Chicken Coop Plans: 20 Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds

20 Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds | Chicken Coop Killer Ahs

20 Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds

Chickens tend to be cold-hardy in general, handling the winter months far better than the heat of the summer. But certain breeds, such as those with large combs and wattles, those with smaller body masses and some of the more fragile breeds dont do as well in the winter as those breeds considered cold-hardy.

Frostbite is a concern of course, but also many breeds stop laying completely in the winter due to shorter days and the need to expend all their energy keeping warm in the extreme cold, but the cold-hardy breeds will often continue to lay through the winter, albeit at a slower rate.

Sure you could heat your coop (although we caution against it for these reasons), you could insulate your coop or use the Deep Litter Method, but if you live in a northern climate, the easiest thing to do is to choose cold-hardy breeds in the first place. There is a wide selection of breeds considered particularly cold-hardy to choose from. Some of the more popular include:

Ameraucana

Australorp
Bantam Brahma

Barnevelder

Brahma

Buckeye
Buff Orpington

Cochin
Delaware

Dominique

Easter Egger

Faverolle

Jersey Giant

Marans

New Hampshire Red

Plymouth Rock

Rhode Island Red

Sussex

Welsummer

Wyandotte

These breeds for the most part all share some basic characteristics including small combs, fairly large body mass, and the breed originating in the more northern climates - all of which helps them handle cold temperatures far better than other breeds. Many times the name of the breed is a tip-off, as is the case of the Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, Plymouth Rock, Buckeye (named for the state of Ohio) and Jersey Giant.

-This Silver-Laced Wyandottte at 1840 Farm in New Hampshire is plenty used to cold winters-

-This Golden-Laced Wyandotte at The Hen Song in Alaska also sees plenty of snow and cold temperatures-

Read my Cold Weather Chicken Care Guide, Winterizing your Flock and Easy Ways to Keep your Water from Freezing for more tips on caring for your chickens this winter.

Interested in adding some of these especially hardy chickens to your flock? Visit My Pet Chicken to browse through the Cold-Hardy Breeds they offer HERE.

If you live in a warmer climate, then consider some of the Heat-Hardy breeds instead. Most will do just fine in cold weather, but be better equipped to handle the summer heat.

Photos courtesy of:

The Hen Song

Visit The Hen Song blog HERE and Facebook page HERE to follow along with the adventures of their beautiful flock from Alaska.

1840 Farm

Visit 1840 Farm blog HERE and Facebook page HERE to follow along with the adventures of their beautiful flock from New Hampshire plus loads of great recipes using fresh ingredients.

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20 Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds