There are a lot of different chicken breeds out there, but sometimes you are just in love with a specific coloring and pattern. Black and white chicken breeds can be some of the most visually striking birds you can find.
So, if you want chickens that sport black and white feathers, then you’re in luck as there are many breeds out with this coloring. Whether you want them for food, shows, or as a pet, there is a black and white chicken breed that’s sure to suit your needs.
Black and White chicken breeds come in a wide range of feather patterns, and many of them tend to be friendly chickens. While there are some that are better for shows, a majority of the breeds below are primarily known for food production. Surprisingly, black and white breeds of chickens commonly lay a high amount of eggs per year, and many can provide a decent serving of meat.
While each breed will vary in egg amount, weight, and temperament, you are sure to find a black and white chicken breed that will work for your home. Many of the breeds are also recognized by the APA, and some are friendly enough to be kept as pets. Some breeds are a bit rarer than others, so make sure you find a reputable breeder when you are picking up your chicks. Keep reading below to learn which breeds deal well with free ranging and who doesn't do well in cold weather.
Black and White Chicken Breeds
| Breeds | Purpose Eggs/Yr and Egg Color |
|---|---|
| Cuckoo Marans | Meat & Eggs 150 Eggs Per Year Dark-Brown |
| Barred Plymouth Rock and Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock | Meat & Eggs 200 Eggs Per Year Light-brown |
| Columbian Wyandotte and Silver Laced Wyandotte | Meat & Eggs 200 Eggs Per Year Light-brown |
| Light Brahma and Dark Brahma | Meat & Eggs 150 Eggs Per Year Brown |
| Mottled Cochin | Eggs 150 Eggs Per Year Brown |
| Mottled Anacona | Meat & Eggs 220 Eggs Per Year White |
| Delaware | Meat & Eggs 200 Eggs Per Year Light Brown |
| Dominique | Meat & Eggs 230 Eggs Per Year Brown |
| Silver Spangled Appenzeller | Eggs 150 Eggs Per Year White |
| Exchequer Leghorn | Eggs 260 Eggs Per Year White |
| Silver Laced and White Crested Black Polish | Show, Meat, Eggs 200 Eggs Per Year White |
| Egyptian Fayoumis | Eggs 150 Eggs Per Year Off-White |
| SIlver Spangled Hamburg | Eggs 200 Eggs Per Year White |
| Mottled Houdan | Show & Eggs 150 Eggs Per Year White |
| Light Sussex | Meat & Eggs 180 Eggs Per Year Cream |
| Lakenvelder | Meat & Eggs 150 Eggs Per Year White |
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16 Black and White Chicken Breeds For You
We wanted to give you a lot of options if you wanted to add some of these chickens to your flock. Here they are, in no particular order!
Having the black and white coloring can lead so some fun themed chicken names.
Breed 1: Cuckoo Marans
Cuckoo Marans are a breed from France that formed in the nineteenth century. The breed is accepted by the APA for shows and can provide you with a stable amount of food. They lay around 150 large dark brown eggs a year. The breed weighs in at around 6 pounds for hens and 7 pounds for chicken. They can provide you with a nice supply of both meat and eggs. Cuckoo Marans are instantly recognizable due to their barred feathers, and they have a single comb on their legs.
They are generally docile birds and do well when left in a free-roam setting. The major worry with this breed is the fact that they are sensitive to the cold. On the bright side, though, this is a breed that tends to go broody rather often.
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Breed 2: Barred Plymouth Rock and Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock
The Plymouth Rock is an American chicken that first appeared in Boston in 1869. The breed has long been accepted by the APA and entered into shows but is primarily used for food.
A Plymouth Rock Hen will lay around 200 large light-brown eggs a year. The breed will regularly weigh in between 7 to eight pounds. They can be recognized due to their five-point single comb and their barred feathers.
They do grow broody fairly often, so breeding this breed is quite easy. Plymouth Rock chickens are also known for being calm and will do well in mixed coops. They do well with living both inside or let out to roam. They are generally hardy, but you will need to keep the chickens warm in the winter.
Breed 3: Columbian Wyandotte and Silver Laced Wyandotte
The Wyandotte is another breed from the United States and was thought to have been developed in the last nineteenth century. They have been accepted into the APA and are able to be used as show birds. The breed has a Columbian or laced feather pattern as implied by the name and has a rose bomb. They generally lay around 200 large light brown eggs per year. You can expect a Wyandotte hen to grow to be around 6 to 7 pounds, while the rooster will usually weigh in at 8 to 9 pounds, making them great meat providers.
