um IM a city boy help

[hockeyman595]

IM currently in the city going to move in summer to a small farm im not really a city boy i hunt fish and love farms so that means im new to chickens what breed is best for 7 degree nights (with out a heat lamp and that crud) and good egg laying and of course i just want eggs not meat(yet....) and freindly not looking for a roster just all round good hen

 

[Olive Hill]

As long as they have shelter from the wind and wet you can get just about any breed you want and they'll do just fine in those temps once they're fully feathered. As chicks all breeds need to be kept warm.

 

[snowflake]

I would also go for breeds with smaller combs, large combs are more prone to frost bite. I live in Mi. very cold this winter, and I have a large variety of birds. the best egg layer is the leg horn got 1 a day from them even through winter, small chicken, eats less and gives BIG white eggs; they do have large combs though and I was worried about frost bite. So many breeds to chose from, Get several and see what you like best. Buff Orpingtons go broody, but are very sweet. Sussex will fallow you around and help you hunt for worms and scold if you don't give them to her. I put heat lamp in coop on the -0 days but they would most likely have been OK, just makes me feel better.

Have fun, with your chickens, we do.

 

[myloveforchickens]

Here is a site about all the chickens, from how hardy they are, to their aggressions, and egg-laying. The Wyandottes, I find, do very well in the very cold weather. I have two hens of that breed, and I have been very pleased how much they lay.

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

I hope this helps, as it has helped me to pick the right chickens.

 

[elmo]

Check around to see if there are any local poultry groups in the area you're moving to. People who keep poultry in an area are a good resource about what kinds of breeds work best.

I saved myself from making several really bad choices about breed selection by getting our chicks from a backyard breeder in our neighborhood. He had already tried the breeds I was thinking about and discovered what the problems with them were.

 

[Judy]

One hatchery has a handy dandy breed selector tool. Quick to use. See what it tells you:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx