20 Blue Chicken Breeds To Look Into

When you’ve kept chickens long enough, eventually chicken fever is going to strike. You’ll think about chickens all the time. You’ll see chickens everywhere.

You won’t be happy with the mundane breeds that you already know. You want more chickens, better chickens, rarer chickens. And among all the breeds, some of the rarest individual birds around are those with blue feathers.

Although nominally the result of a genetic quirk that occurs when chickens wind up with a copy of both black and splash coloration genes, the result is always a bird with smoky, shimmery, steel blue feathers. They are truly beautiful!

If you want a unique bird to add to your flock, and one that you’ll be proud to show off, you need to check out the 20 blue breeds below.

Blue Plymouth Rock

Developed from the iconic Barred Plymouth Rock, the Blue Plymouth Rock or Blue Rock is a rare domestic breed that’s only been recently developed, comparatively speaking, and surprisingly it has still been officially recognized by the American Poultry Association.

Although arguably developed for its incredible good looks, consisting of billowing, smoky gray-blue feathers, this chicken turned out to be a stellar egg layer, with hens often producing at least 300 large eggs yearly.

Combined with their large size, good meat quality, and their high affability towards people, they are a truly wonderful and stunningly beautiful backyard chicken.

Just note that they only do well with people if you spend time with them regularly; don’t expect them to be sweet with you if you don’t interact with them!

Whiting True Blue

The Whiting True Blue is a breed notable for being all-blue from beak to tail, and quite statuesque in appearance. They have an upright posture, narrow breasts, and full, pointed tails that tend to give them a look almost as if they are in motion at all times, even when standing still.

And when Dr. Tom Whiting, the breeder, named his eponymous chicken the True Blue, he wasn’t kidding: the feathers are blue and so are the eggs! These chickens are good layers, but tend to be standoffish and conservative when it comes to interactions with people so they don’t make great pets.

Blue Australorp

Australorp chickens have a well-deserved reputation as some of the very best and most consistent egg producers in the entire world, with some lineages routinely producing more than 300 eggs each and every year while in their prime.

These big chickens can also weigh up to 10 pounds or a little bit more, making them an excellent roaster.

And because it’s on this list, you know it has a gorgeous blue coloration to back up its capable and practical performance. The Blue Australorp is a two-tone chicken, with intermingled patches of a darker, slate blue and a lighter gray blue. Another looker that is sure to please!

Rhode Island Blue

If the Rhode Island Blue sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’re thinking about the Rhode Island Red. And that’s for good reason: The Rhode Island Blue is actually a crossbreed, and not truly recognized by the APA. They resulted from a pairing between the Rhode Island Red and a Black Australorp.

Like the original Red, they are good layers, cranking out a maximum of 250 big brown eggs yearly, but hens tend to be broody and highly protective, so you need to have a plan for that if it occurs.

Most Rhode Island Blues are an even blue color from front to back, but occasionally they will have a few brick-red feathers.

Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte

The Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte is a truly striking variation of one of my favorite chickens, and I’m beyond happy to know they are making a big comeback in the US today.

These medium-sized birds tend to be independent, hardy, and particularly long-lived, and they are another breed that is known to be particularly friendly and close to their human keepers.

They also produce plenty of eggs and have high-quality, tasty meat, turning them into a true dual-purpose chicken.

This blue-laced red coloration takes the rusty or brick red usual color that you might be familiar with and outlines some of the feathers and a gorgeous pastel, charcoal-like blue, and caps it off with blue hackle feathers and a blue underside. Truly striking, and a one-of-a-kind beauty on our list!

Blue Wyandotte

The Wyandotte is one of the few breeds that has a second blue permutation. In this case, it is covered from head to tail feathers in a rippling and slightly mottled blue-gray color, shifting from a pronounced blue on the neck to an ashy, pale blue at the tail.

Besides that, its characteristics are identical to the Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte above.

Blue Silkie

Every chicken owner who has been around for even a little while knows about the Silkie. These tiny “supermodel” bantams are famous the world over for their immense, tufted crests and fur-like feathers all over their bodies, including their legs and feet. They’re small, and a little skittish, but very friendly and incredibly popular show birds and pets.

They can’t provide you with much meat, and they don’t turn out many eggs, but when you see how gorgeous they are in their rippling blue feathers, you just won’t care!

Blue Dutch Bantam

You’ll rarely go to any chicken expo or competition and not see a Dutch Bantam there. These plucky, alert, and friendly chickens rarely way more than just a couple of pounds, but they make up for it with famous good looks and an upright posture that is fit for putting on a postcard.

The blue variation has a gorgeous pastel blue breast, underside, and wings crowned by steel gray and slightly iridescent darker feathers.

Like most bantams, they aren’t very good for practical purposes like eggs and meat. They are just too small, though hens tend to be capable layers.

Blue Ameraucana

Developed as a response to the rumpless and genetically challenged our Araucana, the Blue Ameraucana corrects those deficiencies and is a much healthier bird overall, one with a prominent beard and muffs that give them a serious, no-nonsense look.

Medium-sized and decent producers of meat and eggs, this is a healthy, hearty breed that’s easy to care for.

Unfortunately, they tend to be noisy, but I’d be noisy too if I looked as good as the blue variation. Not only do they lay blue eggs, they also have a dapple blue laced plumage color that’s just gorgeous.

Delaware Blue Hen

A breed that’s not officially recognized by the APA, the Delaware Blue Hen, and sometimes shortened to just Blue Hen, hails from New England and has come down from a long line of game breeds going as far back as America’s war for independence from England.

If you don’t mind an unofficial breed, they have a lot to recommend them!

Though they are quite plucky, the breed seems to have mellowed quite a bit over the years and they aren’t as vicious as they used to be. But they are gorgeous dual-purpose birds, one with a lightly contrasting laced look that makes it look like they’re wearing chainmail.

