colors became available.
Egg colors are determined by the genes of mother hen and the rooster.
Different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs. Below we’ll go over a list of chicken breeds that lay white eggs and which breeds lay other colors.
On our homestead we have the genetics for browns, greens, blues, whites, and even pink eggs!
For more chicken posts check out my posts on:
First on this list of breeds of white egg layers is the white leghorn.
This breed of chicken is loved in most places as they lay lots of eggs and promise white eggs.
They are especially treasured around the countries of England, Canada, Australia, and the United States.
There are 12 different varieties of Leghorn chickens including brown leghorns, black leghorns, and red leghorns that have deep red feathers.
However, the most commonly seen would be white leghorns. They have a single comb in a rose color which gives them the ability to withstand the cold temperature.
These birds are independent. They like to forage the place.
This makes them not ideal to be lap chickens or for kids to play with.
However, they are loving to people that they know and enjoy being held. Because they love to free range, you might save up on the feeds you need.
They might just be able to get fresh food from where they are that will be perfect for this chicken’s diet.
Leghorns can have a weekly egg production of 4 eggs. But, a white leghorn hen stands out as it can lay up to 6 eggs per week.
This is why most commercial egg producers raise these white-feathered chickens as their egg-laying capabilities can really be trusted.
California Whites are great chickens. They can be used as lap chickens and can be relied on to lay eggs.
This hybrid chicken gets its laying potential from its White Leghorn roots and its soft attitude from its Gray California roots.
California Whites are white chickens. And, as expected, these white hens lay white eggs. Their eggs are usually large to jumbo size.
You can easily fill your egg baskets as they can lay up to more than 5 eggs in a week.
This is why California Whites are bred mostly for their egg production.
This bird has beautiful white feathers and is very adaptable. It is low maintenance, too. They can live in both hot and cold climates.
The cold weather can’t harm this bird, but, it would be wise to make sure that the bird has been used to the climate you are about to take it to.
Originating from the city of Ancona, this bird is another one that lays white eggs.
This is a popular breed that has its roots in Italy. This Mediterranean breed doesn’t have one feather color, but rather, its feather has a pattern of black and white spots.
Like making new breeds, there are additions to the breed colors of the Ancona chickens. Rare varieties of this breed may be seen in chocolate, blue, or brown color.
The American Poultry Association recognizes both single comb and rose comb varieties of this chicken breed.
A mother hen lays 4 to 6 fresh eggs weekly, giving the owner a whopping total of 200 to 220 produce eggs in a year.
While Ancona chickens may be one of the best egg producers, these beautiful birds have a smaller size as compared to other chickens.
Many folks panic over their first time tending this breed, but there’s no need to worry as these birds just tend to be smaller than average-sized chickens.
When you’re looking for a real difference in beauty, a Hamburg chicken will always come to mind.
Among the other breed of chickens out there, this is the first one to be a show chicken breed.
The contrast of their white earlobes and rose comb just adds to their beauty.
Backyard chicken keepers will surely love these chickens as they are small in size. This breed also tends to age faster.
This means that a female chicken lays earlier in their lives than other breeds do. Unlike the previously mentioned breeds, you can expect them to lay fewer eggs—3 to 4 eggs with white shells a week.
The different breeds of chickens affect the size of the eggs they lay.
For the same reason, you can’t expect a large size egg to come out of a small Hamburg chicken, right? These chickens lay small size eggs.
These four breeds are some of the best options you have if you want to have chickens that lay white eggs.
It’s always nice to have local eggs, right? But, getting eggs from your own backyard flock sounds better.
This last breed is a rare breed. It is called La Fleche. It is a French ancient breed and its name translates to a broken arrow.
This breed loves to free-range and is fond of flying short distances. It lays eggs of up to 3 per week.
As mentioned earlier, the color of an egg is dependent on the genetics of the hen. If you are looking for chickens that lay a different color of egg such as brown eggs, green eggs, or just colorful eggs, here are some recommendations.
Some chicken breeds lay brown eggs. This is because of the brown pigment which appears when the outer shell forms.
Unlike what other people think, the color of the shell isn’t dependent on the color of the feathers. It’s all genetics.
