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Which breed suits you?

There are hundreds of breeds and most beginner lists are the same six. Tell us about your garden and we will narrow it to five worth looking into — with the drawbacks, not just the sales pitch.

Worth looking at

  1. 1

    Hybrid layer (Warren, ISA Brown)

    ~290 eggs a year · brown · standard

    The default garden hen for good reason: docile, hardy, and lays almost daily from five months.

    • Lays around 290 eggs a year
    • Forgiving of beginner mistakes

    But: Bred for output, so they burn out. Expect two strong years and a shorter life than a pure breed.

  2. 2

    Australorp

    ~250 eggs a year · brown · standard · dual purpose

    Quietly one of the best garden birds there is — calm, very productive, and undramatic.

    • Lays around 250 eggs a year
    • Forgiving of beginner mistakes
  3. 3

    Light Sussex

    ~240 eggs a year · cream · standard · dual purpose

    The classic British dual-purpose bird. Friendly, curious, and a genuinely good all-rounder.

    • Lays around 240 eggs a year
    • Forgiving of beginner mistakes
  4. 4

    Plymouth Rock (Barred)

    ~220 eggs a year · brown · standard · dual purpose

    Steady, friendly and forgiving of beginner mistakes.

    • Forgiving of beginner mistakes
  5. 5

    Rhode Island Red

    ~250 eggs a year · brown · standard · dual purpose

    Tough, productive and largely unbothered by British weather.

    • Lays around 250 eggs a year

    But: Can be pushy in a mixed flock, and the cockerels have a reputation.

Laying varies enormously with strain, feed and age — two hens of the same breed from different breeders can behave quite differently. Treat this as a shortlist to research, not a verdict. And whatever you choose, work out the space first with the coop size calculator.