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Rhode Island Red

America's classic brown-egg layer: hardy, friendly and good for 200 to 300 eggs a year.

Rhode Island Red rooster

Photo: Vitag, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped

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Rhode Island Red at a glance

Medium, dual-purpose

Status
APA breed, American class. Single Comb admitted 1904, Rose Comb 1905.[1]
Origin
Developed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the 1880s and 1890s (Mississippi State dates it to the early 1900s).[2][3]
Egg color
Brown to dark brown[3][4]
Eggs per year
250–280 (the Livestock Conservancy says 200–300)[5][2]
Egg size
Large[4][6]
Weight
Standard 8.5 lb rooster, 6.5 lb hen (the Livestock Conservancy says 8 and 6 lb). Backyard birds usually weigh 5.5 to 8.5 lb.[4][2][3]
Bantam
Yes, in single and rose comb.[1]
Temperament
Docile and friendly hens; some roosters can be aggressive.[3][2]
Broodiness
Can go broody, except in strains heavily selected for egg production.[2]
Cold
Keeps laying into moderately cold weather and handles marginal conditions.[3][2]
Varieties
Single Comb and Rose Comb[1][6]
Conservation
Graduated from the Livestock Conservancy's priority list in 2023.[2]
How to spot one
Single or rose comb, red earlobes, yellow skin and yellow, clean (unfeathered) shanks; a long, flat-backed, oblong body.[4][7]

Facts no source backs up are left out. Updated October 26, 2026 (how we check).

If you picture a backyard hen, there's a good chance you picture a Rhode Island Red. These deep red birds are one of America's own breeds and one of the most popular brown-egg layers anywhere, prized for being tough, productive and easy to live with.

Where Rhode Island Reds come from

The breed was developed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the 1880s and 1890s, according to the Livestock Conservancy (Mississippi State Extension dates it to the early 1900s). The American Poultry Association admitted the Single Comb Rhode Island Red in 1904 and the Rose Comb in 1905, both in the American class.

For a while the old farm-type birds became scarce, but the breed recovered. The Livestock Conservancy graduated the Rhode Island Red from its priority list in 2023.

Eggs: how many and what color

This is the breed's big draw. University of New Hampshire Extension puts the Rhode Island Red at 250 to 280 eggs a year, and the Livestock Conservancy gives a range of 200 to 300 because strains differ. The eggs are large and brown to dark brown.

Ohio State calls them "the best egg layer as a dual purpose breed," which is high praise for a bird that's also big enough for the table. Want to know when your pullets will start? Our Laying Calculator works it out from their hatch date, and the Egg Log tracks every egg after that.

Temperament: friendly hens, feisty roosters

Mississippi State Extension describes Rhode Island Reds as docile and friendly, and the Livestock Conservancy calls them calm. The warning comes with the boys: the Livestock Conservancy notes that some roosters may be aggressive at times. If you want a gentle flock around kids, start with hens.

Hardiness and climate

Rhode Island Reds are known for their hardiness and their ability to handle marginal conditions (Livestock Conservancy). Mississippi State adds that they continue laying into moderately cold weather. That toughness is a big reason they're recommended so often for small farms.

Rutgers Extension warns that large combs can get frostbite and suggests small-combed birds for cold areas, so in hard-winter country consider the rose-comb variety.

Size and broodiness

The standard weight is 8.5 lb for a rooster and 6.5 lb for a hen (UF/IFAS); the Livestock Conservancy lists 8 and 6 lb. Mississippi State says backyard birds usually weigh 5.5 to 8.5 lb. Bantam versions exist in both single and rose comb.

Some Rhode Island Red hens will go broody. The Livestock Conservancy says hens from production strains, which are bred hard for eggs, rarely do.

How to recognize a Rhode Island Red

Look for a long, flat-backed, oblong body (Illinois Extension), a single or rose comb, red earlobes, and yellow skin and yellow legs with no feathers on the shanks (UF/IFAS). The color is a rich, deep red.

Is a Rhode Island Red right for you?

Choose Rhode Island Reds if you want lots of brown eggs from a hardy bird that copes with cold. Think twice about a rooster if you have small children. For a calmer, fluffier alternative, look at the Buff Orpington; for even more eggs in white shells, see the White Leghorn.

Not sure what each breed's eggs will look like in your basket? Our free Egg Color Chart printable puts every breed in this directory on one page.

Rhode Island Red questions

Are Rhode Island Reds good for beginners?

They are a common first choice. Mississippi State Extension describes the hens as docile and friendly, the Livestock Conservancy calls the breed hardy enough for marginal conditions, and they keep laying into moderately cold weather. The one caution: the Livestock Conservancy notes some roosters can be aggressive, so a hen-only flock is the easy start.

What color eggs do Rhode Island Reds lay?

Brown to dark brown eggs, according to Mississippi State Extension, and UF/IFAS says they are large.

How many eggs does a Rhode Island Red lay a year?

University of New Hampshire Extension puts it at 250 to 280 eggs a year. The Livestock Conservancy gives a wider 200 to 300, since strains differ.

Are Rhode Island Reds cold hardy?

Yes. Mississippi State says they continue to lay into moderately cold weather. Rutgers Extension notes that big combs can get frostbite and suggests small-combed birds for cold areas, so the rose-comb variety is a good pick where winters are hard.

Are Rhode Island Reds friendly with kids?

The hens usually are: extension sources describe them as docile and friendly. Roosters are a different story, since some can be aggressive, so families with young children often keep hens only. Teach kids to pick up and hold birds gently.

Do Rhode Island Reds go broody?

Sometimes. The Livestock Conservancy says they can go broody, except in strains heavily selected for egg production, where broodiness has mostly been bred out.

Raising Rhode Island Reds?

When will my Rhode Island Red pullets start laying? Get their first-egg window from the hatch date, with the medium, dual-purpose setting picked.

Already have Rhode Island Red hens?

Add them to My flock in our free Egg Log and track what they lay. Everything stays in this browser.

Sources

  1. University of Illinois Extension: Recognized Breeds and Varieties
  2. The Livestock Conservancy: Rhode Island Red Chicken
  3. Mississippi State University Extension P3036: Choosing the Right Breed for Your Backyard Flock
  4. UF/IFAS AN232: Selecting Chickens for a Backyard Flock (Table 1)
  5. University of New Hampshire Extension: Producing Your Own Eggs
  6. Ohio State University: Chicken Breed Selection
  7. University of Illinois Extension: History of Breeds
  8. Rutgers Cooperative Extension: Small Farm Chicken Breeds