In this blog we're investigating what breed of chicken lays white eggs and deep diving into the five most common breeds. I'm also sharing a FREE vintage-style chicken egg colour art printable, inspired by the multi-coloured layers of the chicken world.
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For most Americans white is the traditional egg colour found on supermarket shelves and many white-egg laying breeds are low maintenance and high production making them highly suitable as backyard chickens.
It's very trendy right now to have a counter-top egg basket boasting a range of colours, including snowy white. And I agree, that is something to behold!
So what chicken breeds lay white eggs and which are the best candidates for your backyard flock?
What makes a white egg?
All eggs start out white. White eggs are simply eggs that have no pigment added by the hen's reproductive system and this process depends on their breed.
It's said that the hen's earlobe colour can be an indicator of egg colour with white-earlobed hens laying white eggs, red-earlobed hens laying brown, blue, green and pink eggs.
Top tip
According to Backyard Chicken Coops a chicken's breed isn't the only factor that effects egg colour. Paleness in egg colour may also indicate the hen is struggling with illness or exposure to heat/dehydration.
You may have heard that easter egg chickens lay blue eggs, and olive eggers green, but what chickens lay white eggs?
There are many chicken breeds that lay white eggs including:
Breeds of chickens that lay white eggs
- Leghorns
- Ancona
- Polish
- Hamburgs
- Egyptian Fayoumi
- Holland
- Silkies
- Seabrights
- Lakenvelders
- Minorcas
- Andalusians
While some breeds are well known and readily available, others can be a little harder to come by.
Choosing the best white-egg laying chickens for your backyard flock comes down to breed availability in your region/area, local conditions and temperatures and whether you are keeping chickens for eggs, breeding or mainly for fun.
Let's take a closer look at five of the most common white egg laying breeds.
New to backyard keeping keeping? Check out my other chicken blog posts:
- Tips for keeping chicken water clean
- Tips for keeping chickens out of the garden
- How to keep chickens off the patio
Best white egg laying Chickens (best white egg layers)
1 White Leghorn Chickens
Leghorn chicken originated from rural Tuscany, Italy before eventually making their way to North America. The White Leghorn is popular with farmers and therefore readily available from breeders. For this reason they lay large white eggs almost everyday.
White leghorn chickens don't tend to go broody, which is great for egg production, but not so great if you're wanting to breed chickens. Leghorns are active and excitable however most people seem to agree that their leghorns are quite easy to tame. Being daily layers of large eggs and both heat and cold tolerant makes them a popular bread.
2 Ancona Chickens
Like the Leghorn, Anconas also hale from Italy. They are an attractive, colourful breed that lays small white eggs. You can expect and egg every 1-2 days. Some say Anconas can be a little difficult to handle, however they are very well suited to cold weather which is helpful for some regions.
3 Polish Chicken Breed
Made famous by their outrageous head feathers Polish chickens are a unique breed which produce white eggs. They are said to be friendly and attractive flock members. Polish chickens lay smaller eggs, and on average you can expect an egg every 2-3 days. Polish chickens do well in the heat, but are not cold hardy.
4 Hamburgs
Standing proudly with their cascading plumage, Hamburgs are a popular breed for people who want to compete in poultry shows. Hamburg hens lay small glossy white eggs every 1-2 days. Like the white leghorns Hamburg chickens don't tend to go broody, which is great for egg production, but not so great if you wanting to breed chickens. They are both heat and cold tolerant.
5 Egyptian Fayoumi Chickens
The Egyptian Fayoumi breed can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt. They lay small white eggs every 1-2 days. This flighty breed isn't know for it's ability to tame, however their wildness makes them hyper away of predators and they're good foragers. Egyptian Fayoumi chickens tolerate heat well but are not cold hardy.
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Fresh white chicken eggs
So there you have it. As you can see there are many chicken breeds that lay white eggs with the five most common being White Leghorn, Ancona, Polish, Hamburgs and Egyptian Fayoumi.
I hope this blog has helped you decided which white-egg laying chickens you can add to your backyard flock.
Stay tuned for more on tips and inspiration for keeping backyard chickens. Check out my other chicken blog posts:
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