20 Egg Laying Hens For Your Backyard Gardens

Golden Comets are prolific layers, with the capacity to give one as many as 330 brown eggs in a year. Generally docile and adaptable birds, they may begin laying eggs as young as 16 weeks from incubation time.

They are generally steady layers and promise to provide a good quantity of medium-sized to large eggs, provided, of course, that appropriate care is given in the backyard flock, along with a nutritious diet.

The white leghorn breed is very prolific, laying around 300 large white eggs a year, starting at around 4-5 months. Their slender, elongated bodies make them one of the most aesthetically pleasing, and truly functioning, egg layers.

They will need a calcium-enriched diet to keep up with their remarkable egg-laying ability. They are excellent free-range hens and adapt to all weather.

With the right mentality, anyone would love to have this prolific layer that requires minimum maintenance. The White Leghorn variety can be considered one of the most excellent among backyard poultry keepers.

ISA Browns are friendly, efficient layers that produce around 300 brown eggs in a year. They are very good for beginners due to their calm and docile nature, plus their very good and consistent egg-laying. At approximately 16 weeks of age, you will get medium- to large-sized eggs with ISA Browns throughout their laying lifetime.

Orpingtons are a preferred breed as they lay 280 large brown eggs per year, aside from being highly regarded for their meat. They lay at around five to six months of age, making them the perfect choice for anyone in search of a gentle, reliable layer.

Orpingtons are very good at foraging and love free-range setups, but they also adapt well to being confined in a space. The good thing about the Orpingtons is they balance their productivity with being a decent temperament, making them the right breed for family-friendly flocks.

They are reliable, hardy layers that can produce about 260 to 300 large brown eggs a year. Generally, these hens can adapt to every kind of climate and condition.

Starting at the tender age of 5-6 months, Rhode Island Red's output is only matched by the brilliant, coppery-red plumage that makes them shining jewels in any flock.

Sussex is a dual-purpose bird that will give its owner about 260 large brown eggs per year and it is also considered a good meat bird. They begin laying around for five to six months in varieties of white, speckled, and red.

Properly looked after and fed, Sussex hens will continue to lay almost consistently throughout the year. They are good foragers, so, although happy in a pen, they thrive in free-range conditions.

Being consistent layers, Australorps lay about 250 large brown eggs a year. With shiny black feathers and bright red combs are striking birds. Laying begins at 5-6 months, and their even disposition makes them a favorite with backyard flocks.

These Serama are small, yet productive birds that will give about 250 small eggs per year. They start laying at six months old and their small size enables them to do well with smaller set-ups in the backyard.

But despite their small size, Serama requires a diet full of nutrition to continue laying eggs. Their eggs, while a good deal smaller than most breeds, are considered extremely tasty and can be a fun addition to your egg basket. 

The Houdan is an oddball French breed, and one can pick it out due to its crest and black-and-white plumage. These hens are prolific layers, producing about 230 eggs of medium size and white color; they lay their first eggs at about 5-6 months in age.

Their unique appearance adds diversity to any backyard flock, while their eggs add to a steady supply of food.

Ancona hens are known to be good layers, producing 220 white eggs a year. Their black-and-white mottled feathers make them very attractive visually, and they begin to lay at 5-6 months. A hardy and energetic breed, these hens thrive in free-range conditions, adding class to your backyard.

These birds are known and appreciated for their ability to produce about 200 medium-to-large-sized, brown-colored eggs annually. Their handsome barred black-and-white plumage makes them stand out in the garden.

These ladies begin laying at 5-6 months and provide a steady supply of eggs to the backyard keeper.

Marans are famous for their beautiful, dark chocolate-brown eggs, laying about 200 eggs per year. They tend to start laying at around 6-7 months and are a good layer of large eggs with a unique color that stands out in any egg carton.

Marans are quiet and sturdy, and hence appropriate for backyard flocks. Optimal egg laying requires that they have a diet high in protein.

Ameraucana hens are quite a fancy option as they lay blue or green pastel eggs at around 200 eggs per year. Unique with their bearded look, these birds are surely one of the most in-demand due to their rather interesting pastel-colored eggs.

Starting to lie at approximately five to six months of age, these hens are a sight to behold in your yard as they peck away and make great layers.

The hamburger hen is a prolific layer that produces around 200 white eggs in a year, and they begin laying at 5-6 months of age.  Hamburg hens require a diet full of nutrients for the constant production of eggs.

The Hamburg hen offers a unique look and, of course, their reliable egg production makes them an ideal candidate for those wanting to add style with functionality to their chicken coop.

Faverolles hens are generally described as fluffy and sweet, laying about 200 medium-sized brown eggs a year. The hens sometimes start laying at 6-7 months of age, are very easy to handle, and thus are ideal for a family or backyard flock.

Polish hens are prized for their extravagant crests and steady egg production of 200 white or tinted eggs per year. Their beautiful nature also makes them one of the best breeds in the backyard to get started laying at about 5-6 months of age.

For them to continuously lay eggs, and of course to keep healthy, these hens need a balanced diet. Besides their egg-laying abilities, Polish hens are curious and friendly by nature.

They are easy to manage and adapt to confinement, while still enjoying open runs when available. Polish hens are truly both a pretty and productive choice for the backyard poultry keeper.

La Fleche hens are an impressive breed featuring glossy black plumage and combs shaped perfectly into the iconic V pattern, laying around 200 big white eggs a year and beginning to lay at 5-6 months.

Being hardy and resistant to various climate types, they bear all the aspects of being very versatile among backyard keepers.

Dorking is a rare breed and lays about 200 medium-sized brown eggs a year. With their weird rectangular body shapes and fifth toes, they are an exciting bird to have in your flocks. 

They are said to have begun laying at roughly 6 months and are quite friendly and docile, which would be great for family flocks.

Campine hens are handsome to behold and have very good layers. Characterized by their barred plumage, these graceful chickens are vigorous and lay up to 200 medium-sized white eggs in a year.

Campines usually start laying at 5-6 months of age. For good egg size and production, they require a diet of adequate nutritional value that is high in protein and calcium.

It's a stunningly handsome breed, carrying a pointed crest that gives it the appearance of a spire. They are decent layers, laying about 180 medium-sized white eggs per year. Though these eggs may be on the small side, they are judged to have superior flavor.

They begin laying at 5-6 months and enjoy a weighty diet comprised of more protein and calcium. What a hoot this window into the chicken world is, both in looks and in laying.