wild northern chickens

[phasianidae]

I guess we will just have to wait for the right genius to come along and breed us a hardy chicken

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
I think it is very possible to breed a chicken to be able to take the cold around here. Breeding one that is smart enough to find food and shelter is another issue.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
I think it is very possible to breed a chicken to be able to take the cold around here. Breeding one that is smart enough to find food and shelter is another issue.

I think you could do both. Once more your could start from any, and I mean any breed or species. It just takes times, many human lifetimes with concerted effort. Removal of some key predators and competitors would make job easier.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
I think it is very possible to breed a chicken to be able to take the cold around here. Breeding one that is smart enough to find food and shelter is another issue.

I think you could do both. Once more your could start from any, and I mean any breed or species. It just takes times, many human lifetimes with concerted effort. Removal of some key predators and competitors would make job easier.

The most challenging issue I see would be how they would dig through the snow in my area. Around here it is all corn and been fields and in the winter it is acres and acres of bare soil covered in snow. As I mentioned earlier though, when I hunt pheasants in the winter, I often find their crops filled with nothing more than reeds. I imagine they would have a much better chance in an area with more forest and less prairie.