Some people also like to think that brown eggs are organic eggs because of their color. The truth is, they hold the same nutritional value as white eggs.
It is also understandable why people tend to think that brown eggs are healthier—because brown eggs cost more than whites.
Chicken breeds that are brown egg layers include Rhode Island Reds, Delaware, Dominique, and New Hampshire Reds.
The Plymouth Rock chicken is also a good layer. It has an annual egg production of 280 large-sized eggs.
The Light Sussex is also a beautiful breed that gives you promising egg produce. Last on this list are the Buff Orpingtons.
Some brown eggs might go too light that they look like pink eggs!
In other breeds, the blue pigment is dominant and is responsible for the eggshell color. This is also the reason why some breeds lay blue eggs.
Blue chicken eggs can be expected from breeds like the Cream Legbars, Dongxiang, Araucana, and Ameracuana.
Another breed is the Easter Egger, which might be the most famous blue egg layer.
It is a family favorite as it is friendly with kids and loves the attention that people give.
When blue egg layers are cross-bred with brown-egg layers, green eggs result. Usually, the brown comes out stronger, which makes the shell have a color closer to olive.
An example of this breed would be the Olive Eggers.
Conclusion
The beauty of having your own backyard flock is that you get to see the chickens free-range.
Factory farms usually put their chickens in a cage. On the flip side, having a backyard flock means you get to have a harvest of cage-free eggs.
Others also like to have free-range eggs. Some markets put a higher price on some eggs.
But, you can cut down on these extra costs if you have chickens giving you free eggs in your backyard.
The post 5 Breeds of Chickens That Lay White Eggs appeared first on Hillsborough Homesteading.
Traditionally the eggs found in the grocery store were always white. The modern egg producers use hybrid White Leghorns or sex-linked hybrids that lay white eggs.
Recently, however, as people become more conscious of where their food comes from and a desire for more natural, farm-fresh eggs becomes high, other colors became available.
Egg colors are determined by the genes of mother hen and the rooster.
Different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs. Below we’ll go over a list of chicken breeds that lay white eggs and which breeds lay other colors.
On our homestead we have the genetics for browns, greens, blues, whites, and even pink eggs!
For more chicken posts check out my posts on:
- 7 Chicken Breeds with Feathered Feet
- Top 12 Heritage Chicken Breeds
- Essential Chicken Terms You Need to Know
5 Breeds of Chickens That Lay White Eggs
1. Leghorn Chickens
First on this list of breeds of white egg layers is the white leghorn.
This breed of chicken is loved in most places as they lay lots of eggs and promise white eggs.
They are especially treasured around the countries of England, Canada, Australia, and the United States.
There are 12 different varieties of Leghorn chickens including brown leghorns, black leghorns, and red leghorns that have deep red feathers.
However, the most commonly seen would be white leghorns. They have a single comb in a rose color which gives them the ability to withstand the cold temperature.
These birds are independent. They like to forage the place.
This makes them not ideal to be lap chickens or for kids to play with.
However, they are loving to people that they know and enjoy being held. Because they love to free range, you might save up on the feeds you need.
They might just be able to get fresh food from where they are that will be perfect for this chicken’s diet.
Leghorns can have a weekly egg production of 4 eggs. But, a white leghorn hen stands out as it can lay up to 6 eggs per week.
This is why most commercial egg producers raise these white-feathered chickens as their egg-laying capabilities can really be trusted.
2. California White Chickens
California Whites are great chickens. They can be used as lap chickens and can be relied on to lay eggs.
This hybrid chicken gets its laying potential from its White Leghorn roots and its soft attitude from its Gray California roots.
California Whites are white chickens. And, as expected, these white hens lay white eggs. Their eggs are usually large to jumbo size.
You can easily fill your egg baskets as they can lay up to more than 5 eggs in a week.
This is why California Whites are bred mostly for their egg production.
This bird has beautiful white feathers and is very adaptable. It is low maintenance, too. They can live in both hot and cold climates.
The cold weather can’t harm this bird, but, it would be wise to make sure that the bird has been used to the climate you are about to take it to.
