ok i know this is going to sound stupid....

[americana-chick]

but what does not hardy mean?

 

[emandmikey]

I think it means that they're a light bird, not able to keep itself warm enough in the colder winters.

 

[buck-wild-chick]

hardy means, like if someone says, ( this breed is hardy for winter) means that that breed does well in the climate.

or vis versa

 

[Farmer Kitty]

hardy-capable of surviving severely unfavorable conditions as cold weather.

So not hardy means they will have trouble surviving in less than ideal conditions.

 

[americana-chick]

a couple of my chickens were listed as hardy... well thats great! i am going to have to pack down the coop with extra sidding, a light, and every thing like that to get ready for winter. thanks!

 

[americana-chick]

ok so like ameraucanas are extremly hardy so they wont do good in the winter or well?

 

[Pullet Pimp]

just the opposite! Hardy means they will do better in cold weather than a non-hardy bird.

 

[walkswithdog]

LOL a bird that is NOT HARDY(non-hardy) needs you to buy it a fur coat. Like a hot house orchid, or a tropical fish.

A hardy bird can use the down coat that God gave it.

 

[Kanchii]

it doesnt necessarily have to do with cold, it cold just be a weak breed that easily dies in less than perfect conditions. For example my old mille fleur's i'd describe as not hardy, they always died so easily.

 

[americana-chick]

great so if i dont lock up my mille flurs in the winter they might die?! i dont know what to do... do you think they will be smart enough to get inside the chicken coop if they are cold? the rest of my birds should do well but now i am SOOO woried about my mille flurs! it is downporing were i am and all the chickens are outside in the rain except my ameraucanas, one of my rhode islandred hens, and all the older roos! the mille flurs arent going in... but i guess if i could get the other chickens to go in maybe they would follow...?