cold winter question??

[capecodpeeps]

i live in MA where winters are really cold...my question is do they take to the cold w/out a heater?? i am converting my shed into a coop...also what are the heartiest cold breeds??? any help would b great!
thanx

 

[arlee453]

can't really help you since I am lucky to live in the mild-winters of NC...won't gloat about that though! LOL

However you might want to PM one of the mods to move your thread over to another category. This is in the incubation category and should probably be in a more appropriate category to get more hits!

Good luck with your chickens!!

 

[Dirt Road]

They're tough for the most part. Some of the large single combed breeds will have a bit of a problem freezing their comb and wattles but they almost always survive it easily. A few of the really exotic varieties won't do well, but most are fine. If you don't want the frozen comb problem stick with varieties that have small combs, or rose combs. Some breeds which are known for winter hardiness are Buckeyes, Chanticlers, and Wyandottes. I'm sure someone will suggest others. We have temps that drop to 20 below zero from time to time in the winter and I have some which freeze the edge off their combs, but I do not heat the coop. It is a nice tight, draft proof bldg though. Also, I suspect this question should be posted under breeds, but I'm not sure.

Jim

 

[capecodpeeps]

do they go in the run or stay in the coop all winter??? sorry newbie!!

 

[patandchickens]

Well chosen breeds are quite cold hardy in dry nondrafty (but well ventilated -- otherwise it's not dry!) air. Good winter-hardy breeds are typically fine down WELL below freezing, although once you start to get below 0 F "it depends" whether you get a touch of frostbite and below -20 F or so, you are fairly likely to have some problems unless you can add heat (be it electric or solar or whatever)

Some chickens like to go out in the cold and snow, others don't, there's really no way I know of to predict which way yours will be but virtually everyone offers them the CHOICE

Extra cold-hardy breeds would be large-bodied small-combed things like chanteclers and buckeyes; but a lot of the large-bodied well-feathered breeds with not-excessively-large single combs do pretty well too (Rocks of various colors, Orpingtons, Sussex, etc). It depends as much on coop management as breed, IMO.

Your winters are not so severe that a well-designed well-managed coop should have much problem.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat