Are you fond of red chicken breeds and planning to add one to your existing flock? Whether you’re looking for red chicken options with appealing visuals or those that excel in the egg and meat department, there are lots of options for you!
In this list, we’ll share with you 15 fabulous red chicken breeds and their temperament and physical characteristics.
In particular, you’ll discover:
- A low-maintenance and resilient red chicken with crimson plumage
- Prolific red hen breeds that can produce 300 eggs per year
- A silkie breed with a personality as lovable as its plumage
Top 15 Red Chicken Breeds
Let’s kick off this list with one of the most popular types of red chickens.
1. Rhode Island Red
This breed is one of the most popular red chicken breeds and is the easiest to grow out of all the red chicken breeds. This breed is excellent for starters with children, and it’s very low maintenance.
Their feathers have rust and darker shades of maroon and black colors. And have a combination of red and orange eyes.
Their beaks are reddish-brown, their feet and legs are yellow, and their toes have a bit of a reddish hue.
Rhode island red makes excellent backyard chickens since they are independent, resilient, and hardy. This red chicken breed rarely gets sick and is not hostile toward kids.
They got their moniker because of their eye-catching crimson plumage.
They have red single or rose combs, distinct red coloring on their feet and shanks, black tails, and black tail tips.
Due to the presence of two strains—a Heritage or Display type and a Commercial or Hatchery kind—Rhode Island Reds are unique.
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Quick Facts About Rhode Island Red |
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| Egg color: | Brown |
| Egg size: | Large to extra large eggs |
| Starts laying at: | 21 weeks old |
| Primary purpose: | Egg and meat production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 180 to 200 eggs per year |
2. New Hampshire Red
The New Hampshire red breed was underrated in the poultry industry but it’s one of the important breeds in the poultry industry.
They are not only good at laying but also produce more meat because they can grow up to 7 to 8 pounds.
This breed was primarily developed by Prof. Red Richardson in an experimentation station of agriculture in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Compared to its relative breeds, it has a broader body and chestnut red feathering, especially on its wings.
Its physical appearance was slightly similar to Rhode Island Red but has a darker shade.
A New Hampshire can be rowdy and nosy, but they could be a great pet even in the heat or cold seasons.
This strong and sociable bird shows versatility and economical characteristics. But sometimes shows a more aggressive attitude compare to other breeds, especially when feeding them.
On the brighter side, this type of red chicken can protect itself from predators while having a good time in your backyard.
| Quick Facts | |
| Egg Color: | Tinted light brown |
| Egg Size: | Large |
| Starts Laying at: | Between 23 to 28 weeks |
| Primary Purpose: | Egg and meat producer |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 eggs per year |
3. Red Star
Red star chickens are relatively similar to the ISA Brown. It got its name from its reddish-brown color feather and red wattles, earlobes and single comb, and white shades on its tale.
The red star was produced by the combination of Rhode Island Red and White Plymouth Rock chickens in the 1950s.
Same with Production Red, this was a developed hybrid chicken breed that was perfect for egg and meat production.
In fact, if Red Star chickens are properly cared for and have a healthy body, they could produce up to 300 brown large eggs.
They start laying their very first eggs at 22 weeks of age regardless of the weather.
This breed is very easy to care for because of its docile personality to humans which makes it ideal as a pet. However, they can be aggressive with their flockmates.
Even if they’re big in size, they can still fly high so you need to prepare a higher fence.
| Quick Facts | |
| Egg Color: | Brown |
| Egg Size: | Large |
| Starts Laying at: | 22 weeks after born |
| Primary Purpose: | Egg and meat production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | If healthy, they could lay up to 300 eggs/year |
4. ISA Brown
The ISA Brown chicken is among the most adored and acclaimed types of red chickens, and the most widely used.
These birds are suitable for novices or those who have children because of their hardiness, egg-producing capacity, and easy-going demeanor.
It might appear similar to a Rhode Island Red at first glance. But when you look closer, you’ll see that their red/brown has a paler hue and is more reminiscent of a light chestnut brown.
This red chicken breed originated in France and is the ancestor of the Whiting True Green. ISA stands for Institut de Sélection Animale, which was in charge of developing the breed in 1978.
