Grey chicken breeds

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There are many breeds of chickens around the world with all colors and sizes available. One of the most common colors is grey.

However, some of the breeds that are described as grey may actually be a variation of either a lavender or a blue strain that mixes with the grey, giving it a nice and even tone.

Below is a complete list of the most common breeds of grey chickens, including some blue and lavender chickens. Enjoy!

Chicken breed	Origin	Life span
Cochins	China	about 10 years
Frizzles	Asia	About 8 plus years
Hamburgs	Europe	About 8-10 years
Australorp	Australia	About 6-10 years
Faverolles	France	About 6-9 years
Andalusians	Spain	About 10-12 years
Americaunas	United States	About 7-8 years
Leghorns	Tuscany	About 4-6 years
Naked Neck	Pennsylvania	About 7-8 years
Minorca	Spain	About 8 years
White Faced Black	Spain	About 7-8 years
Sapphire Gems	Czech Republic	About 8-10 years
Californian Grey	California	About 6-10 years

Cochins

The Cochin chicken, originating in China, is formally known as the Cochin-China. Coming from a large breed of big feathered birds ranging from Europe to North America,

Cochins may be distinguished by their full, fluffy wings and feathers. Although commonly grey, they may also come in a variety of colors such as brown, black, white, and patterned.

Cochins may live for 10 years with proper care and may grow up to 11 pounds for males and 10 pounds for females. Maturity is reached in two to two and a half years.

These chickens are known to be friendly, quiet, and laid back unless provoked, when they may become aggressive. Their eggs are medium size and can be light to dark brown in color. (source)

Frizzles

The Frizzle chicken, originating in Asia, is the result of a cross-bred interaction. They are distinguished by their fluffy, curled-up feathers.

Although commonly grey and white, Frizzles may come in other colors including bright and darker browns. These chickens are found in places such as Asia and India.

Frizzles are very friendly and will not become aggressive unless provoked when they will become territorial and defensive. They can live up to 8 or more years with proper care and maintenance.

The good thing about this breed is they are adaptable to almost any climate, both cold and warm, with few negative behavioral side effects. These birds may grow up to about 27.6 inches tall, of course, depending on the age and nutrition intake. They may have a weight of 20-27 ounces.

(source)

Hamburgs

The Hamburg chicken originated in Europe and is commonly found in France, Holland, and Germany, where they are believed to be first introduced before the 14th century.

They are mainly known and used for their medium-sized eggs which may be light brown to white. These eggs are used for cooking and baking.

The Hamburg Chicken is a bright white with black spots that may be starkly patterned, and this mixture may also lead to an even tone of grey.

Hamburgs can live for 8-10 years and can weigh anywhere between 12-24 ounces. They are friendly and reserved but are primarily used in the production of eggs.

Australorp

The Australorp Chicken originates in Australia and is commonly used for egg production. They are good in barns and on free-range farms. The Australorp Chicken is prized for having the ability to lay more than 300 eggs in a short span of time.

These chickens can be a wide variety of colors but are commonly seen to be bright to dark grey and black. They have live 6-10 years and are very gentle and kind.

They are an ideal animal for a farm with frequent visits from children. Australorps are very friendly and don’t mind being held and handled frequently.

This chicken may weigh up to 7 pounds for females and 8.5-12 pounds for males, depending on health and nutrition. (source)

Faverolles

The Faverolle Chicken, originating in France, is known for its bright grey and black colored feathers. They are known for their strong production of eggs, popularity on farms, and also can be used for meat.

Their eggs are light brown to white in color. The Faverolle chicken may weigh between 8-12 pounds and can live for up to 6-9 years with proper health and maintenance.

They may lay around 150-180 eggs in short periods of time, making them a popular choice for small farms.

Andalusians

The Andalusian Chicken originated in Spain. They are great egg-layers, producing a white-colored egg of medium size, and can lay 150-160 eggs annually.

Andalusians are distinguished by their soft grey feathers and are known to be gentle, kind, and very active, playing well with other chickens and good on farms.

They can live for 10-12 years with proper care and maintenance. They may weigh from 5 to 7 pounds, making them great for handling.

Americaunas

The Americauna Chicken originated in the United States. They were created to breed and to produce eggs and maybe a potential crossbreed between the Bantam and Andalusian Chicken.

They are distinct with their characteristics of long grey feathers, although they may be found in varying colors including black and light browns, depending on the breeder.

Americaunas live for 7-8 years with proper care and health. They tend to last longer than other breeds and are predator savvy, giving them more opportunity to survive.

