10 Largest Chicken Breeds
Keeping giant chickens can add tremendous value to your flourishing backyard flock. Giant breeds exude presence because they look like little dinosaurs everyone will enjoy watching. Most giant breeds are usually beautiful and productive.
You could like adding some gentle, giant chickens to your flock, so it would be reasonable to know some of the largest chicken breeds to raise.
These are the top ten largest chicken breeds worth raising for either meat or eggs.
1. Brahma
The Brahma chicken breed is among the largest giant breeds worldwide. It has ample feathering, making the fowl look even more prominent.
Brahma roosters weigh about 12 pounds, with females weighing approximately 10 pounds. Brahma birds have a proud and sturdy appearance. They stand tall, and their thick legs make them look like little dinosaurs.
Brahmas have large heads with relatively overhanging brows, giving the birds a mean look. Brahmas have small pea combs that aren’t vulnerable to cold, unlike chickens with larger combs.
There are three main varieties of Brahmas: light, dark, and buff. Brahmas are calm birds, and they aren’t aggressive, as their large size may suggest. They enjoy interacting with humans and are also tolerant of other breeds.
These hardy chickens can lay between 150 and 200 large brown eggs annually. The Brahma is a dual-purpose fowl, which is excellent for meat.
Brahma’s meat is delicious. Brahmas also mature fast and are extraordinary chickens to keep if you want to raise chickens for meat. Brahmas can live for up to 8 years.
2. Cochin
The Cochin is a large domestic chicken breed with Chinese roots. Most people keep the giant breed for exhibition, although it is a great layer and dependable meat producer.
Cochins look like a ball of soft and fluffy feathers. The chickens have feathers on their outer toes and legs. Their full feathering gives the chickens a larger size than they actually are.
However, Cochins are pretty hefty. Cochins have single combs with five points. The wattles, earlobes, and combs of these chickens are red, while the eyes are golden yellow.
The beak color varies from one Cochin chicken to the other. Some Cochins can have either black or yellow beaks. Cochin roosters weigh approximately 11 pounds, and hens weigh about 8.5 pounds.
Cochin hens aren’t the most terrific layers, but they can lay between 150 and 180 large-sized eggs annually. Cochins are excellent meat birds for backyard flocks.
Cochins have a friendly and calm temperament. They can live for between eight and ten years.
3. Dorking
Dorking is an ancient chicken breed from Kent, Surrey, and Sussex counties in the southeast UK.
Dorkings are hefty meat birds, with hens weighing approximately 8 to 10 lbs. and roosters weighing around 10 to 14 lb. Dorkings have rectangular bodies with short legs. They have larger combs than other giant breeds.
They have five toes, which is unusual for chickens because most chicken breeds have four toes. These birds have reddish-bay eyes, pinkish-white feet, shanks, and red earlobes.
Dorkings come in several varieties, including white, red, and silver-gray. Dorkings are somewhat dual-purpose because they can lay a reasonable 170 to 190 creamy or white eggs annually.
Nonetheless, these chickens are among the best giant breeds to raise for meat. Dorking chickens are tolerant, friendly, and calm.
They are great foragers and can sometimes wander away from their homes, although not that far. They live for around five to 8 years.
4. Jersey Giant
Anyone can recognize Jersey Giants because of their massive size. Jersey Giants are the largest chicken breeds in the US.
They are also some of the largest fowl globally. Jersey Giants come in several color variations. For instance, some chickens can be blue, black, or white.
Despite their different color variations, all Jersey Giants have yellow skins, red combs, and wattles. They also have brown eyes, and their beaks can be black or yellow. Jersey Giants have muscular bodies.
Their feathers lie close, giving the birds a clean and neat appearance. They have shorter tails than other giant breeds and their legs have no feathers. Jersey Giants are extraordinary dual-purpose chickens capable of laying up to 260 large-sized brown or light-brown eggs.
They are also among the best meat-producing giant chickens. Females weigh about 11 pounds, and cockerels weigh around 15 pounds. These mellow birds have calm, friendly, and docile personalities. They can live for about six years.
5. Langshan
Langshan chickens are giant birds that originate from China. These dual-purpose chickens are rare birds with single combs, red earlobes, and red wattles.
They have white, blue, and black color variations. These chickens have U-shaped bodies with upright tails and heads, giving them a unique majestic appearance.