They are crossbreed chickens raised for egg production. The ISA Brown is a chicken with lighter plumes on the underside that ranges in hue from brown to reddish.
It has a rectangular body shape, a small dip in the back, and a medium-sized bird. This breed holds its tails upright and sporadically has white tail feathers.
The comb is solitary and upright, and the wattles are both red in hue. Eyes can be any color, from yellow to bay red.
These common red chicken breeds are categorized as small to medium hens since they weigh about 5 lbs.
They have yellow legs, a single comb, a red wattle, and earlobes.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Light brown |
| Egg Size: | Large to extra large |
| Starts Laying at: | 22 weeks |
| Primary Purpose: | Egg and poultry meat producer |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 300 eggs within 2 years and could lay more up to 500 eggs/year |
5. Production Red
The Rhode Island Red chicken and the Production Red chicken are virtually identical, but with a few differences in color.
Rhode Island Reds faltered as Production Reds rose in popularity, and by the 1950s, nearly none remained.
Their plumage can range from a dark red to a pale red. They are a robust, healthy kind of red chicken that produce a lot of large/extra-large brown eggs.
In fact, they could lay up to 300 eggs per year and they could also be a good producer of poultry meat.
The majority of owners claim that the Production Red chickens are no friendlier or more aggressive than chickens of any other breed.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Brown eggs |
| Egg Size: | Large |
| Starts Laying at: | 18 weeks old |
| Primary Purpose: | Both meat and egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 300+ eggs per year |
6. Red Cochin Bantam
Red Cochin Bantams are little and endearing chicks that need extra attention and love. They are ideal for those who want a show bird or chickens that may be contained in the backyard.
In the middle of the 1800s, these chickens were imported from China and were known as Pekins or Shanghai chickens.
Since then, they have grown in popularity and are now among the most common breeds of bantams.
They are little chickens, weighing about 1.5 pounds for hens and 2 lbs for roosters. But they appear larger due to the profusion of red, lustrous feathers covering their entire body and even reaching their legs.
It has a black tail and a body that resembles spherical, fluffy balls of feathers.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Brown eggs |
| Egg Size: | Small |
| Starts Laying at: | 8 to 9 months old |
| Primary Purpose: | Ornamental |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 150 to 200 eggs/year |
7. Red Frizzle Cochin Bantam
Now we’re down at the most unusual bird in this list of red chicken breeds. The frizzle chicken‘s feathers bend outward and forward, in contrast to other chickens, giving it the look as though it has gone through a windstorm backward.
This bird is available in the Red, White, and Black Cochin breed and exhibits the other cochin traits.
When Red Frizzle chickens first hatch, they have red feathers across the wing face, breast, belly, and wingtips that are white-splotched. They also have a single comb.
They have feathered feet and a completely red feather that curls outwards when they reach adulthood.
This red chicken kind is even-tempered and good with children. And, they are ideal for shows because they are not inherently aggressive.
They are not prolific egg layers because they can only produce 120–150 cream-colored eggs per year. That’s around 2-3 tiny to medium-sized eggs per week.
This red chicken variety has a number of unique requirements. Because of their plumage, they are unable to fly, so you should put them somewhere lower.
Their feathers can occasionally impair their ability to see. If they are free-range, they should be kept out of reach of predators.
To create frizzled or regular chicks, cross the Red Frizzle Cochin Bantams with common chickens.
A frizzled Cochin bantam will generate frazzle chicks, whose plumage is so curly that it is unhealthy for the young.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Cream and Brown eggs |
| Egg Size: | Small |
| Starts Laying at: | 5 to 6 months old |
| Primary Purpose: | Only for ornamental purposes |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 150 eggs per year |
8. Buckeye Chicken
Here’s another red chicken breed developed by a woman— the Buckeye. They have yellow skin and legs and can withstand chilly temperatures because of their vivid red pea comb.
They have a yellow beak with reddish horn shading, a red cheek, wattles, earlobes, and reddish-bay eyes.
Hens and roosters both weigh about 612 pounds each, and both produce medium to big brown eggs.
Buckeye chickens have a distinct personality as well. They are very busy birds and are renowned for being particularly watchful when pursuing mice; some breeders liken this trait to that of cats.
