White chicken breeds are much more varied than they first appear. Some are lightweight white-egg specialists, such as the White Leghorn. Others are large dual-purpose birds, including White Plymouth Rocks, White Orpingtons, and White Jersey Giants. You can also find white chickens that lay blue eggs, heavily feathered white bantams, rare heritage breeds, and modern production hybrids.
One point is worth clearing up immediately: white feathers do not tell you what color eggs a hen will lay. White Leghorns lay white eggs, White Ameraucanas lay blue eggs, White Orpingtons lay brown eggs, and Rhode Island Whites also lay brown eggs.
This guide separates true breeds, recognized white varieties, and commercial hybrids so you can compare them without treating every white chicken as the same type of bird.
White Chicken Breeds at a Glance
| Chicken | Type | Egg Color | Typical Size | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Leghorn | Recognized variety | White | Light | High egg production |
| White Ameraucana | Recognized variety | Blue | Medium | Blue eggs, backyard flocks |
| White Orpington | Recognized variety | Brown | Large | Dual purpose, calm flocks |
| Rhode Island White | Breed | Brown | Medium-large | Dual purpose, winter laying |
| White Faverolles | Recognized variety | Tinted/light brown | Medium-large | Cold climates, family flocks |
| California White | Production hybrid | White | Medium | High egg production |
| White Wyandotte | Recognized variety | Brown | Medium-large | Dual purpose, cold weather |
| White Yokohama | Recognized variety | White/cream | Small-medium | Ornamental flocks |
| White Araucana | Recognized variety | Blue | Medium | Blue eggs, exhibition |
| White Sultan | Recognized variety | White | Small-medium | Ornamental, pets |
| White Jersey Giant | Recognized variety | Brown | Very large | Large dual-purpose flocks |
| White Aseel | Traditional color | Tinted/light brown | Variable | Rare-breed keepers |
| White Bresse/Gauloise | French breed/type | White/cream | Medium | Dual purpose |
| White Croad Langshan | Recognized variety | Brown to plum-tinted | Large | Dual purpose |
| White Plymouth Rock | Recognized variety | Brown | Large | Dual purpose, beginners |
| White Silkie | Recognized variety | Cream/tinted | Bantam in U.S. standard | Pets, broodiness |
| White Holland | Heritage breed | White | Medium-large | Rare-breed conservation |
Why Are Some Chickens White?
White plumage can come from more than one genetic mechanism. It is not accurate to describe every white chicken as simply lacking melanin or as an albino.
One major form is dominant white, strongly associated with variation in the PMEL gene. Dominant white can suppress black pigment in the feathers. Another major form is recessive white, which is associated with mutations affecting TYR, a gene involved in melanin production.
A recessive-white chicken can still have normally pigmented eyes, skin, comb, legs, and other tissues. That is very different from true albinism. It is also why two white breeds may have completely different skin, leg, eye, and egg colors.
1. White Leghorn
The White Leghorn is the classic white egg layer. It is a lightweight Mediterranean chicken descended from Italian stock and is one of the most important foundation types behind modern commercial white-egg production.
White Leghorns are active, alert, and efficient eaters. They forage well and usually stay much busier than heavy breeds such as Orpingtons or Cochins.
Commercial-style Leghorn lines can produce well over 250 white eggs per year under good management, while exhibition and backyard strains may produce less. Exact numbers depend heavily on the strain.
The tradeoff is temperament. Many Leghorns are more independent and flighty than heavy, docile breeds. They can make excellent backyard layers if you provide secure fencing and enough room to stay active. See my Leghorn chicken guide.
2. White Ameraucana
White Ameraucana is an APA-recognized Ameraucana variety. A correctly bred Ameraucana has a pea comb, beard and muffs, slate-colored legs, and one trait that matters even more to many backyard keepers: blue eggs.
The old version of this article blurred Ameraucanas with Easter Eggers. They are not the same thing. Ameraucana is a standardized breed, while Easter Egger is a nonstandardized colored-egg type.
Ameraucanas are moderate layers rather than commercial egg machines. Roughly 150 to 200 blue eggs per year is a practical expectation for many backyard lines.
