As of snapshot 25w06a, almost all of Minecraft’s original animals have received variants, making pigs, cows, and now chickens more immersive than ever before. However, chicken variants also came with one extra change based on the biome they call home. So, today, we explore all Minecraft chicken variants in 1.21.5 alongside the unique items each provides.

All Minecraft Chicken Variants in 1.21.5

Cold Chicken

• Biome: Old-Growth Pine Taiga, Old-Growth Spruce Taiga, Taiga, Snowy Taiga, Windswept Hills, Windswept Gravelly Hills, & Windswept Forest

Cold chickens are covered by black plumage, have an ornamental crest of feathers on their head, and drop blue eggs every five to ten minutes. Blue eggs are nearly the same as white eggs but instead have a chance to spawn cold chickens when thrown. While Mojang has made no confirmation, cold chickens are likely inspired by the old French chicken breed Crèvecœur, which are covered by black plumage and have a nearly identical feather crest on their heads. Sadly, despite being one of the oldest chicken breeds in France, the Crèvecœur chicken is currently an endangered species.

Warm Chicken

• Biome: Savanna, Savanna Plateau, Windswept Savanna, Jungle, Sparse Jungle, Bamboo Jungle, Eroded Badlands, Wooded Badlands, & Badlands

Warm chickens are covered by golden plumage, have dark beaks and legs, and drop brown eggs every five to ten minutes. Brown eggs are nearly the same as white eggs but instead have a chance to spawn warm chickens when thrown. The real-world breed for warm chickens is a bit more vague, but they are possibly inspired by the Spanish chicken breed Ankole, which can have the same golden plumage and leg colors. Some fans have also speculated that the British chicken breed Orpington may be the inspiration, but Mojang tends to select their variants from accurate climates, making Ankole more likely, in our opinion.

Temperate Chicken

• Biome: Forest, Flower Forest, Birch Forest, Old-Growth Birch Forest, Dark Forest, & Swamp

Temperate chickens are covered by white plumage, have yellow legs and beaks, and drop the classic white egg. As of Minecraft Snapshot 25w06a, they spawn in forest, flower forest, birch forest, old-growth birch forest, dark forest, swamp biomes, and any biome not otherwise listed under warm or cold chickens. The real-world inspiration for temperate chickens could have been a few, but was likely the Italian breed leghorn due to their white plumage, yellow legs and beaks, and general fame as your standard white chicken.