Have you ever wondered which chickens lay the most eggs? Well, then we’ve put together the perfect list of prolific egg-layers for you to choose from. 

In this post, we’re going into detail about chicken breeds that lay the most eggs, their profiles, and other helpful facts that will ensure you have a happy healthy egg-layer. 

Read on to find the breed that fits your family the best!

White Leghorn 

The White Leghorn is a beautiful chicken with a full white body and a bright red comb. 

The Leghorn is the perfect free-range chicken and is rather self-sufficient. However, it should be noted they are not as friendly as other chickens on this list. 

White Leghorn Characteristics:

• Eggs: Leghorns are great egg producers. They are utilized by industrial poultry farmers because they lay anywhere from 280-320 eggs annually! Leghorn eggs are bright white and typically quite large. 
• Weather Considerations: Leghorn chickens are hardy chickens. However, in colder temperatures, their large combs are susceptible to frostbite.  
•  Temperament: The Leghorn is a very intelligent and active chicken. When given free-range they’re capable of foraging for their own food to sustain themselves. The breed is timid by nature, thus they aren’t the best chicken if you’re looking for a friendly companion bird for your family.

Rhode Island Red

The Rhode Island Red chicken is a dual-purpose bird that both lays eggs and is raised for meat purposes. Among dual-purpose chickens, they’re known as the best egg layers. This bird is also popular due to its hardiness and durability in any environment. 

Rhode Island Red Characteristics:

• Eggs: The Rhode Island Red lays approximately 250 brown medium-sized eggs per year.
• Weather considerations: The RIR is hardy chicken and will do well in cold and warm weather alike. 
• Temperament: Rhode Island Reds are very active. They are a great chicken to add to your flock if you have a large yard for them to forage in.  They’re also friendly and loving towards their human companions. With that being said, roosters often get a bad rep for being aggressive, but this varies from bird-to-bird. 

Barnevelder 

The Barnevelder is a medium-sized dual-purpose chicken. They are hardy birds that lay a lot of eggs year-round.

Barnevelder Characteristics:

• Eggs: Barnevelders lay anywhere from 180 to 200 uniquely brown, large, eggs each year.
• Weather considerations: The Barnvelder is a hardy bird and can withstand cold winters or hot summers. 
• Temperament: Barnevelders are very friendly, docile, chickens. This makes them the perfect chicken to add to your folk if you have young children. Aside from being great egg layers, they’re also great brooders if you’re looking to expand your flock.

Ameraucana 

The Ameraucana is a hybrid chicken that comes in a variety of colors. It is a dual-purpose chicken, but also an excellent egg layer. It’s also been noted that the Ameraucana is very predator savvy compared to other chicken breeds! 

Amercaucana Characteristics:

• Eggs: Ameraucana chickens lay around 200 eggs per year. They’re well-known for their lovely blue medium-sized eggs. It should be noted they are a non-broody breed of chickens. So if you’d like to add more to your flock, you’ll have to order them or incubate them. 
• Weather Considerations: The Ameraucauna is hardy in the winter; however, they don’t do as well in hot and humid climates. 
• Temperament: Ameraucana chickens are typically quite skittish. Any quick sound or movement is sure to scare them away. 

Black Australorp

The Black Australorp is a gorgeous fluffy chicken that originated from the Orpington in Australia. 

Black Australorp Characteristics:

• Eggs: Black Australorps are great layers! They’re known to lay up to 300 eggs each year. In the 1940s, it was recorded that a Black Australorp laid 347 eggs in a year! With a Black Australorp in your flock, you can expect up to five light brown, medium-sized, eggs each week. 
• Weather Considerations: The Black Australorp is a hardy bird that can survive and thrive in hot and cold climates alike.
• Temperament: They’re rather shy at first but once they settle into their new home they’ll follow you around intently. It’s also best to allow them free range since they’re prone to obesity. 

Buff Orpington

Buff Orpingtons are a wonderful breed of chickens. They are a golden yellow bird with lush, fluffy, feathers. They’re known to go broody, and enjoy raising their own clutch of chicks (if allowed). 

Buff Orpington Characteristics:

• Eggs: Buff Orpingtons are broody during the summer months, so they naturally lay fewer eggs compared to other chickens. However, they’ll still lay around 180-200 light-brown, medium, eggs each year.
• Weather Considerations: Their lush feathers make the Buff Orpington a hardy chickens that can handle cold weather. While they can tolerate hotter climates, they should be given plenty of shade throughout the day. 
• Temperament: Buff Orpingtons are very friendly and sociable. They’re one of the tamer breeds of chicken, which makes them great pets. If you frequently interact with them, they’ll eat from your hand and interact with you and your family.

If your goal is to keep chickens that produce a lot of eggs, you won’t go wrong with any of the breeds on this list.