Which lays more eggs, the Delaware or the New Hampshire?

They're about even: Delawares typically lay 200–260 eggs a year and New Hampshires 200–260. Individual hens and strains vary more than the breed averages do.

Which starts laying first, the Delaware or the New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire usually starts sooner, at 18–21 weeks old; the Delaware typically starts at 20–26 weeks. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Delawares and New Hampshires together?

Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 4 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.

What color eggs do Delawares and New Hampshires lay?

Both lay brown eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

Delaware vs New Hampshire: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: both lay a similar number of eggs (200–260 vs 200–260 a year), and the New Hampshire starts sooner, at 18–21 weeks.

Figures reviewed against hatchery and breed-registry guidance · Last reviewed July 2026

Side by side

	Delaware	New Hampshire
Eggs per year	≈ 200–260	≈ 200–260
Egg color	brown	brown
First egg	20–26 weeks	18–21 weeks
Size class	standard	standard
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	4 sq ft

The Delaware briefly reigned as America’s broiler breed before the Cornish Cross swept the market. Today it and the New Hampshire are two of the fastest-maturing dual-purpose choices going.

Delaware in brief

Briefly America's broiler breed before the Cornish Cross took over; today a fast-maturing, calm dual-purpose bird that lays large brown eggs.

More detail: when do Delaware chickens start laying?

New Hampshire in brief

Developed from the Rhode Island Red with faster maturity as an explicit breeding goal — early to feather, early to lay, and a solid meat frame too.

More detail: when do New Hampshire chickens start laying?

Which should you pick?

Pick the Delaware for large brown eggs from a calm, fast-maturing bird.

Pick the New Hampshire for the earlier first egg (18–21 weeks vs 20–26) and a proven meat frame.

And honestly, most keepers don't have to choose. Both breeds eat the same feed and share a coop happily, so a couple of each is a common answer — use the coop size calculator to size the setup for your total flock, and the first egg calculator to see when each breed will start laying from your chicks' hatch date.

Frequently asked questions

Which lays more eggs, the Delaware or the New Hampshire?: They're about even: Delawares typically lay 200–260 eggs a year and New Hampshires 200–260. Individual hens and strains vary more than the breed averages do.
Which starts laying first, the Delaware or the New Hampshire?: The New Hampshire usually starts sooner, at 18–21 weeks old; the Delaware typically starts at 20–26 weeks. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Delawares and New Hampshires together?: Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 4 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.
What color eggs do Delawares and New Hampshires lay?: Both lay brown eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

More breed matchups

Sources

First-egg age and egg counts are the consensus of multiple hatchery and breed-registry sources (no extension service tabulates per-breed figures), cross-checked and last reviewed July 2026.

The Livestock Conservancy — Chicken breed profiles