They’ll give you plenty of eggs, averaging 250 or a bit less yearly, and are known for their tasty meat.

Blue Copper Maran

The Blue Copper Maran is another French breed, one that originated in the early to mid-19th century. Notably, these domestic birds were crossbred with wild and feral chickens, giving the resulting birds the best of both worlds.

They tend to be friendly, but cautious and they are highly adaptable, tolerating close quarters or wide-open pasture just as easily.

Marans tend to be remarkably healthy and easy to care for as long as you keep an eye on those fluffy feathers, particularly the legs, as they are prone to mite infestation.

As the name suggests, the Blue Copper Maran has a combination of shimmery gray feathers and contrasting copper ones. One fun fact about this breed is that their eggs can be an extremely dark brown color, but they tend to lighten and even turn entirely white as the hand gets older and nears the end of her laying life.

Blue Cochin

Big, puffy, and always adorably friendly, Cochins are standout favorites among chicken lovers, and with very good reason.

They’re famous for their calm and friendly temperament, and their feathers are so fluffy all you’ll want to do is pet them. And you’ll have plenty of opportunity because these birds are known to form close bonds with their owners.

Cochins aren’t the most productive breed around if you want eggs, but tipping the scales at 10 pounds or more they can be a fine table bird and they make excellent pets or backyard chickens. They are especially beautiful in blue, but there are many other colors to choose from besides.

Blue Bresse Gauloise

The Blue Breese Gauloise is a French breed that looks positively pedestrian compared to many of the exquisite birds on our list. If there was ever going to be a generic picture of a chicken, it would probably look just like a Breese Gauloise.

But these birds are sleepers, in a way, meaning they have special qualities that aren’t obvious to the eye. Or at least, obvious compared to their stunning feather color.

For starters, they crank out plenty of eggs, averaging 200 or a little more each and every year. They’re also famous the world over for the exquisite taste of their meat. You might mix them up with other breeds by sight, but you’ll never forget what a fine meal they make!

Blue Jersey Giant

They should just call the Blue Jersey Giants “Big Blues” and get it over with! These chickens are a great example of truth in advertising, because roosters can tip the scales at a mammoth 15 pounds plus.

But don’t be worried, because they truly are the gentle giants of the chicken world, and get along famously well with people and other birds.

Long recognized by the APA, the Blue Jersey Giant has been officially recognized since the 1920s.

If you want a couple of chickens that can help keep the peace or ward off smaller predators, they are a great choice, and they can also keep you supplied with many dozens of jumbo eggs every year.

They also make a great meat chicken if you’re planning a feast, but just keep in mind that Jersey Giants take a long time to fully develop.

Blue Breasted Red Old English

A tiny, mildly neurotic, and belligerent game breed, the Old English bantam is nonetheless quite statuesque and a constant target of affection by chicken connoisseurs. This is one breed that has a long and distinguished lineage!

As with most bantams, they aren’t good for meat, and though they are decent layers, what eggs they do produce are quite small. Despite this, if you want a remarkably good-looking and energetic bantam, you can do a lot worse.

Blue Rosecomb Bantam

The Blue Rosecomb Bantam is, just as the label says, a tiny bantam that has a rose comb. It also has gorgeous, soft blue feathers that range from a medium gray-blue to a light stone blue.

Like most bantams, they tend to be quite energetic, and are predominantly kept as pets or showbirds. Although they are decent layers of eggs, the eggs themselves are quite small and you’ll need at least three to equal one large egg from a standard breed.

Saphhire Olive Egger

The Sapphire Olive Egger is a special variation of the common Easter Egger hybrid, which is any chicken that is produced by crossbreeding a chicken that lays blue eggs with one that lays brown eggs.

Olive eggers are even further specialized because they are especially bred to lay green, or olive, eggs.

And because it’s on this list it has earned the special “Sapphire” moniker for its sharp, blue feathers and the unique green eggs that make them so sought after.

But these birds are no mere novelty, because they produce a lot of eggs and tend to be extremely healthy and resistant to disease compared to many other domestic breeds.

White Crested Blue Polish

Polish chickens are famous the world over for their immense crests, and being an ornamental breed they come in a huge variety of different colors, patterns, and permutations.

The White Crested Blue Polish moniker tells you everything you need to know about it: the entirety of their body has various shades of blue feathers, but its crest is bright white and tipped with blue bands, making it look like a festive crown or headdress!

These birds are sublimely attractive, no doubt, and known to be good with people. They are exceptional pets and decent producers of eggs, but very skittish since that large and fluffy crest greatly limits their vision.

Blue Andalusian

Blue Andalusians are truly unique. Their overall build and behavior are very close to their ancestral red jungle fowl ancestors, meaning they are adventurous, independent, standoffish, and more than capable of finding plenty of food as long as your property can provide it.

If you want a free-ranging chicken, and one that doesn’t expect a lot of attention from you, they are one of the best.

They tend to be quite noisy, though, and combined with their attitude, this can make them a little challenging. The blue variation is more of a lightly tinted gray, almost a freshly poured “concrete” color, but theyre still sharp-looking birds nonetheless.

Blue Sumatra

Another breed on our list that’s pretty rare, and one bound to be a true challenge for your average chicken owner, is the Sumatra. These birds rarely weigh more than 5 pounds and don’t produce a lot of meat. Accordingly, they are typically kept as an exhibition animal or an intriguing specimen by chicken fanciers.

The blue variation is an iridescent black and beetle green color, the latter being an almost an aquatic blue-green). This is a genuinely gorgeous bird, and one with a regal presence. But, make sure you have a plan for containing them because they can actually fly if you don’t clip their wings!