This is another excellent breed if you are looking into breeding, as they do go broody pretty often. They are a tolerant breed of chicken that is even known for their patience with children. Wyandottes also can easily integrate with other chicken breeds, making them freat coop mates. They are hardy and enjoy being free-range as well.
Breed 4: Light Brahma and Dark Brahma
Brahma is another American breed of chicken whose origin starts in the nineteenth century. This breed can lay around 150 large eggs per year. This breed has a pea comb, feathered feet, mostly white bodies, and striped feathers. The hens weigh in at around 10 pounds, while the roosters regularly grow to be around 12 pounds making them an easy choice for a meat provider.
Brahma hens typically become broody near the beginning of summer. They also have a very calm temperament and can do well when housed with other chickens. This hardy breed doesn’t mind staying inside or let out to roam, making them a versatile breed.
Breed 5: Mottled Cochin
The Cochin is a small breed of chicken that can produce a decent amount of eggs throughout the year. You can expect a Cochin hen to lay around 150 small eggs a year. They aren’t good at supplying meat, however, as the hens usually weigh under 2 pounds, and roosters usually only just reach 2 pounds in weight. This is a Chinese breed of Bantam that has feathered legs, mottled feathers, and a single comb.
The Cochin does tend to go broody, and they are a peaceful variety of chicken. They don’t mind free-ranging but should stay in a run due to their small size. Otherwise, this is a hardy breed.
Breed 6: Mottled Ancona
The Mottled Ancona lays around 220 medium white eggs a year and will even lay in the wintertime. They are accepted by the APA and are named after Ancona Italy, where they are said to come from. The Roster usually weighs between 5 and a half to 6 and a half pounds while the hens weigh in at around 4 and a half pounds. As the name suggests, they have mottled feathers and a rose comb.
This is a social breed of chicken that loves to interact with you and your family. They do well with other chickens and are a pretty hardy breed. They do love to free-range but should beunder a watchful eye as they have an adventurous nature that can lead to them wandering away from the coop.
Breed 7: Delaware
As the name suggests, the Delaware chicken is an American breed that finds Delaware as it's birthplace around 1940. They will lay around 200 large eggs per year, with some eggs being jumbo in size; and are a large breed of chicken. The Delaware hen typically weighs in at 6 and a half pounds, while the rooster can grow to weigh 8 and a half pounds. This rooster has black barring on its feathers and a single comb.
The breed goes broody quite often. It is also known for having a calm temperament. They are generally a hardy breed and have been accepted by the APA. This breed does like to be free-range.
Breed 8: Dominique
The Dominique chicken is an English breed of bird and has been around since at least the seventeenth century. The hens lay around 230 large brown eggs a year. The hens will typically weigh in at around 5 pounds, while the males are slightly larger and 7 pounds. You can identify the Dominique chicken by its unique cuckoo pattern and its rose comb.
The hens are noted for being calm, but the Dominique roosters tend to be more aggressive than average and should be kept away from other animals and roosters. They do like to be free-range and are a hardy breed that can live in a variety of environments. The Dominique hen does tend to go Broody often.
Breed 9: Silver Spangled Appenzeller
The Silver Spangled Appenzeller is not yet a recognizable breed by the APA in America and is a rare breed here. They are a pretty small breed of chicken with roosters only reaching 4 and a half pounds and hens weighing in around 3 and a half pounds. They lay around 150 medium-sized white eggs a year. This breed has spangled feathers, heavy feathering on their heads, and a v-shaped comb.
They are a friendly breed of chicken that can get along with others, but they don’t do well when kept in a coop for long periods of time. They are hardy and can resist the cold better than most other breeds. This is a breed that is somewhat broody.
Breed 10: Exchequer Leghorn
The Exchequer Leghorn is a Scottish breed of chicken that was created in 1904. The breed isn’t recognized by the APA yet and is mostly bred for food. They usually lay around 260 large white eggs per year, making them some of the best layers you can have. This particular brees isn't as good at producing meat, as the hens generally only weigh around 4 and a half pounds while roosters reach up to 6 pounds. They have a large comb with mottled feathers.