The Americauna chicken may weigh anywhere between 26-30 ounces. These chickens are used for the production of eggs.

The eggs are usually a bright blue but may also be light brown, bright white, and even silverish. These eggs may be produced 2-3 weekly.

White Leghorn chicken on white background

Leghorns

The Leghorn Chicken originated in Tuscany. Used primarily for eggs, it is commonly found around the world. Their eggs are white with a production rate of around 280 eggs annually.

These chickens are commonly a bright white to even-toned grey color with a distinctive red comb. Leghorns, on average last for 4-6 years with a weight of 5-6 pounds.

The Leghorn Chicken is typically categorized as calm and friendly among other chickens but maybe noisy when highly active. When feeling provoked, these chickens may become aggressive to defend themselves.

Naked Neck

The Naked Neck chicken, originating in Transilvania, Pennsylvania is known for being quite popular in both Germany and Romania.

This chicken is used primarily for their production of meat and eggs. They have an average production of 100 or more light brown to white-colored eggs annually.

Due to the need for meat use, these chickens commonly weigh more compared to other breeds at 6-7 pounds. They are known to live for 7-8 years.

Naked necks are distinct with their heavier set body and little to no feathers on their neck. Commonly they are a grey color but are also seen in light and dark browns.

Minorca

The Minorca chicken is a bird that has a storied history of coming from the Roman Empire or the time of the Moors in Africa.

Scientists have not quite determined where they were first introduced. These chickens are known for their hearty and nutrient-filled eggs, commonly a bright white color.

The Minorca chicken may produce up to 200+ eggs annually. As opposed to other breeds, this chicken is able to naturally and comfortably produce in colder temperatures as well!

The Minorca chicken can weigh 5-6 pounds depending on nutrition and activity level and may live for 8 years and even more!

California Grey chicken

The California Grey chicken, as the name suggests, originated in California in the 1930s.

Produced by a man named Horace Dryden, whose goal was to breed a high-powered chicken that had the ability to produce many eggs as well as being good for meat. They have white eggs and produce around 300 annually.

This chicken commonly weighs 4-5 pounds and may live for up to 6-10 years depending on nutrition and the desired use of the chicken.

The California Grey chicken is a dull grey color with black to dark brown spots that show a lined pattern throughout their body.

White-faced Black Spanish

The White-faced Black Spanish chicken originated in Spain and may have been popular around the eighteenth century as it was quickly adopted in the Netherlands.

As the name suggests these chickens are commonly known to have white to grey faces and a body of black. This color may vary depending on the breeder, age, and health.

This chicken is known to be the oldest Mediterranean breed and has high production of larger eggs, usually 180-200 annually. The White-faced Black Spanish chicken can live for 7-8 years with proper health.

Sapphire Gems

The Sapphire Gem chicken originated in the Czech Republic and is known to be a result of crossing the Blue Plymouth Rock and the Barred Plymouth Rock chickens.

This breed is known for its production of eggs at a rate of about 250-300 annually in white to light brown colors. It is said that although to the naked eye these chickens are bright grey color, in the chicken industry they’re commonly referred to as blue or lavender due to their feathering patterns.

They may weigh anywhere from 4-6 pounds depending on gender and age and can live up to 8-10 years with proper health and care.

Lavender chicken breeds

Lavender-colored chickens are common in many places today and may have a dark grey coat of feathers with undertones of light purples, giving an even tone of lavender.

Below is a list of the most common types of lavender chickens:

Chicken breed	Origin	Life span
Pekin	Europe	Aout 7-8 years
Booted Bantam	Netherland	About 10 years
Dutch bantam	Netherlands	About 4-6 years
Lavender wyandotte	United States	About 4-6 years
Orpington	England	About 8 or more years

Pekin

The Pekin chicken, originating in Europe is believed to be derived from the Bantam chicken. Its name is derived from the city of Peking, where it was first found.

They are known to be excellent pets for kids. They are adaptable and friendly. They are also known for their egg production, with an annual number of over 200-300 large eggs that they start laying when they are just a few months old.

The Pekin chicken is known to be grey but has undertones that create an even tone of a light lavender color.

They may weigh between 3-6 pounds with an average life span of 7-8 years. Overall these chickens are very nice pets and are good in petting zoos as well.

Booted Bantam

The Booted Bantam chicken, originating in the Netherlands, is one of the most popular Bantam chicken breeds.

At an average weight of 25-30 ounces, these chickens are known for their feathered feet, colorful patterns, and tall tails. They are perfect for small kids as they are able to fit in one’s hand easily.

