UK Breed Finder

Pick breeds that match your life — not your fantasy.

Use the filters to shortlist breeds, then open the full profile pages. The “best breed” is the one that fits your space, routine, and how you want the chickens to feel around your family.

Important: ratings are typical, not guaranteed. Temperament can vary by breeder line, handling, and flock dynamics. If you want kid-safe chickens, prioritise calm birds and a bigger run.

Friendliness + handling Egg laying Hardiness Upkeep effort

Start here Tools & checklists Coop/run size calculator Free checklist

Quick shortlists

Use these presets to start — then adjust the filters.

Family-friendly starters Lower-maintenance choices Blue eggs shortlist Small garden bantams Hybrids (easy eggs)

Browse breed collections

Quick, high-intent shortlists built for common UK backyard situations. Use these when you don't want to start from scratch.

Family-friendly breeds

Calm, handleable hens for kids — with the real caveats.

Small garden picks

Bantams + compact choices, plus the space reality checks.

Blue eggs & colourful baskets

Blue/green eggs, plus dark brown and speckled options.

SEO note: these collection pages are designed to be link-worthy. Keep them updated, and add photos from your own flock.

Filter breeds

Type

Min friendliness (1–5)

Min egg laying (1–5)

Max upkeep effort

Upkeep: 1 = easy, 5 = high maintenance.

Egg colour

Good with kids

Sort

Showing 0 breeds. Click View full profile on any card to open an SEO-friendly breed page.

Fast decision: if you’re a total beginner, prioritise calm, hardy birds you can buy locally from a good breeder. You can add “interesting” breeds later once your setup and routine are stable.

Next: Getting ready

The setup decisions that prevent 80% of problems.

Next: Coops & sizing

Choose a coop you can actually clean. Use the size calculator.

Want the printable checklist?

Get the UK Backyard Chicken Starter Checklist as your first download — plus short, practical emails that stop beginner mistakes.

Free printable: UK Backyard Chicken Starter Checklist

A quick printable that prevents week-one mistakes — and saves money by stopping bad coop purchases.

Read what’s inside →

Prefer to browse breeds first? No problem — save this for when you’re ready to buy your coop.