If you want a white chicken but do not want white or brown eggs, this is one of the most useful choices. See my Ameraucana chicken guide.
3. White Orpington
White Orpingtons give you the familiar broad, soft-feathered Orpington body in clean white plumage.
Under standard weights, adult Orpington cocks are about 10 pounds and hens about 8 pounds. The old 14-pound claim was much too high for the breed standard.
Orpington hens usually lay brown eggs, with many backyard lines producing roughly 150 to 200 per year. Broodiness is fairly common, and the breed is generally known for a calm disposition.
They do forage, despite the old article saying they prefer not to. Some individuals are simply less active than light Mediterranean breeds. Their heavy feathering also means they need plenty of shade and airflow during hot weather. See my Orpington guide.
4. Rhode Island White
Rhode Island White is a separate breed from Rhode Island Red, not simply a white color version of it.
John Alonzo Jocoy began developing the breed in Rhode Island in 1888. The Livestock Conservancy traces its ancestry to White Wyandotte, Partridge Cochin, and Rose Comb White Leghorn stock.
The breed has white plumage, yellow skin and legs, and a rose comb. Standard weights are about 8.5 pounds for males and 6.5 pounds for females.
Rhode Island Whites are dual-purpose chickens and useful brown-egg layers. They are also known for good winter production. Because the breed is uncommon today, finding well-bred stock can take more effort than finding Rhode Island Reds.
5. White Faverolles
White Faverolles combine white plumage with the breed’s distinctive beard, muffs, feathered legs, and five toes.
Faverolles were developed in France as practical dual-purpose birds and later became popular for exhibition as well. White is an accepted Faverolles variety in the United States.
Hens lay tinted to light-brown eggs and often perform reasonably well during cool weather. Around 150 to 200 eggs per year is a useful broad range for many lines, but strain matters.
Their dense feathering and feathered feet need dry conditions. Heavy facial feathers can also get wet around open waterers. See my Faverolles guide.
6. California White
The California White is a production hybrid, not a standardized poultry breed.
It is commonly produced by crossing California Gray males with White Leghorn females. The result is a mostly white, active layer that may carry a few dark flecks in the plumage.
Good production lines can lay around 280 to 300 large white eggs per year under strong management. That makes California Whites much more useful for egg-focused flocks than ornamental or breeding projects.
Because it is a hybrid, do not expect the offspring to breed true. See my California White chicken guide.
7. White Wyandotte
White Wyandottes are solid-white birds with the rounded body and rose comb typical of the breed.
Wyandottes were developed in the United States as dual-purpose chickens. Hens generally lay brown eggs, often around 180 to 220 per year in productive backyard lines.
The rose comb and dense feathering make them a sensible choice for colder regions. In a mixed flock, many are confident birds rather than timid ones, so I would not describe every Wyandotte as automatically docile.
Read my Wyandotte chicken guide.
8. White Yokohama
White Yokohamas are ornamental long-tailed chickens rather than production birds.
The breed was developed in Germany from Japanese long-tailed stock and later standardized in Europe and the United States. White and Red Shoulder are the recognized large-fowl varieties in the current APA list.
Yokohamas are small to medium birds with a walnut- or pea-type comb depending on the standard description and line, long tails, and relatively low egg production. Hens usually lay small white to cream eggs.
Choose them for beauty and exhibition rather than an egg basket. Their long tail feathers also need clean, dry housing with enough room to avoid constant breakage.
9. White Araucana
White Araucana is an APA-recognized Araucana variety and one of the most unusual white chickens on this list.
In the U.S. standard, Araucanas are rumpless, have ear tufts, pea combs, and lay blue eggs. The tuft trait deserves special attention because the allele responsible is lethal when a chick inherits two copies. That is one reason hatch rates can be lower in tufted breeding programs.
Egg production is moderate rather than commercial. Many hens lay around 150 to 200 blue eggs per year, depending on strain and management.
Araucanas are different from Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers. If you are buying breeding stock, use a reputable breeder who understands the standard and tuft genetics.
10. White Sultan
Sultans are ornate white chickens with a crest, beard, muffs, feathered legs and feet, and five toes.
White is the recognized Sultan variety in the U.S. They originated in Turkey and were historically kept as ornamental birds.
Egg production is low, usually around 50 to 100 small white eggs per year. They make far more sense for a decorative flock than for anyone trying to maximize eggs or meat.
The crest and feathered feet require dry conditions and occasional inspection. Mud, wet crests, and blocked vision can become bigger problems than they are with clean-legged utility breeds.
11. White Jersey Giant
The White Jersey Giant is the white variety of one of America’s largest chicken breeds.
The APA admitted White Jersey Giants in 1947. The Livestock Conservancy notes that White Jersey Giants average about a pound lighter than Black Jersey Giants.
They are slow-maturing dual-purpose birds. Hens generally lay brown eggs, often around 150 to 200 per year. Their size is impressive, but it also means you need sturdy roosts, wide pop doors, and more floor space than you would give a Leghorn or bantam.
See my Jersey Giant guide.
12. White Aseel
Aseel, also spelled Asil, is an ancient South Asian chicken type known for a muscular build, upright carriage, strong broodiness, and intense same-sex aggression in many lines.
White birds occur in Aseel populations, but body size varies greatly because Aseel includes several regional types and strains. That is why a single universal weight is misleading.
Hens are seasonal, low-volume layers of tinted to light-brown eggs and may become very committed broodies. I would not recommend Aseel as a first backyard breed if you plan to keep multiple mature males.
See my Aseel chicken guide.
13. White Bresse / Bresse Gauloise
White Bresse Gauloise birds are famous for white plumage, blue-gray legs, a red comb, and useful dual-purpose qualities.
For U.S. readers, the naming needs care. Poulet de Bresse is a protected French designation tied to birds raised under strict geographic and production rules in the Bresse region. Chickens sold in the United States as American Bresse may descend from Bresse-type stock, but they are not legally the same protected French product.
These birds are valued for meat quality and can also be useful white-egg to cream-egg layers depending on the line. They are active foragers and generally benefit from more space than a sedentary ornamental breed.
See my Bresse chicken guide.
14. White Croad Langshan
White Croad Langshans are tall, deep-bodied chickens with feathered shanks and an elegant upright appearance.
The breed traces back to China and became important in the development of several Western breeds. White is an accepted Langshan variety in the United States.
Hens lay brown eggs that can sometimes carry a plum-colored bloom. Around 150 to 200 eggs per year is a more cautious backyard expectation than the old blanket claim of 200 to 220 for every line.
They are large dual-purpose birds, so provide enough roost width and dry footing for the feathered legs. See my Langshan chicken guide.
15. White Plymouth Rock
White Plymouth Rocks are practical American dual-purpose chickens with solid white plumage, yellow skin and legs, and a single comb.
They are larger and heavier than Leghorns, but still useful layers. Many backyard hens produce roughly 180 to 220 brown eggs per year, depending on strain and management.
The old claim that they lay an egg every day was too strong. Even excellent hens slow during molt, short winter days, heat stress, illness, and as they age.
White Rocks make sense if you want a straightforward white dual-purpose chicken rather than a specialty ornamental or hybrid. See my Plymouth Rock guide.
16. White Silkie
White Silkies are among the most distinctive white chickens because their feathers do not have the normal interlocking structure found in ordinary plumage.
The result is a soft, hair-like appearance. Silkies also have dark skin, feathered legs, a crest, five toes, and turquoise-blue earlobes.
In the U.S. standard, Silkies are bantams. Hens usually lay a modest number of small cream or tinted eggs and are famous for broodiness and mothering ability.
Their feather structure does not shed rain as effectively as normal feathers, so a White Silkie needs reliable dry shelter. See my Silkie chicken guide.
17. White Holland
The White Holland is a rare American heritage breed developed as a practical farm chicken with white plumage, white eggs, and a useful dual-purpose body.
Despite the name, the breed was developed in the United States rather than simply imported as a finished Dutch breed. It became known as a productive farm bird before commercial hybrids replaced many traditional utility chickens.
