Certain Breeds better in Cold?

[COusinLarry]

I live in Wyoming where it's pretty dang cold most of the year. We just bought a house and we'll be on an acre of land with plenty of space for animals. Are there certain breeds that are recommended in colder climates? Any precautions to consider given the snowy/cold environment our chickens will be living in? Advice? Thanks!

 

[CackedNut]

www.mypetchicken.com has a breed selection tool. You check off what you are looking for / or environmental needs and they suggest breeds accordingly. It might be a place to start. Good luck.

 

[prose15]

Any large breed with a small comb will do great. Also, on very cold nights putting vaseline on their combs will help to prevent frostbite. The coop also needs to be insulated very well, but with plenty of ventilation. Rose combs will do better than regular. As for specific breeds, Buff Chanteclers were bred specifically for Canadian winters. Barred Rocks (in my experience) do very well in the winter.

 

[katbriar]

Check out the Henderson chicken chart for comparison of various breeds including how they handle the cold.

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

Some general things to think about- have enough room inside that birds can stay indoors if the weather is really bad without picking on each other; provide ventilation so that the ammonia has somewhere to go but make sure you don't have a cross draft where they roost at night (this reduces the chance of frostbite and respiratory illness by taking the moisture out); provide a wide roosting surface (such as the wide side of a 2x4) for them to roost on so they can tuck their toes under their feathers; large combs are more susceptible to frostbite than compact ones.

Oh, and you'll see a big debate about the need for supplemental heat. Some people are afraid of their birds getting too cold and they put heaters/heat lamps in the coop. They are like most animals that can develop a tolerance for colder temperatures, but don't do that if you keep their coop warm. It may make theming reluctant to go outside and will certainly leave them vulnerable if you ever have a power outage. There are many people on here that have healthy chickens in coops that are unheated at 20 even 30 below zero. Sound and thoughtful design will be the best cold weather preventative!

 

[CackedNut]

Some great advice!! I live in south Louisiana, so heat, not cold is my biggest concern.

 

[katbriar]

It's a trick, that's for certain. I live in the high desert and have average annual temps that can easily range from -20 F to 95 F.

Some other things now that I'm thinking- be aware of the direction your worst weather comes from and how you would get sun/shade during the day and during summer vs winter. I'm adding shelter so they have a shady spot during the heat of the day. Right now the sun pours in in the afternoons. Good in the winter, but not the summer!