There are several breeds of chicken that come in all colors and sizes, and because many of us don’t have a long memory like a chicken, it’s usually easier to sort them into colors to manage them better. To begin with, if you are looking to find out which species are gray, you will have better luck looking for lavender or blue, the technical name for a gray chicken. Keep reading while we list several gray chicken breeds that will accent any coop, as well as any neat facts that we can dig up and a picture of each one so you can see how each one looks.
The 8 Gray Chicken Breeds
1. Ameracauna Chicken
The Ameracauna chicken is available in several colors, but the gray one we want is the Lavender Ameracauna. This bird is gentle and isn’t usually aggressive, but it doesn’t like when you pick it up. American breeders created it in the 1970s from birds imported from South America. It carries the blue egg gene, so some birds will lay blue eggs
2. Australorp Chicken
The Australorp is an Australian chicken that can lay more than 300 eggs per year. It became extremely popular in the 1920s. Black is the only color accepted in America, but you can find blue and white in Australia.
3. Brahma Chickens
The Brahma chicken is from America, and breeders created it using birds imported from Shanghai, China. It’s available in several colors, including gray, and it usually lays brown eggs. Owners typically use it for its meat, but it also makes a great pet. It’s friendly and doesn’t become aggressive towards people or other pets.
4. Cochin Chicken
Cochin chickens are another large breed of chicken with feathered legs and a fluffy, feathery body. Breeders created it by mixing Chinese and European birds. It was originally named a Shanghai bird, and there is also a Bantam version that is much smaller. This breed is available in several colors, including blue, which is quite similar to gray.
5. Easter Egger Chicken
The Easter Egger is a mix of the Ameracauna and Aracauna breeds created to produce blue eggs. It can lay up to 200 eggs per year, but it doesn’t care for sitting on them. This bird often needs another chicken breed that likes to brood, like the Silkie, to keep the eggs warm. This breed is available in many colors, including blue, which is similar to gray, but it is quite rare.
6. Lavender Wyandotte Chicken
The Lavender Wyandotte is a large bird that breeders first created in the 1800s. It can lay more than 200 eggs each year, but many people use it for meat due to its large size. It has a small comb and can weigh more than 8 pounds.
7. Plymouth Rock Chicken
The Plymouth Rock chicken is an egg-laying breed that usually lays more than 200 eggs per year. It has a docile disposition and has a yellow beak and legs. It’s a recovering breed that has seen more than 2,500 new registrations each year. This bird usually has black and white feathers that can look gray from a distance.
8. Silkie
Silkie chickens are a fuzzy breed of chickens that breeders created in the early 2000s. The lavender version of this bird seems to be more fragile than the other colors, and many owners report difficulty keeping the chick alive. You can also find blue Silkie chickens that look very similar to the lavender version and are a little more durable. Silkies enjoy being around people and are quite friendly.
- Another interesting read: Sapphire Blue Plymouth Rock Chicken
Summary
As you can see, there are not many gray chicken breeds, and most of them are technically lavender or blue. The Australorp is likely the easiest and most useful bird on this list because it can produce more than 300 eggs per year and is also large enough to use for meat. However, the Silkie is extremely attractive with its fluffy plumage, and many people will prefer to keep one of these as a pet. It’s also useful for brooding over other chickens’ eggs that refuse to do so themselves.
We hope you have enjoyed reading over this list and found some breeds you haven’t heard of before. If we have helped you choose the next addition to your coop, please share these eight gray chicken breeds on Facebook and Twitter.
Featured Image Credit: Eliza Birg, Shutterstock
