The Houdan chicken breed meets dual-purpose criteria as a great layer and table fowl. Hens are good layers of small white eggs, laying well into winter.
The nearly extinct Iowa Blue chicken breed has great dual-purpose qualities.
This extraordinary, ornamental Japanese Bantam chicken breed was originally favored by the aristocratic class of Japanese society as ornamental garden birds.
The Lakenvelder chicken breed lays well, hens are non-broody setters of medium-sized porcelain-white eggs.
The Lamona is an extremely rare dual-purpose chicken. Hens are recorded as laying as many as 268 large, white eggs per year.
The ancient Malay is best suited to fanciers and breeders wishing to revive the lines of Oriental poultry.
The dual-purpose Manx Rumpy earned its name during the 20th century, when a farmer saw a resemblance between the chicken breed and the tailless Manx cat.
While traditionally used to tend and herd livestock, because of their hardiness, they excel at trail, endurance, harness and as children’s mounts.
The Modern Game is an ornamental chicken breed that can be friendly despite its history of use in cockfighting. Hens will lay about 100 small eggs yearly.
The first records of the Myotonic goat breed indicate it was first bred as a meat goat, and it remains so today.
The Old English Game chicken breed comes in a variety of colors and is most commonly used in show. Hens lay well for a game breed and make nice mothers.
The Phoenix is typically kept as an ornamental chicken breed. Hens are not reliable as layers, but they will become broody and make good mothers.
