how cold to be considered "winter hardy"?

[yomama]

I'm in the process of deciding what type of new chicks I want to get. In the past, while researching breeds, I've always gone for ones that were labeled "winter hardy", just to be safe. I'm wondering how low of a temperature does a chicken have to be able to withstand to be considered "winter hardy". I live in the Pacific Northwest. Usually our winters aren't too bad. We may get a few stretches of days that get in the teens, but the regular lows are usually around 20's to 30's. We don't really get alot of snow where I'm at, either.

 

[lilchick]

It gets down into single digits here in Indiana. My barns are not heated, but I use the deep litter method and ventilation to decrease moisture. I have a varied flock.. The fluffy cochins and large fowl do fine.. Some of the bantys and frizzles and silkies seem to have a time. I keep low roosts and areas where they can snuggle together for warmth. It is funny to go into coop at night and see the smaller birds peeking out from under the bigger ones.
This year has been colder than normal and I have had to bring in a few to live in the basement. Once you bring them in you cannot take them back out till it gets warm....... My little frizzle got frost bite on his rump where he was bare and even tho he slept under another chicken his butt was sticking out.....

He has healed up nicely and living the life in the basement!

 

[patandchickens]

Quite honestly I do not think you should take too seriously breed descriptions that include 'winter hardy' or 'cold tolerant', because it is such a vague general thing and depends on exactly what the writer means and what your winter conditions are like.

Certainly there are some breeds that are notably *less* cold-tolerant or winter-hardy -- things with really giant combs/wattles like Andalusians, or long thin comb points like Buttercups, or body-size issues like Seramas.

But other than that, it is really really not clear to me, from hearing peoples' experiences with different breeds in different climates, that there is any particularly predictable relationship between breed and winter weather other than the obvious fact that single-comb breeds are more prone to frostbite than those with smaller tighter comb types, and breeds with very little in the way of combs/wattles (chantecler, buckeye) are the least frostbite-prone of all.

As far as "how cold is Cold for a chicken?" it depends significantly on your humidity. I don't know what part of the PNW you are in, but if it is one of the sort of Seattley type parts, 30 F and chronically 98% humidity can be a real frostbite risk; in dry air, though, chickens are typically fine down to much lower temperatures, approaching 0 F or even below. This assumes a draft-free environment and ample food, of course.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[yomama]

Thanks so much. In regards to my climate,I live south of Portland, so a little less wet than Seattle. Some days are high humidity others not. My hens have an enclosed coop, with a 25 watt light on a timer, to give them 14 hours of daylight. I am also able to put a heat lamp in if needed. In regards to breeds that are a little less tolerant, one of the breeds I was interested in was an Andalusian. They will be one of the breeds that will be available to buy at a local feed store come March( I was able to get a list of what chicks they were ordering

I would imagine they would try to only sell birds that were suited to our climate, right? All the other breeds they had on the list, I was familiar with as being ok in the cold. I have no problem putting vaseline on the combs, if it comes to having to do that.

 

[All about the EGG]

I have sex links. They do fine. I believe its much colder here as well.

 

[Akane]

I consider below 0F the test of cold hardy or not. Every breed can tolerate 20s. My seramas just survived -20F. I did have to move my bantams to a smaller better designed coop because all the ones with single combs in the converted wooden oat bin coop get frostbite. That's more poor coop design than lack of hardiness but it is only certain breeds of bantams that suffer in that coop.