Founding Flocks, Part 7: The Delaware

7 Classic American Chicken Breeds to Raise for America’s 250th Birthday

FlockJourney America 250 Series, Part 7: The Delaware, the newest breed in the lineup, named for the first state of all

Top 3 Takeaways

  • The youngest breed on our list is named for the oldest state Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution, which is why it is still called the First State The breed that carries its name arrived much later, developed in 1940 by George Ellis, and it is the newest bird in our All-American lineup
  • It lays more eggs than any other breed in this

Founding Flocks, Part 4: The Wyandotte

Some American breeds came over with the settlers The Wyandotte came from here Developed in New York and named for the Wyandot people, it is a true American original, a breed Americans created rather than imported Week four of our Founding Flocks series belongs to the bird that wears lace and shrugs off winter

Top 3 Takeaways

  • An American original The Wyandotte was developed in New York, which makes it one of the breeds that America can call its own creation rather than an import
  • Built for cold A low rose comb that resists frostbite and a dense, well-rounded body

Rhode Island Red: The All-American Hen Behind Half Your Favorite Layers

Top 3 Takeaways

  • The Rhode Island Red is America’s most-raised backyard hen In a recent Hoover’s survey of 253 backyard keepers, 66% had raised one That’s two of every three keepers, and no other brown egg layer comes close
  • You may already be raising its descendants The Red Star, Black Sex-Link, Cinnamon Queen, and ISA Brown all trace back to a Rhode Island Red parent, and the New Hampshire was refined straight from Rhode Island Red stock One breed from one small state is the genetic backbone of the modern hen house
  • It delivers exactly what keepers say they

What Is a Heritage Breed Chicken?

If you have spent any time browsing backyard poultry forums or hatchery catalogs, you have probably run across the phrase “heritage breed” more than once A heritage breed chicken is a traditional, slow-growing bird that can mate naturally, live a long, productive life on pasture, and trace its lineage back to standardized breeds recognized generations ago These are the same hardy chickens that fed families long before commercial hybrids showed up, and they are making a strong comeback in backyard flocks across the country

Chickens have been a source of protein for hundreds of years When Spanish explorers arrived in

VIDEO: Pat Foreman Presentation on Heritage Breeds, Soil Health and Nutrition


Our Partners

Copyright 2026. All photography is proprietary and protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution is strictly prohibited.