Best chicken for northern climate and kids

[DaveMN]

Due to this great economy I am being laid off. that said i need to get some chickens so i can feed the kids breakfast and make bread pudding for me trying to keep my spirits up.

since i live in northern minnesota where the temps get down to -30F at night i need chickens that can handle cold. I have a 12x12 coop that is lightly insulated and has a heatlamp in it. w
what breeds of chicken should i get that can handle this temp and that are people friendly?

thank you in advance for all of you help.

 

[farm_mom]

Any of the heavier breeds should do. My favorite (because they have been the best behaved around my toddlers, including the rooster) has been Buff Orpingtons. But any of the larger, heavy breeds should do well. I live in MI, with temps nearing if not matching your lows and my heavy breeds (Australorps, Barred Rocks, Orpingtons, Wyandotes etc...) all do well in our uninsulated coop. (We do keep a heat lamp on in there for the coldest/windiest nights.) Good Luck!

 

[FutureChickenMan]

speckled sussex

 

[pips&peeps]

Ameraucanas do well in the cold. They fair better in my opinion because you do not have to worry about frost bite on the combs as they are small.

There are many breeders in the general area you live that are members of the Ameraucana Breeders Club also.

The other fun part is the blue/green eggs for the kids! I would recommend wheatens, blue wheatens and buffs personality wise.

 

[MNKris]

Hello Fellow Minnesotan!

We are in the dead center of the state and we keep Sex Links, EEs, OEG Bantams, EE Bantams, Australorps, RIRs, and Plymouth Rocks. This year we are also experimenting with Blue Andalusians, Cochins and Marans.

I swear OEG Bantams thrive better than anything I have ever seen. We give them a heater in winter now, but we never used to and I still have a rooster than was hatched in 1994! And, to be honest, I think our OEG Bantams have the best feed conversion of any of our chickens including the sex links.

Actually though, all the breeds we have seem pretty hardy if they are kept properly.

Our chickens are housed in a semi-insulated chicken barn. We have the heatlamps turn on at 38 degrees or less, but the chickens keep it pretty warm themselves. We also do the 14 hours of light from November to February 15th. After the 15th, we give them a break.

Another thing to look at is Braus Hatchery in Brainerd. They carry the chickens that do well in our neck of the woods - RIRs, Wyandottes, Sex Links, Rocks, Australorps, etc.

 

[DaveMN]

Since i am new to chickens (guineas and pea fowl in the past) i don't know what some of the initials stand for.
OEG Bantam
EE Bantams

 

[snowydiamonds]

Old English Game bantam (smaller than Standard such as a Rhode Island Red standard sized chicken. I don't like the looks of their long legs but that's just me)

I don't know what EE is either LOL

 

[wefanjr]

sexlinks, RIR's, barred rocks

 

[coopist]

I'll put in a word for Brahmas. Gentle giants-- friendly and cold-hardy. But they don't lay as well as some of the others mentioned.

 

[country freedom]

Quote:
EE-Easter Eggers (Americauna chickens)
they're the ones that lay blue/green eggs