Though other males may display a small amount of hostility during the breeding season, they typically have little fear of people and are perhaps even overly friendly.
Early Buckeyes normally laid 150–200 eggs annually. But, modern chickens that have been carefully bred for egg-laying prowess might lay 175-240!
The good news for people looking to raise and manage a small flock of chickens is that hens can become broody and are capable of being moms.
Buckeyes may easily adapt to a range of living situations. And, they thrive in free-range environments with plenty of areas to walk around.
But because of their energetic temperament, they struggle in cramped, small settings.
Due to their hardiness, productivity, ability to forage well, and curiosity, this type of chicken was a favorite among homesteaders until the 1950s.
But when industrial poultry production started, the species was not well-liked by commercial producers. As a result, the breed almost became extinct.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Brown eggs |
| Egg Size: | Medium |
| Starts Laying at: | 6 months or 24 weeks old |
| Primary Purpose: | Egg and meat production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 200 eggs per year |
9. Nankin Bantam
The Nankin Bantam is the most famous native chicken in Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom.
They often have buff coloring and a single, five-pointed rose comb. They’re distinguishable from other varieties thanks to their small, white-blue-like legs and red arrows.
One of the 17 distinct types of the bantam breed, this specific broody chicken is also one of the oldest.
Nankin Bantam chickens are one of the tiniest breeds in the species and lack a comparable counterpart. They are quite submissive and will occasionally become amiable toward people.
The Nankin Bantam is a calm, hardy, and less flighty bird than other species in the same family.
However, due to overbreeding for personal consumption and the possibility of extinction, this species is now listed by the American Livestock Conservancy as “threatened.”
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Tinted and white eggs |
| Egg Size: | Small |
| Starts Laying at: | 24 weeks old |
| Primary Purpose: | Ornamental |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 80 to 100 eggs per year |
10. Red Leghorn
This bird also deserves a spot in this list for red chicken breeds, so we want to introduce it to you as well. Red Leghorn originated from Tuscany, Italy, and found its way to America in the 1800s.
This red chicken breed exhibits a regal appearance and its red and brown feathers paired with a red single or rose comb and red wattles give off a majestic vibe.
But this Leghorn is not just aesthetically pleasing because it’s also an excellent egg layer. Leghorns can produce 280 to 320 eggs per year.
However, Red Leghorn chickens are thinner than other breeds. So, they’re not the best chicken breed for meat production but they’re larger than the more popular White counterparts.
They’re skittish so they’re not suitable for places where there are many people and they tend to be noisy but intelligent and active. Others can be sweet though but most are timid and fearful.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | White eggs |
| Egg Size: | Medium |
| Starts Laying at: | Around its 18 weeks |
| Primary Purpose: | Excellent meat and egg producer |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 280 to 320 eggs per year |
11. Welsummer Chicken
Here’s another amazing pet bird that belongs to large red chicken breeds — the Welsummer. This breed was typically described by others as red partridge.
This bird has a glowing dark red color on its breast and on its head and coppery golden red plumage.
Welsummer chicken is originally from Welsums, Netherlands but first became well-known in Hague, Holland.
After some time, it became more popular in neighboring countries like the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and even Australia.
Welsummers are calm and trainable birds. If they are kept at a young age, you can easily tame them.
Though they’re not good at cuddling, they stay calm and love to socialize and gossip with their flockmates.
This big red chicken breed can’t tolerate more heat, so it would be better if you protect them from the rise of the sun. However, it’s cold-hardy.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Reddish or dark brown |
| Egg Size: | Large |
| Starts Laying at: | 20 – 24 weeks old |
| Primary Purpose: | Both egg and meat producer |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 160 to 250 eggs/year |
12. Derbyshire Redcap
Honestly, this is more of a red and black chicken but it’s still worth a mention on this list.
Derbyshire Redcaps are striking birds with a rose comb as their primary defining characteristic. Their body feathers culminate in a half-moon spangle, and their plumage ground color ranges from orange to a deep nut brown.
The birds have slate-colored legs and feet, black tails, beaks that resemble horns, red faces, wattles, and lobes.
Each year, they can lay 150–200 big, white eggs, depending on the strain. The breed serves two purposes: it is good for the meal and as a layer.
They are not susceptible to any of the usual poultry diseases because they are a hardy, shy, wild breed.
