Each chicken breed has its own preferential coop space and lifestyle requirements, but what are the best chicken breeds for confinement? And what birds can easily adapt to small backyards and urban living?
Whether you’re planning to raise chickens in full-time or part-time confinement, you must choose the right breed to get your new venture on the right foot.
So, in this article, we compiled a list of chicken breeds that can thrive even in confinement. In particular, you’ll discover:
- prolific egg layers that can produce a whopping number of 300 eggs
- fancy chicken breeds with striking visuals and pleasing personalities
- and bantam chickens with elaborate plumage patterns you might love
We assure you your heart will be taken away by the gorgeous birds on this list. So, if you’re in for the visual treat and want to know more about them, let’s get right into it!
Top 15 Best Chicken Breeds for Confinement
Our top picks for best chicken breeds for confinement and small backyards are docile birds. However, these breeds need a higher level of protection since they can’t detect predators and danger, as well as other breeds.
But keeping and raising these sweet and gentle birds can be surely rewarding!
Here is the list of chicken breeds you can confine either full-time or part-time:
1. Delaware
Gracing the top of this list of best chicken breeds for confinement is Delaware. It was primarily bred for the broiler industry and enjoyed immense popularity in the Mid-East before the Cornish Rock cross dethroned it.
Delaware is a dual-purpose chicken breed that tolerates confinement and can withstand most climates. It can adapt well to small backyard spaces, stay productive, and thrive despite being confined.
It can produce up to 280 large brown eggs yearly and provide high-quality meat with an average weight of 7 to 8 pounds.
Delaware is distinguishable thanks to its black barring pattern in its hackles, wings, tail, and white or silver plumage.
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Quick Facts About Delaware — The Best Chicken Breed for Confinement |
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| Egg color: | Brown |
| Egg size: | Large |
| Starts laying at: | 26 weeks old |
| Primary purpose: | Meat and egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 |
2. Brahma
Next on the list of best chicken breeds for confinement is the King of Poultry, the Brahma chicken. It’s a breed prized for its size, vigor, and good egg-laying performance during winter.
Brahma chickens are sweet and docile that they can even pass as lap chickens despite being large; that’s why they’re called gentle giants.
They’re fluffy because of the thick and dense plumage covering their bodies, weighing around 10 to 12 pounds.
Due to their immense weight, they can’t fly well over low fences, so they’re easy to contain. Although they like to forage daily, they can endure confinement well and stay calm and docile.
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Quick Facts About Brahma Chicken |
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| Egg color: | Brown |
| Egg size: | Medium |
| Starts laying at: | 7 months old |
| Primary purpose: | Egg and meat production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 |
3. Silkie
Silkie chickens are arguably one of the most adorable breeds worth mentioning in this list of best chicken breeds for confinement.
This fluffy chicken breed doesn’t excel in the egg-laying department. But its loving and sweet personality paired with eye-catching plumage can compensate for its cons. It’s a popular ornamental breed, and it’s easy to know why.
Silkies are one of the most friendly chickens and are cuddly and sweet. They can be confined, but they’re more vulnerable to predators. So, these pom-pom chickens need human protection and extra care.
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Quick Facts About Silkies |
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| Egg color: | Cream |
| Egg size: | Small |
| Starts laying at: | 7 to 9 months |
| Primary purpose: | Exhibition |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 100 to 120 |
4. Buff Orpington
This chicken also deserves a spot on this list of best chicken breeds for confinement because they can live through confinement very well, thanks to their patient and calm nature.
Orpingtons are large brown egg producers who also excel in the meat bird department. And they can also make a good brood hen and mom.
In fact, they can foster other chickens just as Brahmas.
This beautiful breed enjoys a free-ranging time, but they’re easy-going and can easily adapt to any backyard chicken space.
Additionally, their eye-pleasing feathering can add a pop of color to your flock and brighten your yard.
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Quick Facts About Buff Orpingtons |
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| Egg color: | Brown |
| Egg size: | Large |
| Starts laying at: | 22 weeks |
| Primary purpose: | Meat and egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 to 280 |
5. Wyandotte
Wyandotte chicken is an all-American breed originating from the state of New York. It is an extremely popular bird worldwide because they are productive layers and excellent backyard companions.
This striking chicken breed comes from a Native American tribe and comes in different varieties, including the partridge, silver laced, and buff.
But the most popular are the silver and blue laced, which look straight out of a comic book.
It is considered a dual-purpose breed because of its excellent egg-laying capabilities and good table bird qualities.
This chicken breed enjoys free-ranging but can tolerate confinement very well.
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Quick Facts About Wyandotte |
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| Egg color: | Cream-colored to brown |
| Egg size: | Large |
| Starts laying at: | 18 weeks or so |
| Primary purpose: | Meat and egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 |
6. ISA Brown
If you don’t recognize this hybrid, it’s called the ISA Brown, a hardworking egg-layer breed that can lay up to 300 eggs yearly.
