Rhode Island Red
Dual purpose · United States · 🌱 Beginner friendly
Probably the most famous chicken in America, the Rhode Island Red earns the reputation: it lays heavily, tolerates rough weather and rookie mistakes, and carries itself like it owns the yard. If you're starting a first flock, odds are good one of these is in it.
Eggs per year
200–300
Egg color
Brown
Egg size
Large
Hen weight
6–7 lbs
Temperament
Confident and hardy
Broodiness
Rarely goes broody
Did you know?
The Rhode Island Red is the official state bird of Rhode Island, honored with not one but two monuments in the towns where it was developed.
Is the Rhode Island Red right for your flock?
Expect roughly 200–300 brown eggs a year from a healthy hen in her prime — production dips during molt and the short days of winter, and eases off as she ages. Planning space? A Rhode Island Red hen runs 6–7 lbs, so size the coop with our coop size calculator and estimate the feed bill with the feed cost calculator.
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Keeping Rhode Island Reds?
Give every bird a profile in PoultryPal — track their eggs, weight, and life events, and see who's really your best layer.
