Winter Hardy Chicken Breeds

[Better Than Rubies]

Okay, I just named the title that, 'cause... I don't know. I didn't know what to call it, exactly?

Anyways...,moving along.
On to my question. Can you guys name some chicken breeds you know of that lay quite good in the winter still, even without heat lamps or artificial lights?
I want to get some chickens and get a coop built, but I don't think we'd run electricity through it, and I know my mom would still want eggs in the winter, lol.
Thanks!

 

[lazy gardener]

Love your screen name. The Proverbs woman is a tough act to follow, but a wonderful role model. Come join us on the Prayer Warrior's thread!

I'd suggest that you check out Henderson's Chicken Breeds chart. You're bound to find a breed that tickles your fancy!

Often, pullets will lay at least some throughout their first winter. Not as likely to happen, the further north you go. Putting your general location in your profile will help folks to give climate specific advice. A lot depends on the breed, the age of the pullet/hen, and what month she was hatched in relation to summer/winter solstice.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Love your screen name. The Proverbs woman is a tough act to follow, but a wonderful role model. Come join us on the Prayer Warrior's thread!

I'd suggest that you check out Henderson's Chicken Breeds chart. You're bound to find a breed that tickles your fancy!

Often, pullets will lay at least some throughout their first winter. Not as likely to happen, the further north you go. Putting your general location in your profile will help folks to give climate specific advice. A lot depends on the breed, the age of the pullet/hen, and what month she was hatched in relation to summer/winter solstice.

Thanks! Agreed; I hear ya' there. And yes, I should do that!

Thank you for your help.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Salmon Faverolles are good for winter laying as well as brahmas.

 

[MillersFarm]

https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Especially-Cold-Hardy-c68.aspx Mypetchicken has a list of cold-hardy breeds I ordered from. I'd suggest getting Plymouth Rocks, Australorps. Buff orpingtons, Delaware, Wyandotte, New hampshire Red, and/or Rhode island reds. These are all pretty good cold-hardy laying breeds that i've ordered from mypetchicken.

Salmon Faverolles are good for winter laying as well as brahmas.

Salmon Faverolles are pretty good winter layers too but not so much for brahmas. My Brahmas tend to stop laying completely during the winter.

 

[PirateGirl]

Where I live it can freeze any night of the year. So far I do not heat or light my coop. It's about 10 degrees F right now and the girls are outside eating breakfast. Our daylight is down to about 9 hours. I get an egg from my Wyandotte most days (4-6 a week). I feel like the windiest days are the ones she doesn't lay, maybe it's more stressful, maybe coincidence.

Not all my girls have started laying yet since they matured as the days grew short.

Other breeds I have or were high on my list to put in my flock are Wyandotte, orpingtons, ameraucanas, australorps. I randomly ended up with a Delaware which is doing really well. They are generally all heavy, fluffy birds that are classed as dual purpose.

 

[GardenTillers44]

Our best winter layers have been Rhode Island Reds for a heritage breed and Amberlinks for a hybrid. Both have kept us in XL brown eggs throughout the dreary months of winter. They also have been our most disease resistant breeds as well. We do nothing but provide a protected coop and run with a well-balanced diet of layer crumbles, sprouted beans and grains, oatmeal and kitchen scraps. No artificial light or heat.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Thank you very much, guys.
Are Cochins good winter layers, too?
I can't get chickens this year, but I want to prepare for if I do get them (hopefully). I want to order from Cackle Hatchery, but my mom probably doesn't want more than ten hens, so I probably wouldn't order from there unless she changed her mind (which she probably did not ). So I was considering Meyer's Hatchery or MyPetChicken, though I was leaning towards the former. But what was your experience like from MPC, @MillersFarm?
@PirateGirl, I would like to get an Australorp, so that sounds good. =D
@GardenTillers44, that helps a lot, since I also want to get a Red Sex Link. And that's nice; I want at least one breed that lays huge eggs, lol.

Again, thank you, everybody!

 

[chickens really]

All Pullets can lay good their first year or longer till after first molt...Winter hardy means cold hardy...

 

[PirateGirl]

Most of my birds came from a breeder, but two came from cackle hatchery (via someone else who placed a bulk order) and they have been very healthy.