These birds are usually mistaken for Rhode Island Reds, but when you look closely at them, they’re actually of a lighter shade of chestnut brown.
ISA Brown chickens are friendly, docile, and cuddly and enjoy being showered with affection and treats. They love foraging for bugs and other crawling creeps but can also stand confinement.
However, since they lay eggs in huge quantities, they’re predisposed to reproductive tract issues like prolapse, tumors and cancer, and kidney problems.
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Quick Facts About ISA Brown chickens |
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| Egg color: | Light brown |
| Egg size: | Medium |
| Starts laying at: | 22 weeks |
| Primary purpose: | Egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 300 |
7. Easter Egger
One of the most exciting things about chickens is their pretty-colored eggs. If you want the best chicken breeds for confinement that produce a variety of pretty colors, including blue and pink, look no further than the Easter Eggers.
They are kind, friendly, and inquisitive. But keep a close eye on Eggers around other breeds because more aggressive ones can pick on them.
They are amiable and gentle, and they tolerate confinement well. They get along well with kids, and most youngsters return the favor by adoring them for their charm and vibrant eggs.
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Quick Facts About Easter Egger |
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| Egg color: | Blue, green, white, pink, tan, or dark brown |
| Egg size: | Medium |
| Starts laying at: | 20 to 24 weeks old |
| Primary purpose: | Egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 |
8. Golden Comet
You may notice that this chicken looks similar to the ISA Brown, but it comes from different parent stocks. Golden Comets are the result of crossing New Hampshire roosters and White Rock hens.
They’re generally light to medium reddish-brown with some flecking white feathers.
Just like ISA Brown chickens, Golden Comets are prolific layers that can produce a whopping 330 brown eggs annually.
But their lifespan is shorter because they’re bred to keep a high production rate.
Nevertheless, they make good family pets and can live through confinement well. These birds are also peaceful members of the flock since they dislike squabbling or pecking and prefer to live away from troublemakers.
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Quick Facts About Golden Comets |
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| Egg color: | Brown |
| Egg size: | Medium to large |
| Starts laying at: | 16 weeks |
| Primary purpose: | Egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 330 |
9. Plymouth Rock
If you want a bird with a striking barred plumage pattern, check out another best chicken breed for confinement, the Plymouth Rock. It’s one of America’s oldest breeds and was the country’s main source of chicken meat and eggs during World War 2.
This bird can lay up to 200 eggs annually, but its production declines as soon as it reaches three years old.
They’re known for being sweet, docile, and friendly towards kids and adults, but they’re also curious.
Plymouth Rock birds love to free-range and look for tasty morsels, but they can live through confinement well when given enough space.
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Quick Facts About Plymouth Rock |
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| Egg color: | Brown |
| Egg size: | Large |
| Starts laying at: | Between 4 to 6 months old |
| Primary purpose: | Egg and meat production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 |
10. Sussex
This list of the best chicken breeds won’t be complete without the soft-feathered Sussex. It comes in various colors: speckled, light, coronation, brown, buff, silver, white, and red.
The Sussex is characterized as a calm, self-assured, and sociable bird that is simple to manage. They are excellent foragers who get much of their food from the garden, making them thrifty hens.
However, they can stay in confinement if necessary. They are also great table birds and lay a lot of eggs.
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Quick Facts About Sussex |
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| Egg color: | Light brown |
| Egg size: | Large |
| Starts laying at: | 20 weeks |
| Primary purpose: | Meat and egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 |
11. Salmon Faverolles
We’re down to the honeyed salmon-colored chicken with a unique hackle feathering pattern that is also one of the best chicken breeds for confinement; the Salmon Faverolle.
These birds are sociable, inquisitive, and entertaining.
They will continue acting as though whatever they are doing is of the utmost importance as they rush erratically around the yard banging into one another.
And they love talking with their humans, especially one-on-one, and are cuddly and adorable.
These birds tend to be at or near the bottom of the pecking order because they are docile and gentle birds. So it would be best if you kept an eye on them to ensure the more dominant hens aren’t abusing them.
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Quick Facts About Salmon Faverolles |
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| Egg color: | Tinted/very light brown |
| Egg size: | Medium |
| Starts laying at: | 20 weeks |
| Primary purpose: | Meat and egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 160 to 200 |
12. Polish
This chicken breed has a remarkable and unique physical feature—the crest on its head. They have a variety of appearances as a result of their parents, but they all have a polish identity.
Besides being fun, quirky, docile, and friendly, Polish chickens can behave well even in small areas. Even if you have children at home, polish chickens still interact well.
So, choosing this breed’s bantam variety would be better if you plan to place them in confinement. However, they must be supervised when free-ranging because they are prone to predators.
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Quick Facts About Polish Chicken |
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| Egg color: | White |
| Egg size: | Tiny |
| Starts laying at: | 4 to 5 months old |
| Primary purpose: | Exhibition |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 |
13. Cochin
Next on our best chicken breeds for confinement list is another adorable fluff ball, the Cochins.
These birds are covered in soft, fluffy feathers, almost from head to toe! The legs and outside toes should be fully feathered to provide side vision. Only feathers can be seen; toes are hidden.
They can withstand a wide range of weather, except excessive heat, and compact areas quite well. They require a place to escape the heat in hotter climates since their puffy feathers might make them overheat.
And make sure you keep Cochins in a secure area because their huge bodies make them poor flyers and easy prey for predators.
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Quick Facts About Cochin |
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| Egg color: | Light Brown |
| Egg size: | Large |
| Starts laying at: | 8 to 9 months old |
| Primary purpose: | Exhibition |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 110 to 180 eggs per year |
14. Belgian D’Anvers
As its name suggests, this breed hails from the country of Belgium. This breed has a proud carriage because of its fluffy beard or muffs, upright stance, and asymmetrical body.
But since it’s a small type of chicken, D’Anvers are vulnerable to predators. So their coops must be fully covered to keep them safe.
They’re friendly, curious birds that are easy to handle and love playing with children. But they can be aggressive sometimes.
They enjoy being out and about like other breeds but can adapt well to confinement.
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Quick Facts About Belgian D’Anvers |
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| Egg color: | Creamy white |
| Egg size: | Small |
| Starts laying at: | 20 weeks |
| Primary purpose: | Ornamental |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 100 |
15. Barbu D’Uccles
We’re wrapping up this list of best chicken breeds for confinement with one of the sweetest and calmest birds ever, the Barbu D’Uccles, a.k.a Belgian D’Uccles.
It’s available in a wide range of colors, including black, white, buff, blue, grey, porcelain, mottles, and golden neck, but perhaps the most striking of them all is the Mille Fleur.
This breed earned the nickname ‘living flowers of our gardens at the turn of the twentieth century, thanks to its gorgeous plumage.
But D’Uccles are not just a beauty to behold! They’re also cheerful and talkative. Since they’re good flyers, you must cover the run completely if you want to confine them.
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Quick Facts About Belgian D’Uccles |
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| Egg color: | Creamy white |
| Egg size: | Small |
| Starts laying at: | 20 weeks |
| Primary purpose: | Ornamental |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 100 to 200 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Confinement
Can chickens be confined?
Yes, chickens can be confined. In fact, those under intensive production are confined all day and night to protect them from thieves and predators.
Other chicken owners keep their birds inside their houses to discourage thieves.
How do you keep chickens confined?
You can keep these birds confined using a chicken coop. If you’re a handy person, you can build it yourself, but you can also purchase one online if you’re not confident about building a chicken coop.
Do cage-free chickens confine to small spaces?
Cage-free chickens can still withstand confinement within windowless sheds. But they can have a better quality of life when given enough space and a little freedom out of the cage.
Which is better free-range or caged chicken?
Free-ranging chickens are far healthier, more active, and less likely to become obese because they can go around freely.
However, caged chickens are more efficient for egg production, and their eggs are safer.
What breed of chicken is the easiest to take care of?
Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rock, Australorp, Buff Orpington, and Leghorn are the easiest to take care of chicken breeds.
They’re low-maintenance and have a pleasing, friendly personality and good laying capabilities, making them ideal for beginners.
What chicken breeds go broody the most?
The breeds with a strong tendency to go broody are Silkies, Cochins, Buff Orpingtons, Brahmas, and Sussex.
These broody hens wouldn’t mind if you’d slip other chickens’ day-old chicks under them because they’d protect and incubate them as their own.
What chicken makes the best mother?
Many articles call Silkies the ‘Broody Queens of the chicken world,” and if you’ve experienced raising them, you’ll see why.
These adorable fluff balls will hatch any egg size and care for other fowl types. That’s why they’re one of the best mother hens.
Best Chicken Breeds for Confinement: Final Thoughts
So, which of the best chicken breeds for confinement do you love the most?
We’re biased toward sweet and docile Delaware, Brahma and Silkie, and Buff Orpington because they’re friendly and gentle birds.
However, we recommend the ISA Brown and Golden Comet if you prefer minimalist chickens with brown plumage and prolific egg-laying capabilities.
But if you want small chicken breeds, Silkie Bantam, Belgian D’Uccles, and Belgian D’Anvers may be the best options for you.
Most of the breeds above actually love to free-range but can withstand full-time to part-time confinement. Give them the minimum space requirement of 4 square feet of coop space, and they’ll be fine.
But just a friendly remember: check your local laws and inform your neighborhood about your plan of raising chickens because even if they’re confined, you may face penalties and conflicts if the law prohibits it in your area.