Many people might not put the words cute and chicken together but with over a hundred chicken breeds in existence, there are many cute chicken breeds, too. But what are considered to be the cutest chicken breeds around?
We have put together a list of the most adorable chicken breeds together with key details including their temperament and egg-laying abilities. Whether you are looking to add cute chickens to your backyard flock or keep them as a pet, continue reading to find out which chicken breeds are the cutest and which would be the best choice for you.
Top 10 Cutest Chicken Breeds
People will have differing opinions about what makes a chicken cute. Some people look for the chicken’s coloring and interesting patterns, others at its fluffiness, while others may focus on the chicken’s personality and whether it would be a great lap chicken.
For our top ten list of the cutest chicken breeds, we have included chicken breeds that are both beautiful to look at and make great lap chickens.
1. Silkie Chicken
Silkies are smaller than average breeds. Their bodies are compact and fluffy and their plumage is more fur-like than feathery. Their ear tufts add to their fluffy appearance. Their combs that are walnut shape add to their unique look. Silkies are also different from many other breeds because they have five toes, feathered legs, and blue earlobes
Silkies come in a range of colors, which include blue, white, buff, black, gray, and partridge. Some Silkies have beards and muffs around their face and are known as bearded Silkies. A Silkie rooster will weigh around four pounds and a hen about three pounds. Their smaller size makes them an ideal choice for smaller chicken coops.
- Personality
Silkies are a calm and affectionate breed. They don’t just look cute, they also make excellent lap chickens, too, because they are docile and friendly. However, in a mixed flock, they can get bullied because of their kind personality. They adapt to captivity well, are good around children, and enjoy sitting in your lap and receiving cuddles.
- Egg Laying and Broodiness
Silkies make great mothers and will look after not only their own but other hens’ young chicks, too. They will even raise chicks from other types of birds such as ducks, turkeys, and quails. However, silkies are not the best egg producers, and on average, you will get two or three eggs per week from a Silkie hen.
2. Polish Chicken
The Polish chickens, despite the name, are not Polish at all. These chickens originate from Holland and the breed’s name included the Dutch word ”pol”, meaning large head. The Polish chicken breed makes it on the cutest chicken breeds list largely thanks to their ”pom-pom” hairdo.
Both hens and roosters have feathers on their heads that grow up before cascading over their faces. On hens, the head fathers are quite tidy, while the roosters could be described as having a bad hair day. Sometimes the feathers can cause visual problems.
Polish roosters have rather unusual V-shaped red combs but it is not always easy to spot them as they get lost in the feathers. Both males and females are bigger than the Silkies. A rooster will weigh roughly six pounds and a hen about four pounds.
- Personality
In general, Polish chickens have calm and gentle personalities, which makes them good pet chickens. They are curious by nature so they like to explore their surroundings. Because of their gentle personality, they are good around children and they enjoy being cuddled.
If a Polish chicken becomes tense, it is likely because its head feathers are covering its eyes. When you approach Polish chickens, let them know you are near them by talking. This will stop them from getting startled as they can hear you even if they cannot see you. Trimming the feathers will reduce the chances of them becoming nervous.
- Egg Laying and Broodiness
Most Polish chickens are moderate egg producers, laying approximately four eggs per week. However, this depends on their line of breeding. If you want your cute chickens to be great mothers as well, then the Polish might not be the best breed. Despite their friendly personality, they don’t make the best mothers and will rarely become broody.
3. Cochin Chicken
The Cochins are another breed on our list with a fluffy look. Their feathering is soft and full and covers their bodies and legs down to the toes. The Cochin males weigh ten to eleven pounds and the hens 8.5 pounds. Because of their large size, they are bad fliers and can be confined inside their designated space with just a low fence.
The are many different colors to choose from with the Cochins. Colors that have been recognized by the American Poultry Association include buff, gold-laced, blue, mottled, and red. You can also find lavender Cochins but it is not an officially approved color yet.
- Personality
Cochins are laid-back and love their food, meaning they will often stay close to their feeder and are not interested in foraging. This can lead them to put on weight so you should try to find ways to get them to exercise.
The Cochins make fabulous pets. You can teach them to eat from your hand and even to hop into your lap and they will love to spend time with you. Many Cochins will follow you around, which has earned them the nickname ”dog with feathers”.
They are another great breed to consider if you have children, as they will not mind children picking them up and giving them a cuddle. However, their easygoing nature puts them towards the bottom of the pecking order so keep an eye on them.
- Egg Laying and Broodiness
The Cochins are a moderate egg-producing breed with two or three eggs laid per average week like the Silkies. Another similarity to the Silkies is that the Cochins are great mothers. They often get broody and will sit on their eggs, other hens’ eggs, other birds’ eggs, and even egg-like objects. The roosters make great fathers, too.
