Australorps in the mountains?

[TonyB]

I have more or less decided on Australorps as my hen of choice. Next month I will build the coop (still snowing here so I am a bit behind most people for springtime). It does get cold here in winter..and while I have never seen it down to -40 at night I have seen the temps get down to -30 on occasion and in the -20s often enough..will this be too cold for these girls? We don't have the humidity here like a lot of places which have snow in wither, mostly it's dry powder which helps a bit I think. Anyway (let me know if this is the wrong forum page) some advice is welcome.

 

[lightchick]

Black Australorps are suppose to be cold tolerant. I can't think of any other chicken that would handle that kind of weather. I think it would be fine.

 

[Oldhound]

Tony B , you will most likely have frost bitten combs at those temps. I know that when I lived in the Catskills the temps went as low as -30 and many birds ended up with frozen points , they fall off. Vaseline did not help . If I were living in as cold a climate now I would either heat the coop at night with a heat lamp or go with a pea combed breed. JMO. ps Australorps are great . Best of luck