Top 10 Largest Chicken Breeds

Large chicken breeds are fantastic for those who want large eggs and a good meat producer. Yes. It can be a bit more on the expensive side to feed a larger chicken, and they do need a lot of space, but there are a ton of benefits when it comes to production. On this page, we want to introduce you to the top 10 largest chicken breeds.

Top 10 Largest Chicken Breeds

The largest chicken breeds are:

  • Jersey Giant
  • Brahma
  • Cochin
  • Orpington
  • Cornish
  • Malines
  • Bared Rock
  • Rhode Island Red
  • Delaware
  • Buckeye

Jersey Giant – The Largest Chicken Breed

largest chicken breeds
Jersey Giant Chickens (Photo by Troubadix)
Weight
Male13 lb (6 kg)
Female10 lb (4.5 kg)

With roosters capping out at a shade under 13 lbs. (6 kg.), the Jersey Giant chicken is the largest and heaviest chicken breed in the world. For those who live in colder locations, the Jersey Giant is the perfect chicken to raise.

It is ridiculously resistant to the colder weather. They produce a rather sizable number of eggs too, even during the coldest months of the year.

The Jersey Giant is incredibly friendly, and the lack of health issues means that this is one of the best largest chicken breeds for those who are new to owning chickens.

Brahma

brahma - largest chicken breeds
Weight
Male12 lb (5.5 kg)
Female9.5 lb (4 kg)

For a good few decades, the Brahma chicken was the main commercial chicken for meat in the United States. This means that it is going to be fantastic for those who want to raise a decent backyard chicken.

This isn’t a surprise. The Brahma can get pretty close to the Jersey Giant in terms of size. It also helps that they are good egg layers and can cope with smaller locations with ease.

Although, to be honest, as with most large chicken breeds on this list, we would try and give your Brahma as much space as possible to run about in.

Cochin

largest chicken breeds
Weight
Male11 lb (5 kg)
Female8.5 lb (3.9 kg)

Interestingly, the Cochin chicken isn’t as brilliant for meat as the other chicken breeds on this list. However, that isn’t really a surprise.

This is a chicken that is built to be a show chicken. If you take a look at it, you will be in awe at the fluffy plumage that it boasts. The meat on this chicken doesn’t really taste all that great, so we probably wouldn’t recommend that you raise a Cochin if you are looking for a chicken to bring to the table.

It should be a fairly regular egg layer for you, though.

Cornish

Weight
Male10.5 lbs. (4.75 kg)
Female8 lbs. (3.6 kg)

If you have eaten a chicken before, then it is likely that it would have been meat from the Cornish chicken breed. This is the most popular breed of chicken in the commercial meat industry.

This is a chicken that has really been built for that commercial market. It is just the right size, and it is great at breeding. The only downside is that it doesn’t really lay as many eggs as some of the other larger chicken breeds.

However, it still produces around 180 eggs per year, which certainly isn’t too bad. Those eggs are going to be on the larger side of things, after all.

Orpington

Weight
Male10 lb (4.55 kg)
Female8 lb (3.60 kg)

The Orpington chicken, in the past, was one of the better meat and egg laying chickens. Although, a lot of those traits have been bred out of the chicken.

Nowadays, the Orpington is pretty much only around for chicken shows. Again, not a surprise when it comes to a breed like this. It has absolutely beautiful plumage.

Although, the plumage does make the bird seem a little bit larger than it actually is. If you have one of these chickens, you should be able to enjoy a good couple of hundred eggs each year.

Malines Chicken

Weight
Male11 lb (5 kg)
Female8.8 lb (4 kg)

Weighing in at 5kg, the Malines Chicken is easily one of the largest chicken breeds in the world. Interestingly, this is a breed that has been raised exclusively for the meat that it produces.

A lot of people will tell you that the Malines chicken produces some of the best-tasting chicken meat around.

The problem with this breed is that if you are a backyard chicken owner, it can be tough to find. After all, the commercial companies want to keep their chickens to themselves.

If you do get a Malines, then you will be able to enjoy some quality egg laying capabilities, however.

Delaware Chicken

Largest chicken breeds - Delaware
Delaware Chicken (Photo By Linda)
Weight
Male8.5 lb (3.9 kg)
Female6.5 lb (2.9 kg)

The Delaware chicken was primarily a meat chicken. In fact, it still is. This is, in part, down to the fact that the chicken looks good when it has been killed.

It isn’t so much about the taste, but the overall appearance of the bird. The problem is that the Delaware chicken is a breed of chicken that is sitting on the cusp of extinction.

We can’t imagine that this is a breed that is going to be around for all that long. This is a shame, because not only is it one of the largest chicken breeds, but it is also one of the best looking.

However, anybody who raises these chickens will be able to enjoy something that can not only lay a decent number of eggs each year, but can also produce some quality meat. It is really simple to look after too.

Barred Rock

barred plymouth rock rooster
Barred Plymouth Rock Rooster (Photo By Kevin Prichard)
Weight
Male7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg)
Female6.5 lbs. (2.95 kg)

Next on the list of the largest chicken breeds is the Barred Rock chicken or commonly known as the Plymouth Rock chicken. As you can probably tell from the name, this was one of the first chicken breeds to make its way to the United States.

This is a breed of chicken that is actually raised commercially. This is because not only is it brilliant for meat, but it can lay some good eggs too. This is going to be the perfect addition to your backyard chicken flock.

Rhode Island Rock

Rhode Island Red hen
Weight
Male8.6 lb (3.9 kg)
Female6.6 lb (3 kg)

This is a chicken that doesn’t look all that great, but it is fantastic for laying eggs. While you could probably eat the Rhode Island Red, it is certainly large enough for you to do that, the vast majority of the people who are raising Rhode Island Reds is because of their ability to lay up to 300 eggs per year!

That being said, by all accounts, the meat that the Rhode Island Red produces is actually good for those who are cooking using slow cookers. The flavor is very distinctive.

Buckeye

Weight
Male9 lb (4.1 kg)
Female6.5 lb (2.9 kg)

Last one on the list of the largest chicken breeds is the Buckeye Chicken which due to the size, it is often used for meat. Perhaps not commercially, because there are breeds that a whole lot better for that.

However, if you did raise the Buckeye chicken, you would have a tremendous meat chicken, owing to the breed being on the larger side of things.

One interesting and unique fact about the Buckeye Chicken is that it was bred in Ohio. As a result, it had to deal with some pretty cold winters. Today, this is the only chicken that has been fully bred in the United States that has a pea comb.

Largest Chicken Breeds Care

Honestly, you do not need to do anything special to look after large chicken breeds. Yes. Their larger size means that they will probably be chowing down on a lot more food than your typical chicken, but the extra cost of this will negligible.

Except the fact that it will be more expensive to feed the large chicken breeds, caring for them is the same as for the smallest chickens. They will just require more space so you will need a larger chicken coop though.

If you are new to chickens, then check our guide on how to care for backyard chickens.

Related articles, you might want to check:
Blue chicken breeds
Most docile and friendly chicken breeds
Most aggressive chicken breeds

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