White Hollands are now uncommon, so sourcing birds may require a heritage breeder rather than a large hatchery. If conservation matters to you, this breed is more interesting than adding another common commercial white layer.
Do White Chickens Lay Only White Eggs?
No. Feather color and eggshell color are controlled by different genetic systems.
- White Leghorn: white eggs.
- White Ameraucana: blue eggs.
- White Araucana: blue eggs.
- White Orpington: brown eggs.
- White Wyandotte: brown eggs.
- White Plymouth Rock: brown eggs.
If egg color matters to you, choose the breed first and plumage color second.
Do White Chickens Have White Skin?
No. White feathers do not predict skin or leg color either.
White Leghorns and White Plymouth Rocks typically have yellow skin. Orpingtons and Faverolles have white or pinkish-white skin. Silkies have very dark skin. Ameraucanas have slate-colored legs.
These differences are normal breed traits, not signs that one white chicken is “purer” than another.
Are White Chickens Easier for Predators to See?
White plumage can stand out strongly against green grass, dark soil, or woodland cover. That may make a white bird visually conspicuous, but predator risk depends much more on your fencing, overhead cover, flock supervision, and local predator pressure than feather color alone.
Do not rely on camouflage as a protection plan. Secure housing matters for every color of chicken.
Which White Chicken Is Best for You?
- For the most white eggs: White Leghorn or California White.
- For blue eggs: White Ameraucana or White Araucana.
- For a calm dual-purpose flock: White Orpington or White Plymouth Rock.
- For cold climates: Rhode Island White, White Wyandotte, or White Faverolles.
- For a very large bird: White Jersey Giant.
- For an ornamental flock: White Sultan, White Yokohama, or White Silkie.
- For heritage conservation: White Holland or Rhode Island White.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best white chicken for egg production?
White Leghorns are among the strongest white-feathered egg layers and are the foundation of many commercial white-egg lines. California Whites are also high-producing hybrids. Actual output depends on strain, age, daylight, health, and management.
Which white chicken lays blue eggs?
White Ameraucanas and White Araucanas lay blue eggs when they are correctly bred to their respective standards. Easter Eggers can also be white and may lay blue or green eggs, but Easter Egger is not a standardized breed.
Are all white chickens Leghorns?
No. White plumage occurs in many unrelated breeds and varieties, including Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Plymouth Rocks, Faverolles, Jersey Giants, Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Silkies, Sultans, and others.
Are white chickens albino?
Usually not. White plumage can result from dominant-white or recessive-white genetics and does not automatically mean albinism. White chickens can have normally pigmented eyes, skin, legs, combs, and other tissues.
Which white chicken is the friendliest?
White Orpingtons, Faverolles, Silkies, and many Plymouth Rocks are generally known for manageable temperaments, but individual behavior varies. No breed guarantees that every bird will be calm or enjoy handling.
What is the biggest white chicken breed?
White Jersey Giants are among the largest white chickens. They are the white variety of the Jersey Giant breed, although the Livestock Conservancy notes that White Jersey Giants tend to average about a pound lighter than Black Jersey Giants.
Do white chickens get dirtier than other chickens?
They may show mud and stains more visibly, but they are not inherently dirtier. Clean bedding, dry runs, good drainage, and properly positioned waterers make a bigger difference than feather color.
Final Thoughts
White plumage is only one trait. It tells you almost nothing by itself about egg color, body size, temperament, broodiness, or climate tolerance.
If eggs are your priority, start with White Leghorns or California Whites. For a calmer dual-purpose flock, White Orpingtons and White Plymouth Rocks are easier to live with for many keepers. If you want something unusual, White Ameraucanas, White Araucanas, Sultans, Silkies, and White Hollands each offer a very different reason to raise a white chicken.
Choose the breed for the job you need it to do. Let the white feathers be the part you enjoy looking at.
Sources
- American Poultry Association: Accepted Breeds and Varieties
- The Livestock Conservancy: Rhode Island White Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Jersey Giant Chicken
- PubMed: Genetic Basis of White Plumage in Chickens
- Oklahoma State University: Chicken Breed Directory
