"Cold hardy" Breeds

[Kessel23]

I have a question that might sound kinda stupid but... Do you think there should be a category for cold hardy breeds? I am sure most of you remember that winter vortex with the insane weather a few weeks ago. It got down to -30F/-34C inside my coop for two days, all of my birds got through the weather and did very well. I did not think about it until afterwards but I have some chickens that you would not think could survive that weather. I have a tiny Egyptian Fayoumi pullet in the flock, smaller than my silkie bantam rooster. This is a breed from Egypt and it is very tiny, the hatchery that I got her from (McMurray) says Egyptian Fayoumi are not cold hardy breeds-

So this was kinda surprising, I wonder what weather a bird like a RIR could tolerate, a bird labeled with this cold tolerance-

If -30F is poor cold tolerance....
This is just one bird in one situation so of course I can't judge all of the chicken breeds off of this, that's why I made this thread, I want to know what other breeds members have had survive extreme cold. I am also wondering, how do people decide if a breed should be labeled as cold hardy or not? I mean it must take some extreme temps to kill a chicken.

I also have a few Turken pullets who survived the weather in the coop, they are not full grown and are missing a ton of feathers because they are turkens. They still did just fine. Other breeds I have are leghorns and silkie bantams, they did alright too, even though they have "Poor cold tolerance" according to the hatchery.

(turkens are labeled as cold hardy by the hatchery but these ones are still pretty much chicks)

So I am kinda thinking if the bird has functional feathers and is in a dry, draft free, coop it can probably make it through winter weather in most areas. Of course comb size is something you could base cold hardy off of because frostbite is more common for them but I have never seen comb frostbite kill a chicken and it is usually only a first year thing for my birds.

Let me know what you guys think.

 

[Wezdin]

I agree with you, dry and draft free are huge in this kind of stuff, i had a few molting hens and they did just fine!

 

[ThracianHorse]

Just because a bird can survive in a given climate does not mean it is going to thrive. To me, that's the difference. Sure, you can raise junglefowl in deepest, snowiest Canada, but it does not mean the birds will do well in any capacity. If a chicken gets frostbite on the comb it will survive... but it does not make it pleasant for the chicken.

Thinking about it in the opposite is also useful... birds labelled to be cold tolerant do not do well in hot climates. Just because you can raise Orpingtons or Cochins in Lake Havasu, Arizona does not make it a good idea. They'll survive sure, but at risk of heat-stroke and other unpleasant ailments.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

My RIR’s have handled -25*f this winter with only one stubborn rooster with frostbite. They actually will go out in the snow unlike some breeds and I have seen them in strong cold winds without running to the coop.

 

[Kessel23]

Just because a bird can survive in a given climate does not mean it is going to thrive. To me, that's the difference. Sure, you can raise junglefowl in deepest, snowiest Canada, but it does not mean the birds will do well in any capacity. Sure, even if a chicken gets frostbite on the comb it will survive... does not make it pleasant for the chicken.

I agree that they won't thrive if they have frostbite but this again would make the cold hardy label just more confusing, single combed roosters of mine are constantly getting frostbite on their combs, way more often than my leghorn hens. These are roosters from large breeds that are labeled as cold hardy. My RIR roosters always get it their first year, so do my Black Australorps. My worst case of comb frostbite was on a BA rooster

Here he is at the end of his first winter, lost more than 60% of his comb.

 

[Kessel23]

This is what McMurray says about the cold tolerance of black australorps-

 

[ThracianHorse]

I wouldn't peg any large hatchery as the local experts on any chicken breed, period. They would probably tell you anything you want to hear about a breed if they can sell more chicks, especially if they can cash in on a particular fad. (Mypetchicken, I am looking at YOU for charging $30 a bird for "designer" read: barnyard mutt breeds.)

 

[centrarchid]

I am partial to clean feathered birds that are standard sized and have good weight (not skinny like many Mediterranean breeds). Necked neck and feather-legged also a no-no. Beefy combs, even when not single also bad. Rose combs here get frost bite with any wing as all once temperature drops below -5 F. Tight walnut combs ideal.


The Chantecler Chicken is reputed to be cold tolerant. Comb and size good, but feathering does not look good for windy conditions. Somebody needs to introduce American Game to clean up feathering.