Here we will discuss everything you need about low-maintenance chickens for your backyard. These are some of the best chicken breeds you can raise in your backyard.
These chickens do not have a lot of care and maintenance needs and are great for beginners. Keep reading to learn more.
Raising chickens in the backyard is a great family activity. It is a joyous and rewarding experience. Chickens provide us with meat and eggs.
Some people also keep chickens as pets in their backyards. Raising chickens in your backyard can also help you control pests and create rich manure for your garden.
There are many chicken breeds in the poultry world. Not all chicken breeds are the same. Some breeds are suitable for egg production, while others are good for egg and meat production.
All chicken breeds need good care to live a longer and more productive life. They need nutritious chicken feed, secure fencing to protect them from predators, and a good chicken coop for shelter.
With the many chicken breeds in the poultry world, choosing the right breed for your backyard can be challenging, especially if you are a beginner.
If you are looking for a low-maintenance chicken for your backyard, you have come to the right place.
Easter Egger
First on our list of the best low-maintenance chickens for the backyard is the “Easter Egger.”
They are not purebred but a hybrid chicken breed created from the same foundation stock that produced Ameraucanas and Araucanas.
They are then crossed with another chicken breed to give a variety of egg colors.
Easter Eggers are docile-friendly chickens that will do well in any backyard flock comprising other chicken breeds. However, it is important to ensure that the other birds in the flock are friendly.
Because of their non-aggressive and docile personalities, they can be victims of bullying by aggressive birds in the flock.
These friendly chickens tolerate confinement very well. However, they are also great foragers left to free range in the backyard.
You will only have to watch them so they do not become victims of predator attacks.
Easter Eggers are also hardy chickens that can do well in hot and cold climates. Besides, these chickens do not need a lot of maintenance.
One of the reasons why the Easter Eggers are a favorite for many backyard chicken keepers is because of their colorful eggs.
If you want many colorful eggs in your nest box, look no further than an Easter Egger. These chickens lay eggs of different colors, including green, blue, brown, or purple.
Under good care and proper nutrition, an Easter Egger hen can lay 4 to 5 eggs per week. This translates to around 200 eggs per week.
Wyandottes
The Wyandottes were developed in the late 1800s to survive the severe winters in the North. They are low-maintenance chickens that can do well in a backyard setting.
They content themselves with a simple lifestyle as water, tolerable shelter, and food are enough for them.
Generally, the Wyandotte is a docile and calm chicken. They like being with their kind instead of socializing with other breeds.
They like to mingle in groups ignoring turning their back to the other chicken breeds. However, they are friendly and can do well if raised with other friendly chicken breeds.
If you plan to add Wyandottes to your backyard flock, note that they like treats very much and would be interested in whatever you do.
While they would love to be held occasionally, they are not the best lap chickens you can have. These chickens do not have a lot of maintenance needs and are suitable for beginners.
They are also great pets for children. You can leave them in your kids’ hands, and they will hardly harm them.
Wyandottes are active chickens. They are also good foragers, so you can allow them to roam freely in your backyard.
You will often find them in your backyard scavenging for bugs, seeds, and other goods they can find.
Their favorite activity is scratching in the dirt. Therefore, allowing them to roam freely will keep them active and healthy.
The Wyandotte is a hardy, robust chicken that can do well in hot and cold climates. They can withstand harsh north winters but are also easy-going on hot summers.
A Wyandotte hen can lay 3 to 5 eggs per week. This translates to about 200 eggs per year. They start laying at around 18 weeks and lay large, cream-colored to brown eggs.
Rhode Island Reds
Rhode Island Reds are ideal for backyard chicken keepers as well as beginners because they are hardy birds that rarely get sick.
They are charming and entertaining chickens to have in your backyard. Besides, they do not need a lot of care and maintenance needs. Your Rhode Island Reds only need secure shelter, food, and clean water.
If you are a beginner or an experienced backyard chicken keeper looking for a low-maintenance bird, this is one of the best breeds to consider.
These chickens are kid-friendly, although roosters can be an exception. Rhode Island Red roosters can be aggressive like roosters of most other chicken breeds.
They will do everything they can to defend the rest of the flock from predator attacks. While kid-friendly, they can be bullies to other docile chickens in the flock, such as the Polish and Cochins.
Like most other chicken breeds on our list, Rhode Island Reds are hardy chickens that can thrive in cold and hot climates.
They can do well when in confinement and when allowed to free range. If you have a large backyard, you will want to allow them to roam freely.
Under good care and proper nutrition, a Rhode Island Red can lay between 180 and 210 eggs per year.
Rhode Islands Red hens are not broody, although they can sometimes go broody. When hens go broody, they are good sitters and make great mothers of their chicks.
Australorp
The Australorp is an adorable bird that comes in several colors. They are docile, friendly, calm, and sweet chickens that can greatly add to any backyard flock.
If you are looking for a great family pet, look no further! The Australorps often become excellent family pets and enjoy cuddles.
Australorps enjoy human company and develop a strong bond with their handlers. They were initially raised as dual-purpose chickens, suitable for egg and meat production.
They have an average weight of 7 pounds when fully grown. Australorp roosters are usually heavier than hens.
These friendly and docile chickens do not need a lot of maintenance and care. They will only need good shelter, water, and food to thrive. They are hardy, robust chickens that can thrive in nearly all climates.
An Australorp hen can lay 4 to 5 light brown eggs per week. This translates to around 200 eggs per year.
They do occasionally go broody and become great mothers to their baby chicks when they hatch. They enjoy foraging in the yard but will tolerate confinement pretty well.
Welsummer
Last on our list of the best low-maintenance chickens for the backyard is the “Welsummer.” It was created in the Netherlands in the 1920s and has become a favorite for many backyard chicken keepers.
Welsummers are calm and friendly chickens. They are also intelligent and fairly independent birds with few maintenance needs.
While they tolerate confinement, they will be happy to free range if allowed. Since they are great foragers, they will save money on your chicken feed bill if you allow them to roam.
These low-maintenance chickens when 6 to 7 pounds when fully grown. They can lay 4 to 5 eggs per week.
As with other chicken breeds, your Welsummer hen will need a good diet to live a longer and more productive life. They are both cold and heat tolerant.
Conclusion
With hundreds of chicken breeds in the poultry world, choosing the right breed can be daunting, especially if you are a beginner.
Some breeds are great for eggs, while others are good for egg and meat production.
Not all chicken breeds will adapt well to a backyard environment. If you are looking for a low-maintenance chicken for the backyard, you can consider one of the options on our list.