These chickens have feathered legs. Males weigh about 9.5 lb., while females weigh around 7.5 lb. Langshan hens lay about 180 eggs annually. Langshans are wonderful table birds owing to their hefty and compact bodies.
They are tolerant, friendly, and docile. These healthy giant chickens have a lifespan of about 5 to 8 years.
6. Orpington
The Orpington chicken breed is a massive giant chicken from England that has been popular since the mid to late 19th century.
Males weigh around 10 pounds, while females weigh approximately eight pounds. Orpington chickens have broad bodies with a great low stance. Their fluffed-out feathers make them look heftier than they are.
Orpington chickens have deep breasts with curved backs and thick feathers. They can have either rose combs or single combs. They have several color variations, including buff, white, black and blue.
Orpington hens lay around 160 large-sized brown eggs annually. They are also suitable for the tables because of their physical traits and large bodies.
Orpington chickens are friendly and docile. They have a calm and tranquil temperament. These giant chickens can live between 5 and 10 years.
7. Plymouth Rock
The Plymouth Rock chicken breed is one of America’s oldest giant breeds. Plymouth Rocks have single combs with five elegant points.
The giant birds have bright red earlobes, combs, and wattles. These chickens also have unfeathered yellow legs. Their beaks can be horn-colored or yellow.
These chickens have a grayish-white plumage, although some come in different color variations. For instance, Plymouth Rocks can have white, partridge, barred and silver penciled color variations.
Plymouth Rock males weigh around 9.5 lb., and females weigh up to 7.7 lb. Females can lay up to 210 large brown eggs annually.
These giant chickens produce impressive meat quantities. They are calm and friendly and can live between eight and ten years.
8. Rhode Island Red
The Rhode Island Red chicken breed is a beautiful giant chook for a chicken keeper interested in a laid-back giant breed.
Rhode Island Reds are dual-purpose chickens weighing about 8.5 lb., for roosters and 6.5 lb., for hens. They are also bantam Rhode Island Reds, though they are scarce.
These chickens have reddish-brown beaks, red-orange eyes, and yellow legs and feet. Rhode Island Reds are some of the finest dual-purpose giant breeds. Hens lay around 260 extra-large brown eggs annually.
Rhode Island Reds are some of the best massive chickens for meat production. These chickens are hardy and boast a friendly disposition. Rhode Island Reds can live between five and eight years.
They thrive in cold regions because they are pretty cold-hardy compared to most giant breeds.
9. Sussex
The Sussex chicken breed is among the oldest British dual-purpose giant breeds that chicken raisers rear for their quality eggs and meat.
Sussex chickens have graceful, long and broad bodies. These chickens have flat backs, while their breast bones are straight and long. Sussex chickens have rectangular builds and broad shoulders.
The darker varieties of these giant chickens have red eyes, while the lighter varieties have orange eyes. They come in eight color varieties: light, silver, red, white, speckled, and buff.
Lighter Sussex chickens have white plumages, black flight feathers, black tails, and wing coverts. The neck feathers in most Sussex chickens are white with stunning black striping.
Sussex hens weigh around seven pounds, while roosters weigh about 9 pounds. Hens lay up to 250 light-brown eggs annually, although they lay much later than other giant breeds.
Sussex chickens are also good meat producers since all Sussex varieties are great table birds. Sussex chickens are confident but docile big chickens.
They are also friendly and easy to handle. These giant chickens can live for over eight years.
10. Wyandotte
Wyandotte chickens are also among the oldest American giant birds. These chickens have yellow shanks and skins.
Although these chickens come in many varieties, the most common varieties for these chickens are red, white, black, and blue. The face, wattles, and combs of these birds are all red.
Wyandotte chickens are large and heavy birds. Roosters weigh between eight and nine lb. Adult Wyandotte hens weigh around six to seven lb. Wyandotte hens can lay about 210 large brown eggs per year.
Wyandotte chickens are equally remarkable meat-producing giant chickens. Overall, Wyandotte chickens are docile, friendly, and calm big chickens. They live for around six to twelve years.
Conclusion
Giant chickens are fantastic fowl because they can produce great meat and eggs. Furthermore, giant chickens can spice up your backyard flock.
With many giant breeds around, your job is to identify a breed that matches your chicken-keeping needs.
