Cold weather breeds

[Marlinchaser]

I would have to say BUCKEYES, they are heritage bird, and breed specifically for the Ohio winters, and we all know tha Buckeyes can surviive anything that BLUE,

I mean Michigan can dish out.

Oh yeah almost forgot

 

[Beekissed]

Dominiquers!

 

[BuckeyeDave]

Listen to the pros, go to the following websites and read about the cold hearty Buckeye.

....and, thanks to their pea comb, are very cold-weather hardy....
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/buckeye.html

......Their relatively large size and small pea combs make them hardy in the winter, .....
http://www.mypetchicken.com/Buckeye-B140.aspx

......Her goal was a functional breed that could produce well in the bitter Midwest winters......The Buckeye is the only purely American breed to sport a pea comb, and this, combined with its stocky build, makes it a supremely cold hardy chicken.......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckeye_(chicken)

Yea.... I love my Buckeyes, they really are great all around chickens.
Peace,
Dave

 

[pdsavage]

Speckled Sussex are cold hardy and lay well through the winter.
here is a great chart to find what you want....
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Hi welcome to BYC. I am in the UP of MI (close to the lake) and have chickens for the first time. I have Orps and Dorkings and am looking forward to seeing how they do in winter. I was told they will be fine. I was also told that if the weather gets in the low teens then to put petroleum jelly on the combs and wattles and that will prevent them from freezing. Don't forget to reapply as needed. Just thought I would share that as it is going to freeze here in the UP of MI this year. Suppose to be record breaking cold and snow. Snuggle up and stay warm.

 

[mtnhomechick]

I have RIR's, BO,Americauna, Brown leghorn, Cal Whites, and Red Stars that are laying now. I have B. Austorlops and Barred Rocks that are still babies.

I like them all but if I ever have to replace my layers I will definately get more Red Stars. They lay a big, big brown egg every day. Never a miss and I believe they are good in winter. They are also the most friendly.

Just my opinion.

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Lot's of great info! Being new to chickens I will have to read up on the breeds with the websites given. I appreciate the info! Plus you guys are so funny! Ohio Buckeyes! LOL Go BLUE!

Plus I can't imagine the cold Canadian days & nights! I thought MI was bad! YIKES!

 

[americana-chick]

i would definatly say buff orpingtons! they lay great in the winter and do great because of how thick of feathers they have.

 

[riderbecky]

There are a couple things to think about when considering winter hardiness and continued laying in low light levels.

1. Consider your coop... is it insulated, roost made from 2x4's so that toes don't get frozen, placement of windows, ventilation etc. There are some good thread on here about that. If your coop is insulated and positioned well, it opens up alot of other possibilities.

2. Consider the chicken... IMHO the size and type of comb are the most important if you don't want to do any dubbing. Look for breeds with rose or pea combs. Next choose breeds that were bred in cold climates. Someone already suggested the Chantecler. I got some Wyandottes an BRs.

Frost bite are the biggest worries in the winter ergo the above suggestions. Good luck and let us know what you get.

 

[swampducks]

I'm about to go through my first MI winter with chickens over here near Lake Huron. I'll have 2 barred rocks (DH has plans for the extra roo), and several buckeyes and golden laced wyandottes. I got the buckeyes because of the tiny comb, I do not want to resrot to petroleum jelly, I want to make things as simple as possible. I got the glws because the hatchery was out of chanteclers.

I'll let you know how they do.