Which are your hardiest chickens?

[HollyWoozle]

Just out of interest... which chickens in your flock are the toughest/hardiest? I was just thinking about this as we have had various breeds over time, but we have six homebred girls (didn't plan to breed but a hen disappeared for a time and we assumed eaten, she was in the hedge on a nest) who are much tougher than the rest. They are Cream Legbar x Cuckoo Marans, just about to turn 3, but I have never seen any of them look even slightly unwell. They moult fast and efficiently, lay well, eat well and do better than the rest in both the heat and the cold (although we are in the UK with a fairly easy climate overall, but we did have some very hot days in recent summers). Their plumage is always in good order and they are just good, no-nonsense chickens, although not overly friendly.

Just occurred to me that whilst the others sometimes stress me out, these girls never do. Maybe it's because they are crossbreeds?

 

[Acre4Me]

Plymouth Barred Rocks would take top spot. Good flock members, reliable layers, never sick, I don’t even think they’ve gotten Bumblefoot. Our oldest Barred Rocks are 2.5 years old.

FWIW, our Cream Legbars have been more prone to problems than expected.

raising our first cross breeds this year, not sure how they will turn out!

 

[lbgreenfield]

I’ll second what @Acre4Me said above. We have a mixed breed flock and our top hen is a Barred Rock and she is a tank! Reliable layer, minimal worry over the past 2.5 years. Only thing I have to do is Vaseline her comb in the winter because it is large and floppy. Another hen of ours is an Easter Egger and she has been a tank as well.

 

[Callender Girl]

My toughest girl is my Buff Orpington. She is the only hen in her coop to survive a mink massacre, once had bumblefoot but came through it fine, lives through northern Iowa's blustery and frigid winters and is a trooper in the 90-plus degree and humid days we're having now. She rarely lays anymore, but there are 17 others who can, so Honey has earned her retirement here.

 

[Mmanist]

I have to say, all my EE have been beast of my flock. Lay great, forage well, handle the weird Ohio weather, none have really been sick. But my little seabright are pretty resilient too. I just don't care for them flying over my fence continuously!