This breed is sensitive to the cold, but when kept warm, they can be pretty hardy. They are an aloof breed that doesn’t care much for interaction, and they won’t go broody often.
Breed 11: Silver Laced and White Crested Black Polish
The Black Polish chicken is a unique-looking breed that comes from Poland. They tend to lay around 200 white medium-sized eggs a year. The roosters can weigh up to 6 pounds, while the hens usually grow to weigh around 4 and a half pounds. They are typically used as a show bird and have a laced patterning with tons of plumage on top of their head.
This is a breed of chicken that gets nervous easily, so you will need to be careful not to scare them or put them around more aggressive breeds. They don’t do well in the cold and like to free-range, but to keep them safe; you should build them a run.
Breed 12: Egyptian Fayoumis
Egyptian Fayoumis come from Egypt, and it’s not known how old the breed is due to its long history. It isn’t currently recognized by the APA and can be a bit hard to find in the United States. They tend to lay around 150 small off-white eggs a year. This is a small breed of birds with roosters only reaching 4 and a half pounds and hens weighing in at 3 and a half pounds. They have single-comb, bluish legs and have a penciled pattern on their feathers.
This is a flighty breed of chicken that doesn’t tend to go broody. They do like to free-range but tend to be good at flying. They are especially hardy and can even handle hot environments well.
Breed 13: Silver Spangled Hamburg
The Silver Spangled Hamburg is a breed from Holland that seems to have come about in the fourteenth century. They are mostly used for eggs as they are a small breed of bird, but they can lay around 150 white medium-sized eggs a year. The hens usually weigh around 4 pounds, while the roosters can weigh in at 5 pounds. They have spangled feathers and a rose comb.
Hamburgs are shy but friendly chickens that will eagerly interact with you and get along with the rest of your flock. Free rangin is their passion and they won’t do well if kept in a coop. This alert breed is rather hardy, but they don’t go broody often.
Breed 14: Mottled Houdan
The Mottled Houdan is a French breed of bird that is known to be quite old. The breed is used for shows quite often and was accepted into the APA in the nineteenth century. They lay around 150 medium-sized white eggs a year. Houdan hens usually weigh in at around 6 and a half pounds, while roosters tend to reach 8 pounds. The Houdan has Mottled feathers with a v or butterfly-shaped comb and plenty of feathers covering the top of its head.
They are noted to be a sweet breed that likes attention and can get along well with others. They don’t tend to go broody often and do enjoy being free-range birds. This is not a cold hardy breed.
Breed 15: Light Sussex
Light Sussex chickens are credited with being one of the oldest English breeds of chicken. They typically lay around 180 large cream-colored eggs a year. The roosters weigh in at 9 pounds, while the hens weigh around 7 pounds. The Sussex has lace patterning on their feathers and a single-five-point comb.
They are a docile breed of chicken that will get along with others and tend to go broody during the summer. They can do well in confinement or be free-range; either way, they are a hardy breed of chicken.
Breed 16: Lakenvelder
Lakenvelder chickens come from the Netherlands and seem to have been around since the eighteenth century. They produce around 150 medium-sized white eggs a year and are known for having great-tasting meat. The Lakenvelder hen usually grows to be around 4 and a half pounds, while the rooster usually weighs around 5 and a half pounds. They have a single comb and mottled feathers.
This breed is shy and can be flighty and isn't a cold hardy breed. Lakenvelders don’t tend to go broody and are an active breed that likes to be free-range.
FAQ
What patterns do Black and White chickens come in?
There are several different patterns that you will find on black and white breeds of chicken:
Barred
Stripes that are at a right angle.
Columbian
Mostly white bodies with black-tipped feathers around the neck and on the tail feathers.
Cuckoo
Similar to barred stripes, but the stripes have a smudged appearance.
Penciled
Small lines of color that follow the feathers contour.
Laced
The outer edges of the feathers are a different color.
Mottled
The feathers have speckles with coloring.
Spangled
The feathers are white but surrounded by coloring; Spangled is typically considered to be the opposite of the Mottled pattern.
What color eggs do black and white chickens lay?
Most black and white chicken breeds tend to lay white or brown eggs.
If you need more help with taking care of your chickens, check out The Organized Chicken Keeper for a complete system for managing their health through keeping their supplies stocked and coop clean.