It’s one of the few red chicken breeds that can survive cold weather. Since they are busy foragers, birds need room to roam freely.
| Quick Facts | |
| Egg Color: | White eggs |
| Egg Size: | Large |
| Starts Laying at: | From 16 to 18 weeks old |
| Primary Purpose: | Good in both meat and egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | Up to 200+ eggs per year |
13. Whiting True Green
Another prolific green egg layer in this list that deserves a look is the Whiting True Greens. This comparatively recent breed is well-liked because the hens consistently lay large, green eggs.
They have a remarkable feed-to-egg conversion, are unlikely to set, and thrive when given the chance to roam freely.
However, in terms of meat production, they couldn’t do well because of their weight.
Mature birds average between 4 and 7 pounds. They feature a beautiful feathering with a hue that ranges from reddish to chestnut. They also have a single comb and yellow legs.
The colors of day-old young chicks range from gold to chestnut to a deeper reddish brown.
They can be a good addition to your flock as they have a docile personality.
It was named after its developer, Dr. Tom Whiting, a chicken geneticist who specializes in creating plumage for the fly-fishing industry.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Olive green |
| Egg Size: | Medium to large |
| Starts Laying at: | 16 weeks of age |
| Primary Purpose: | Good in egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 300 colored eggs per year |
14. Red Shaver
This Red Shaver is a dual-purpose red chicken that can supply both a large number of eggs and meat. In fact, they could lay up to 315 eggs per year! Isn’t it impressive?
Some owners describe this red chicken breed as pleasant, serene, or sensitive while others characterize them as aggressive. However many people have said that these chickens are calm and quiet. They are a friendly breed who is also quite hardy.
Male are born white and develop pure white, crimson, or black feathers while females are buff or red color depending on their parent’s colors.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Brown eggs |
| Egg Size: | Medium |
| Starts Laying at: | 18 to 20 weeks of age |
| Primary Purpose: | Dual purpose – meat and egg production |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 305 – 315 eggs every year |
15. Red Silkies
We’re wrapping up our list with these fluff balls — the Red Silkies.
This breed ought to be darker. But, the newest generation of red Silkies frequently has some degree of typical feathering, particularly on the wings.
Although most chickens have only four toes on each foot, the red Silkie always has five toes on every foot, blue earlobes, and black skin and bones.
We have yet to encounter a silkie chicken that we haven’t fallen in love with. Same with other silkies, red silkie are one of the cutest and sweetest breeds you will ever meet.
They make the ideal pet, especially for kids, as they are exceptionally docile, kind, and peaceful.
Red silkies are one of the most excellent ornamental and exhibition birds that could gain so much attention.
This fluffy red chicken breed has puffy heads and tails.
So, if you’re planning to add a red show bird to your collection, Red silkies may be the one for you.
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Quick Facts |
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| Egg Color: | Cream to tinted color |
| Egg Size: | Small to medium |
| Starts Laying at: | 7 – 9 months old |
| Primary Purpose: | Exhibition or ornamental |
| Total eggs produced yearly: | 100 to 120 eggs per year |
Other Questions About Red Chicken Breeds
What breed is a red chicken?
There’s a wide range of red chicken breeds including the Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, ISA Brown, Red star, Production Red, Derbyshire Redcap, Welsummer, and Red Leghorn. But all of them don’t have pure red color, rather, have a shade of red in their feathers.
How long do production red chickens live?
Production breeds have an average lifespan of 3 to 5 years. These dual-purpose chickens provide meat and eggs and may start laying when they’re around 18 weeks old.
How many eggs do production red chickens lay a year?
This breed can produce over 300 brown eggs per hen in a year. Thus, production red chickens are truly made for egg production as its name suggests.
Choosing the Right Red Chicken Breeds: Our Final Takeaways
So, that’s our list of the most popular red chicken breeds!
If you want a fluffy chicken pet, we recommend Red Silkies, Red Cochin Bantam, and other Bantam varieties on this list. But if you want a red chicken breed with prolific egg-laying capabilities, look no further than Whiting True Green, Red Shaver, ISA Brown, and Production Red.
So, which of the red and white chicken breeds and all red chicken breeds is your favorite? Let us know in the comment section below.