3. Ancona Chickens
Originating from the city of Ancona, this bird is another one that lays white eggs.
This is a popular breed that has its roots in Italy. This Mediterranean breed doesn’t have one feather color, but rather, its feather has a pattern of black and white spots.
Like making new breeds, there are additions to the breed colors of the Ancona chickens. Rare varieties of this breed may be seen in chocolate, blue, or brown color.
The American Poultry Association recognizes both single comb and rose comb varieties of this chicken breed.
A mother hen lays 4 to 6 fresh eggs weekly, giving the owner a whopping total of 200 to 220 produce eggs in a year.
While Ancona chickens may be one of the best egg producers, these beautiful birds have a smaller size as compared to other chickens.
Many folks panic over their first time tending this breed, but there’s no need to worry as these birds just tend to be smaller than average-sized chickens.
4. Hamburg Chickens
When you’re looking for a real difference in beauty, a Hamburg chicken will always come to mind.
Among the other breed of chickens out there, this is the first one to be a show chicken breed.
The contrast of their white earlobes and rose comb just adds to their beauty.
Backyard chicken keepers will surely love these chickens as they are small in size. This breed also tends to age faster.
This means that a female chicken lays earlier in their lives than other breeds do. Unlike the previously mentioned breeds, you can expect them to lay fewer eggs—3 to 4 eggs with white shells a week.
The different breeds of chickens affect the size of the eggs they lay.
For the same reason, you can’t expect a large size egg to come out of a small Hamburg chicken, right? These chickens lay small size eggs.
These four breeds are some of the best options you have if you want to have chickens that lay white eggs.
5. La Fleche Chickens – Chickens That Lay White Eggs
It’s always nice to have local eggs, right? But, getting eggs from your own backyard flock sounds better.
This last breed is a rare breed. It is called La Fleche. It is a French ancient breed and its name translates to a broken arrow.
This breed loves to free-range and is fond of flying short distances. It lays eggs of up to 3 per week.
Other Colors of Eggs
As mentioned earlier, the color of an egg is dependent on the genetics of the hen. If you are looking for chickens that lay a different color of egg such as brown eggs, green eggs, or just colorful eggs, here are some recommendations.
Brown Eggs
Some chicken breeds lay brown eggs. This is because of the brown pigment which appears when the outer shell forms.
Unlike what other people think, the color of the shell isn’t dependent on the color of the feathers. It’s all genetics.
Some people also like to think that brown eggs are organic eggs because of their color. The truth is, they hold the same nutritional value as white eggs.
It is also understandable why people tend to think that brown eggs are healthier—because brown eggs cost more than whites.
Chicken breeds that are brown egg layers include Rhode Island Reds, Delaware, Dominique, and New Hampshire Reds.
The Plymouth Rock chicken is also a good layer. It has an annual egg production of 280 large-sized eggs.
The Light Sussex is also a beautiful breed that gives you promising egg produce. Last on this list are the Buff Orpingtons.
Some brown eggs might go too light that they look like pink eggs!
Blue Eggs
In other breeds, the blue pigment is dominant and is responsible for the eggshell color. This is also the reason why some breeds lay blue eggs.
Blue chicken eggs can be expected from breeds like the Cream Legbars, Dongxiang, Araucana, and Ameracuana.
Another breed is the Easter Egger, which might be the most famous blue egg layer.
It is a family favorite as it is friendly with kids and loves the attention that people give.
Mix of Colors
When blue egg layers are cross-bred with brown-egg layers, green eggs result. Usually, the brown comes out stronger, which makes the shell have a color closer to olive.
An example of this breed would be the Olive Eggers.
Conclusion
The beauty of having your own backyard flock is that you get to see the chickens free-range.
Factory farms usually put their chickens in a cage. On the flip side, having a backyard flock means you get to have a harvest of cage-free eggs.
Others also like to have free-range eggs. Some markets put a higher price on some eggs.
But, you can cut down on these extra costs if you have chickens giving you free eggs in your backyard.
The post 5 Breeds of Chickens That Lay White Eggs appeared first on Hillsborough Homesteading.