Which are more cold-hardy -- Buff Os or Barred Rocks?

[speckledhen]

I think I just created the perfect cold hardy breed accidentally. I have been crossing my Blue Orpington rooster (HUGE boy) with my Buff Brahma girl. They are giant chickens right out of the egg, most with some feathering on the legs and all with pea combs and small wattles. Someone called my creation the Brahmington, LOL.

Seriously, either Buff Orps or Barred Rocks are very cold hardy, but in general the Orps are slightly larger with looser feathering, hence perhaps a tiny bit more cold hardy. Both,however, have single combs, which are subject to frostbite, although it seems that my Orps' combs tend to be smaller than the Rocks', in general.

My Speckled Sussex girl is a wide load of a girl with short legs so I can see how she'd be pretty cold hardy, too.

 

[Ma]

Our Buffs are extremely cold hardy, temperatures this week all in the single digits BELOW zero here. So far all combs and wattles are fine.

Might I add another suggestion? We also have Silver Lace Wyandottes and they too are extremely cold hardy. They are a rose combed breed and lay all winter regardless of temperature. We have a SLW Roo with a very large comb and huge wattles, and he is weathering the sub-zero temperatures just fine.

They are nice and dry in their coop, with no artifical heat.

Ma

 

[speckledhen]

I agree about the Wyandottes, although I must say that they have the biggest, widest wattles of all my girls; so big, in fact, that I call them Mudflaps, LOL.

 

[jab91864]

I know I fret much less about my Wyandotte roo in the winter than I do my giant cochin or my orp, just because his comb is so much smaller. I really do prefer a rose or cushion comb.

But if we're talking hens all of the above mentioned would probably be fine.

Julie

 

[cgmccary]

I have Buckeyes and they are also very cold hardy and on the ALBC list. They have a pea-comb and tight feathering. We don't have a lot of cold weather here in Alabama but had in teens and as low as 12 F night before last. My coop simply keeps the wind off them and that's all. With it 14 F the other morning, they were running around like it was 70 degrees. I have to worry about the summers, not the winters.

 

[nccountrygirl]

Cyn, how do the Buffs and the Barreds do in the heat and humidity of the south?

 

[speckledhen]

Actually, they do just fine. Even my giant Suede was okay as long as I paid attention to keeping the pen cooled off. We had a bear of a summer in 2007 and I was out every day, changing water, using ice, etc, but they all did just fine.

 

[nccountrygirl]

Thanks, I 'm thinking of getting some in the spring.........Laura

 

[frankenchick]

domromer, you're right about them being pretty together!

speckledhen, I love your description of your Sussex hen . . . and the MUDFLAPS!!