I will be living in the foothills (Yadkinville Yadkin county) soon and I am trying to find a breed that suits my wants/needs. I am looking for docile. We have grandchildren so I don't need attack chickens. They don't have to be lap chickens but I don't want skittish. I want a breed that is tolerant of the crazy weather that happens here...sometimes really hot summers (90's) and sometimes really cold winters (low 20's). I am not at the moment planning on roos. I want a decent layer. I will be letting them free range only when I am out there with them which during the warmer months will be quite often. I like the color of the Buff Orpingtons, hubby likes a more patterned chicken. We won't be eating them. Suggestions? Tammy
Practically any chicken can handle your climate, anything from the Mediterranean’s to the ones developed for cold weather like Buckeyes or Chanticlers. There are too many breeds that would suit you to even try to name them all. I suggest you look through Henderson’s chart and look for good egg layers that take confinement well, are not flighty and such as that. Then go to Feathersite and see what they look like. There is nothing wrong with mixing different breeds in the same flock. Henderson’s Breed Chart http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html Feathersite http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html