They come in light grey with undertones of darker greys which allows for this color to come off like a light lavender color.

Unlike other breeds, this chicken can live for longer periods of time, almost 10 or more years. The Booted Bantam chicken may produce around 150-200 eggs annually depending on their health and environment.

Dutch bantam

The Dutch Bantam Chicken is a similar breed to the Booted Bantam. This chicken also originated in the Netherlands. They may produce 150-180 small eggs annually, which are a slightly off-white to light brown color.

These chickens are very versatile in their coloring and may be a light, grey lavender color due to their underlying pigmentation.

Nevertheless, they also come in colors including black, light brown, and red. These chickens lay many eggs and this may exhaust them quicker than other breeds. The average lifespan for the Dutch Bantam chicken is around 4-6 years.

Lavender Wyandotte

The Lavender Wyandotte originated in the United States. This chicken comes with a variety of purposes, bred mainly for the use of meat production and for eggs.

These chickens may give out as many as 200 brownish eggs annually. Although they come in many colors, the bright grey resembles a lavender color due to the undertones of pigmentations.

The Lavender Wyandotte chicken may weigh 6-9 pounds depending on the health, activity levels, and age. The average lifespan is 5-6 years.

Orpington

The Orpington chicken originated in England. Similar to the Lavender Wyandotte, these chickens are dual purpose for both the production of eggs and meat. They may lay 190-200 eggs annually that have a larger size and light brown to white color.

The Orpington is friendly and suitable for kids, clubs, farms, and festivals. They weigh about 7-8 pounds with an average life span of 8 or more years!

Blue chickens

Blue chickens, similar to the lavender chicken, have grey or white feathers which overall creates a nice color, emanating a blue effect to the viewer. Below is a list of the most common types of blue chickens.

Chicken breed	Origin	Lifespan
Blue Plymouth Rock	Europe	Around 5-8 years
Blue Andalusian	Spain	Around 5-7 years
Jersey Giant	Philadelphia	Around 6 years
Blue Easter Egger	United States	Around 8 years
Sumatra	Singapore	Around 5-7 years

Blue Plymouth Rock

The Blue Plymouth Rock chicken originates in Europe. This chicken is known for its dual purposes of meat and eggs. This chicken lays around 300 larger eggs annually of light to whitish brown.

The Blue Plymouth Rock may weigh 5-6 pounds and has an estimated lifespan of 5-8 years with proper care and maintenance.

This chicken has the distinct characteristics of a short and stout body, its neck covered with dark to a bright greyish color and an overall undertone of blue, giving it its name.

Blue Andalusian

The Blue Andalusian chicken originates in Spain, as a variant of the Andalusian mentioned above. These graceful and glorious birds are now found around the world.

They are mainly used for the production of eggs, laying an average of 150-160 eggs with bright white color and larger size.

The Blue Andalusian chicken may weigh between 5-7 pounds with an average lifespan of 5-7 years. These chickens are very gentle and very active, making them great for farms and families!

Jersey Giant

The Jersey Giant Chicken originates in the eastern US. This chicken is used for the production of meat. Their hefty build and large body allow them to be the perfect build for meat. In addition, the hens may lay around 200 eggs annually in a dark to light brown color.

They are very tolerable to being held as they are calm and gentle. The Jersey Giant may weigh anywhere between 10-13 pounds, one of the heaviest breeds. They can have a lifespan of around 6 years with proper care, nutrition, and health.

Blue Easter Egger

The Blue Easter Egger originates in the United States, brought over as an offspring of the Americauna chicken breed from South America in 1930.

Their main purpose is in the production of bright white to pale blue eggs. They’re known for their distinct variety in colors and plump body type.

The Blue Easter Egger chicken can produce around 200 eggs annually and may have an average lifespan of 8 years with proper health care.

Sumatra

The Sumatra Chicken originates in Sumatra, Singapore, hence where it gets its name. This chicken is considered one of the most beautiful breeds. This is due to their strong build and long flowing tails with an abundance of feathers.

These chickens are brightly colored and have undertones of blue giving them a shine of a darker blue color. The Sumatra chicken is raised to be ornamental.

They are kind and gentle and used commonly for parties, festivals, farms, and for kids! This chicken may weigh between 4-7 pounds and have an average lifespan of 5-7 years with proper health and care.

Special note

These chickens are common across the world, some places more than others. This information is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be treated as such.

If you find a stray or injured chicken or have one of your own it is important to bring them to a vet immediately to reduce the chance of illness and potential death.