looking for a cold hardy bird

thepremo1

Songster
9 Years
Feb 17, 2010
114
1
109
mid michigan
im getting 6 ISAs 2 BOs and BRs
what is a good layer that looks "pretty" for me to pick out for my gf?
it has to be cold hardy, because i live in michigan and in the winter it can be below 0
also since it is for my gf it needs to be a friendly breed that she can "cuddle"
 
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I love my cochins, they are mostly feathers and brave the cold weather well. They lay for two days, one day off pretty consistently (well, at least for the two weeks she's been laying!) Definitely good cold weather chickens, and mine are beautiful, a blue and a partridge.
 
I'm in Wisconsin.
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There are A LOT of breeds to choose from. I have:

Barred Rock
Jersey Giant
Black Astraulope
RIR
Orpington
Rock
Welsummer
Ameraucana
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte

Had:

EE
Productions
Leghorns


Pretty much you could have any Large Breed Chicken in MI and be just fine. The only thing you would have to worry about is frost bite on the combs and waddles. I haven't had a case of that yet. If it's in the single digits, I don't let the girls outside. They have to stay in their coop. But if it's warmer than that and the wind chill isn't bad and the sun is out, I let them outside. Some chickens do not like the snow and will stay in the coop. I put a little hay down after the snow and they will go outside.

Hope this all helps.
 
I am in Canada and I have EE's, RIRs and a buff brahma as well as Columbian Rocks. They lasted this mild winter with absolutely no additional heating. As soon as they showed they were cold we were going to get a heat lamp in there for them but it never happened. Most large breeds are cold hardy, I wouldnt worry too much. My chickens were out and about in winter, they were allowed to go out during the day when they wanted to.
 
Alaska gets cold too...really
I have currently 11 hens and 2 roosters.

6 Black Australorps (Black Betty...all of them)

2 Silver Spangled Hamburg hens (Gracie, and Baby Gracie)

1 Easter Egger hen (Muffs)

2 Rhode Island Red mixes (Red and My Other Red)

2 Silver Spangled Hamburg Roosters (Sarge, and Buster)

all of these did well this and last winter, I had australorps start to lay in january, with out extra light. January is our darkest month and definatly the coldest
 

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