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17 Best Chicken Breeds for Gardens

best chicken breeds for gardens

When it comes to gardening, some people don’t think of chickens as the first choice. But did you know that there are certain chicken breeds for gardens specifically?

Read on to find out which chickens are the best for a garden (and why).

You might be surprised!

Why You Should Keep Chickens in Your Garden

From providing an endless supply of eggs to keeping your garden free from pests, there are a number of benefits to keeping chickens in your backyard.

If you’ve been considering adding a few feathered friends to your outdoor space, this post will give you the lowdown on why you should go for it.

Plus, if nothing else, you’ll have something new and interesting to talk about when visitors come over!

The Benefits of Fresh Eggs

Having fresh eggs on demand is probably one of the biggest benefits of keeping chickens in your garden.

Not only will they provide you with delicious omelets, but they can also be used in baking or any other recipe that calls for eggs.

Plus, it’s nice to know exactly where your food is coming from—no need to worry about weird ingredients or sketchy farming practices.

Natural Fertilizer

One of the biggest benefits of having chickens in your garden is that they provide natural fertilizer for your plants. Chickens eat a lot of bugs, which means fewer pest problems for your plants.

As an added bonus, their waste provides essential nutrients for healthy soil and plant growth.

Simply rake up their droppings every few days and spread them around your plants—it’s like giving them their own personal vitamin boost!

Tillers & Weeders

Chickens love to scratch around the dirt looking for tasty morsels. This gives them plenty of opportunity to till up the soil while they hunt and peck.

They also help keep weeds at bay by eating young seedlings before they have a chance to become established. Plus, they’re great fun to watch as they work!

Bug Control

As mentioned earlier, chickens love to eat bugs—and that includes many common garden pests like aphids, slugs, caterpillars, and Japanese beetles.

So if you have chickens running around in your yard, you don’t need to worry about using harsh chemical pesticides that could damage other beneficial insects or harm nearby wildlife.

Plus, there’s something oddly satisfying about watching chickens chase after bugs!

The Eco-Friendly Aspect

Chickens are great for the environment as well—they eat bugs and other critters that could be eating your precious plants and vegetables.

And unlike most store-bought bug sprays, chickens don’t contain any nasty chemicals that could end up harming the soil or wildlife.

In addition, their waste can be composted and used as fertilizer for plants and vegetables (just make sure it’s properly handled). You can even use their feathers as mulch or bedding material!

No More Boredom

And last but not least, having chickens around is just plain fun. They can provide hours of entertainment (especially if they have a buddy!).

Whether it’s watching them scratch around in the dirt or hearing them cluck away happily while they lay eggs, there’s no doubt having chickens in your garden will liven up the place!

17 Best Chicken Breeds for Gardens

If you’ve been considering adding a few chickens to your backyard garden, you’re not alone. Chickens are becoming increasingly popular as pets and can make a great addition to any outdoor space.

But with so many different breeds of chickens available, it can be hard to choose the right ones for your garden. Here’s a look at some of the best chicken breeds for gardens.

Most friendly chickens for confinement- Barred Rock Chicken

1. Bantam Barred Rocks

These little guys are a great pick for any garden. The Bantam Barred Rocks are small, so they won’t take up too much space and they produce a lot more eggs than larger breeds.

They’re also good at scavenging and will help keep your garden free of pests.

Best chicken breeds for city- Buff Orpington

2. Orpingtons

Another excellent choice for your garden is the Orpington, namely, the Buff Orpington.

This breed is prized for its gentle temperament and ability to lay a generous amount of brown eggs throughout the year—upwards of 200 or more!

Buff Orpingtons also have fluffy feathers that will keep them warm in winter months and they love roaming around in grassy areas, making them a great choice if you have an area in your garden dedicated to letting your chickens roam free.

chicken breeds for gardens - Easter egger

3. Easter Eggers

If you want to go with something more colorful, Easter Eggers are definitely the way to go. They lay blue or green eggs.

They’re also quite friendly, so if you have young kids, this is a great breed to consider.

Best chicken breeds for gardens - Dominique chicken

4. Dominiques

Dominiques are an old-fashioned breed that was popular in colonial America. They don’t require much space, but they do need some sort of shelter from the elements.

They’re also known for being good egg layers and being less skittish than other breeds.

best chicken breed for gardens australorp

5. Australorps

This is another old-fashioned breed that is known for its friendly disposition and its ability to lay large brown eggs regularly.

Australorps are great foragers and will help keep your garden pest-free without damaging your plants or vegetables.

Best chicken breeds for city- Bantam leghorn

 

6. Leghorns

Leghorns are popular because they lay a lot of white eggs and don’t require much care or space. However, they can be quite noisy.

So if you live in an urban area, this may not be the best option for you.

Welsummer Chicken best chicken breeds for gardens

7. Welsummers

Welsummers are a Dutch breed that lays dark brown eggs regularly throughout the year.

They prefer cold weather, so if you live in an area with mild winters, this might not be the best pick for you.

But if you’re looking for an attractive bird that produces tasty eggs, then this is definitely worth checking out!

Best chickens for gardens - Silkie Bantam

8. Silkies

If you’re looking for something a little more exotic, why not try Silkies? These unique birds have soft, fluffy feathers that look more like fur than feathers!

