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Cold hardy birds?

post #1 of 20
7/6/11 at 7:12pm
Thread Starter 

Is there somewhere on here that will tell you what kind of breeds are good for cold weather? Or personal experience.

How much time and/or how old do they need to be before winter sets in to survive? We can do a heat lamp if need be, but the coop will not be insulated.
I just didn't know if there was still enough time in say another month to start chicks again or order some, or if I should just wait until next year.

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post #2 of 20
7/6/11 at 7:13pm
  • MandyH
  • Golden Feathers
  • You'll shoot your eye out!

Rhode Island whites are known for their winter laying abilities.  I used to raise them but don't have them anymore.

For all things chicken go here: http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/index.html
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For all things chicken go here: http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/index.html
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post #3 of 20
7/6/11 at 8:42pm

Rhode island reds.. red stars, black stars and new Hampshire.. are kept with no troubles in ely mn and we get down to 60 below zero here a lot.

Living with 2 yellow labs, one cat, one ferret,  27 chicks, one hubby and one son Ryan. RIP my dear daughter Heather Rose. 12/3/90-03/24/11
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Living with 2 yellow labs, one cat, one ferret,  27 chicks, one hubby and one son Ryan. RIP my dear daughter Heather Rose. 12/3/90-03/24/11
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post #4 of 20
7/6/11 at 9:00pm

Here is My Pet Chicken's list of especially cold-hardy breeds:  http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Especially-Cold-Hardy-c68.aspx

It sounds like any breed that has a large comb/wattle will not do well in cold climates...kind of a general guideline.  Good luck!

Happily raising my first hens - a RIR, a Dominique, a Speckled Sussex, an Easter Egger, and a Welsummer, who all hatched 6/13/11!  Also happily raising 3 kids, ages 6, 7 & 8, one husband, 2 gerbils, 2 mice, 2 rats, and a new hive of bees.  Life is good!

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Happily raising my first hens - a RIR, a Dominique, a Speckled Sussex, an Easter Egger, and a Welsummer, who all hatched 6/13/11!  Also happily raising 3 kids, ages 6, 7 & 8, one husband, 2 gerbils, 2 mice, 2 rats, and a new hive of bees.  Life is good!

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post #5 of 20
7/6/11 at 10:33pm

I'm in Alaska and have Rhode Island Reds, EE, White Leghorns, Silver Wynottes, Anaconas, Red Star, Black Star, Buff Rocks, Barred Rocks. They all do fine here, all we do in the deep cold months is put in a 250 watt red bulb. Simulates daylight for them and keeps it above freezing. Only had the water in the coop freeze once last year, but it was about 40 below when that happened. For the most part, between the hens and the light, it stayed about 40 above in there.

Best bet is to look for hens that have small combs and waddles, they don't get frostbitten like the leghorns can do. We wipe vaseline on the Leghorns in the deep cold to prevent them from freezing. They tend to go outside, look around and go back in.

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post #6 of 20
7/6/11 at 10:37pm

Forgot to mention the chick time. I've got 240 in my incubator right now and they'll be fully feathered before we have any snow here. I'm going to start in mid March next year and do about 100 a week for the first few weeks.
I let my chicks feather out before I set them outside, some at 6 weeks, some at 8. So, if you got chicks this week, they could be outside and manage fine in Mid September. We don't get snow till late October so I'll have all these out running around before the snow flies.

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post #7 of 20
7/6/11 at 10:39pm

Plymouth Rocks, mine easily deal with winter.

If you don't live your life then there is no point in having a life.
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R.I.P The two Barred Rocks Ninja and Midnight-executed due to the loud crowing
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If you don't live your life then there is no point in having a life.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R.I.P The two Barred Rocks Ninja and Midnight-executed due to the loud crowing
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post #8 of 20
7/7/11 at 4:39am
Thread Starter 

Thanks. Well I guess unless some more hatch in the next few days, we'll wait until next year. Unless some place could ship them here by next week, I'd have to wait another month for a new batch to hatch. We sometimes don't get actual snow here until January and sometimes we have 4 feet in October.

I only looked at 2 places that sell the chicks and they had a minimum of 15. Do they all have higher limits or will there be someplace I can order just a handful of chicks?

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post #9 of 20
7/7/11 at 4:42am

Brahmas and cochins are cold-weather birds.  The feathering on the outsides of the legs and feet help keep them warm at night and the small combs and wattles were developed to help prevent frostbite.

Official scribe of the citizens of Brahmalot, personal servant to the kings and queens therein. 

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Official scribe of the citizens of Brahmalot, personal servant to the kings and queens therein. 

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post #10 of 20
7/7/11 at 4:52am

We insulated our coop, it will be easier to heat.

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