4. Faverolle Chickens
The Faverolles are adorable with their beards and fluffy faces. They look bigger than they are with wide backs and breasts. Often called Salmon Favorelles because of the hens’ honeyed salmon-toned head, back, and wings. Even their white or straw-colored breasts have speckles of salmon.
The roosters are black-breasted, have black beards, and black undercarriages with hackles, saddles, and back that are straw-colored. Its wings have rich gold on the bow and tails beetle green with black.
The feathers on both sexes of Faverolles are loose and fluffy, which adds to the illusion of their large size. They have feathers down their legs and like the silkies have five toes. Females weigh 6.5 pounds on average and roosters eight pounds.
- Personality
Aside from being cute, the Faverolles are also comical. You will often find them dashing around and bumping into each other. Although they carry themselves like whatever they are doing is very important but are friendly and curious.
The Faverolles will enjoy talking to you and they enjoy cuddles. If you are sitting on the ground or in a low seat, don’t be surprised to get a Faverolle jumping into your lap. Like the others on our list, they also tend to end up at the bottom of the pecking order because they lack assertiveness.
- Egg Laying and Broodiness
Faverolles are reasonably productive and reliable egg producers and will give you four eggs in an average week. That is between 180-200 medium eggs per year and they are likely to give you eggs all year round. They are not the broodiest breed but some hens can make decent mothers.
5. Orpington Chickens
The Orpingtons come in a variety of different colors. However, the colors recognized by the American Poultry Association are black, buff, white, and blue. The buff Orpington is the most popular choice with chicken growers and is often considered to be the cutest Orpington variety.
There are two sizes of Orpingtons, which are the large fowl and bantam. A large fowl rooster weighs about ten pounds and a hen eight pounds. Bantam roosters weigh 38 ounces and hens 34 ounces. Apart from the size, their appearances are the same, with fluffed-out feathers and broad bodies.
- Personality
Orpingtons are mellow chickens who enjoy being petted and in no time will be sitting in your lap. Like the Cochins, Orpingrons love their food. Because they prefer to be fed rather than forage, they also can put on weight and become obese.
Being fond of attention and cuddles, Orpingtons make great family birds. They are tolerant and gentle. However, in mixed flocks, they are often picked on so they are best mixed with other laid-back chickens. Any of the other breeds included on our list of cute chickens so far would be perfect for mixing with Orpingtons.
- Egg Production and Broodiness
Orpingtons are the best egg layers on the list and will give you up to five eggs each week. They are a great choice if you want to raise chicks as they get broody quite frequently and are good mothers to their chicks.
Our top five cutest chicken breeds were based on their looks, cuddliness, and their suitability as lap chickens. However, there were others that only narrowly missed a spot in the top five. Below you will find a brief description of these breeds.
6. Araucana Chickens
The Araucanas have a unique appearance. They are rumpless and have tufts. They can be quite a nervous breed. However, if you handle them from young chicks so they get used to you, they can still become great companions if they won’t become lap chickens.
7. Brahma Chickens
The Brahmas are big and fluffy. Their thick plumage has a cloud-like appearance and their leg feathers make them look even softer. They are intelligent birds who like to roam around and explore. Not best for confined spaces but they are friendly and will tolerate children.
8. Pekin Chickens
With their large eyes, bodies covered in thick feathers, and tiny faces, Pekin chickens are a prime example of a cute chicken. They enjoy the company of adults and older children and will tolerate smaller children as long as they are not rough.
9. Barbu D’Uccle Chickens
The Barbu D’Uccle is not a very well-known breed but tends to do well at chicken shows, possibly for that very reason. They are vibrantly colored chickens and have similar tufts to Araucana. Their feet are covered in fluff and they have flecked or spotted feathers. A quiet and docile breed that needs to be with other non-aggressive birds.
10. Frizzle Chickens
The name Frizzle describes this breed very accurately since they have frizzled feathers. This means their feathers curl away from the body, which makes them look exceptionally fluffy. Frizzle chickens come in different colors and share similar characteristics to the Cochins. You can also get them in bantam size.
How to Decide Which Cutest Chicken Breed is Best for You?
Before you decide on the best breed for you, it is important to consider what is important to you. Is a good egg-laying ability as important as their looks? Do you need your chickens to be relaxed around children? Are the chickens going to have space to free range or will you keep them in confinement?
Decide on your priorities, consider the space you can provide your chickens, and then pick the cutest breed that meets your criteria.
Conclusion
There are many chickens that are cute and cuddly and make great pets. Many of them will also give you a moderate amount of eggs per year. They also tend to all be friendly and laid-back breeds and if you cannot decide, you can easily mix most of them in your chicken coop.
Hopefully, our list of cutest chicken breeds has helped you to decide which breed of chicken is best for you. If you have any questions, write them in the comments box.