They’re incredibly friendly and affectionate, making them perfect companions for children or anyone who wants a pet chicken that loves being held and cuddled up close.

Silkies are also quite small compared to other breeds, so they won’t take up too much space in even the smallest of gardens!

Chickens cute breed- Plymouth Rock

 

9. Plymouth Rocks

Plymouth Rocks are one of the most popular backyard chicken breeds due to their docile nature and ability to produce large brown eggs consistently throughout the year.

They’re also quite hardy birds that can withstand colder climates better than other breeds can manage.

Red chicken breeds- Rhode Island Red

10. Rhode Island Red

The Rhode Island Red is one of the most popular choices when it comes to backyard chickens.

This breed is known for its hardy nature and ability to produce large quantities of eggs year-round.

They also tend to be fairly friendly and docile, making them ideal for families with small children. Rhode Island Reds do well in both hot and cold climates and can withstand extremes in temperature.

Ancona Chicken Breed

11. Anconas

Anconas are an Italian breed that lays white eggs regularly throughout the year and has a very friendly personality overall – making them ideal backyard birds!

They aren’t as hardy as some other breeds, but they make up for it by being very active birds who love exploring their environment!

hamburg chicken breed

12. Hamburgs

Hamburgs are another breed that loves cold weather—making them perfect if you live in an area with harsh winters!

This chicken breed for gardens lays white eggs regularly throughout the year and has calm personalities overall—making them ideal pets as well as productive egg layers!

Wyandotte Chicken breed for indoors

13. Wyandottes

Wyandottes are American chickens that come in several different colors and patterns but all lay large brown eggs consistently throughout the year!

They have calm personalities overall but do need plenty of space to roam around in order to stay healthy and productive egg layers!

Golden Comet

14. Golden Comet

The Golden Comet chickens are not only beautiful but also super productive egg layers. These birds lay up to 280 eggs per year!

They are also very friendly and curious chickens that will love exploring your garden. Golden Comets come in both white and red varieties as well as bantam sizes.

Ameraucana Appearance

15. Ameraucana

This breed is known for its beauty and calm disposition. Ameraucanas come in a variety of colors and they lay up to 200 eggs per year.

They are also great foragers which makes them ideal for gardens with lots of vegetation.

Buckeye chicken best chicken for gardens

16. Buckeye

This Buckeye chicken breed is unique in that it is one of the few breeds developed in the United States (Ohio, specifically).

It was developed by combining several different breeds including Barred Plymouth Rock and Buff Orpington hens, as well as a Black Cochin rooster!

Buckeyes are hardy birds with an average lifespan of 10-12 years and they lay up to 150 eggs per year on average.

Sussex Chicken Light-Sussex

17. Sussex

The Sussex breed is an excellent choice if you want chickens that are both productive egg layers as well as good mother hens. This breed can produce up to 200 eggs per year!

Sussex chickens also have calm temperaments so they won’t cause any trouble in your backyard flock or garden.

Tips for Gardening With Chickens

Gardening and chickens are two activities that go together like peas and carrots. But anyone who has ever owned a flock of chickens knows that they can be quite the handful!

If you’re a gardener who is interested in adding chickens to your backyard, here are some tips and tricks for keeping your garden safe from your feathered friends.

Fencing Off the Garden Area

The most important thing you can do when gardening with chickens is to make sure that they don’t have access to your garden area.

This means fencing off the garden or using other types of barriers like chicken wire or netting.

Not only will this keep your chickens out of the garden, but it will also help protect them from predators like cats, dogs, and raccoons.

Make sure that whatever type of fencing you choose is tall enough so that your chickens won’t be able to jump over it.

Grow Chicken-Friendly Plants

Another way to protect your garden from your flock is to grow plants that are safe for chickens.

Some plants that are safe for chickens include kale, spinach, lettuce, radishes, squash, and melons.

These vegetables are not only nutritious for your chickens but they also provide a great source of entertainment as well.

Just make sure to plant them in an area where the chickens won’t be able to get at them too easily!

Rotate Your Chicken’s Access To Your Garden

In order to give your plants time to regrow and thrive, it is important to rotate your chicken’s access to different areas of your garden on a regular basis.

If you have multiple gardens or raised beds in one larger space, this can easily be accomplished by giving each one its own turn for two weeks at a time before moving on to the next one.

If you don’t want to do this manually, you can use movable fencing instead of permanent fences, which will help keep your birds from overgrazing any particular area.

Provide Plenty of Distractions

Finally, if you want to make sure that your flock stays away from the garden area, then providing plenty of distractions is key.

Fill their run or pen with things like hay bales or logs for them to climb on and scratch around in—this will keep them occupied while you tend to your plants without worrying about them getting into the garden.

You can even set up a small chicken coop with perches and nesting boxes inside so they have somewhere else to explore besides the garden!

Best Chicken Breeds for Gardens: Final Thoughts

No matter what type of backyard chicken you choose, there are plenty of options out there that will fit perfectly into your garden space.

From Rhode Island Reds to Buff Orpingtons to Silkies, each breed offers something unique that can add beauty—and lots of eggs!—to any outdoor space.

So take some time to research each breed carefully before making your decision so you can find the perfect flock mates just right for you!

READ NEXT: 8 Best Chicken Breeds for Small Backyards

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