8 Most Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 2, 2023
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You know the saying, “gotta’ have the right tool for the job”. Well it’s the same logic when it comes to choosing chicken breeds for your homestead flock. You gotta’ have the right breeds for your homestead. If you are a northern homesteader, choosing cold hardy chicken breeds is essential for raising a healthy homestead flock that can handle severe, cold, and long winters. While there are many chicken breeds that could be considered ‘cold hardy’, I have chosen the top 8 chicken breeds who rank the best for cold hardiness! These breeds have what it takes to weather a cold homestead winter!
#1. Buckeye
Buckeye are arguably the most cold hardy chicken breed from the APA American class. They are built tough but have the sweetest and calmest personalities. Developed in Ohio, these stunning birds have a hardy constitution and are pretty much bullet-proof against frostbite thanks to their pea comb and no wattles.
– Purpose: eggs, meat
– Breed Class: APA American, ABA All Other Combs, Clean Legged
– Origin: United States
– Eggs: 150-200 per year, large & brown
– Temperament: calm, friendly, docile
– Cold Hardy Features: pea comb, little to no wattles, hardy constitution
– Traits: good foragers, adapt to confinement, quiet, hens will brood
#2. Orpington
Everyone’s favorite… the Orpington, particularly the Buff Oprington. Orpgintons are not only big, fluffy, and affectionate, but they are also cold hardy and resilient. A well-bred Orpington will amaze you with the amount of feathers it has… especially at molting time! The best part is that this breed comes in many varieties, no need to just stick with one color in your homestead flock.
– Purpose: eggs, meat
– Breed Class: APA English, ABA
– Origin: United Kingdom
– Eggs: 200-250 per year, large & brown
– Temperament: friendly, docile, curious, affectionate
– Cold Hardy Features: fluffy feathers, small combs & wattles, large mass
– Traits: good foragers, adapt well to confinement, hens make excellent mothers, quiet
#3. Bielefelder
The Bielefelder is a hardy German breed of chicken that is know for it’s calm, quiet, and friendly personality. Their feather patterns are stunning mixture of tans, golds, light red, and various shades of brown. The hens are known to lay jumbo eggs and young hens will keep on laying right through the winter months!
– Purpose: eggs, meat
– Breed Class: not recognized by the APA or ABA
– Origin: Germany
– Eggs: 200-280 per year, large & light brown
– Temperament: calm, friendly, docile
– Cold Hardy Features: small combs & wattles, hardy constitution
– Traits: excellent foragers, adapt well to confinement, quiet
#4. Wyandotte
Wyandottes are a large, cold hardy chicken breed that also come from the APA American class. Their small rose combs make them less susceptible to frostbite and their large size helps them stay warm when the temps dip below freezing.
– Purpose: eggs, meat
– Breed Class: APA American, ABA Rose Comb, Clean Legged
– Origin: United States
– Eggs: 200-240 per year, medium & light brown
– Temperament: docile
– Cold Hardy Features: rose comb, short legs, dense feathers, large mass
– Traits: mature early, good foragers, adapt well to confinement, hens will occassionally brood and make good mothers
#5. Svart Hona
A rare and exotic chicken breed, Svart Honas aren’t just for show! Their fibromelanism gives them a stunning appearance, but they are also a practical breed to have on the homestead. With excellent foraging instincts, these birds can forage for a majority of their diet. They have exceptionally hardy constitutions and are active and curious.
– Purpose: eggs
– Breed Class: not recognized by the APA or ABA
– Origin: Sweden
– Eggs: 200-250 per year, small/medium & cream
– Temperament: active, friendly, curious, bold
– Cold Hardy Features: small combs & wattles, adaptability
– Traits: landrace breed, excellent foragers, adapt well to confinement, hens make excellent mothers
#6. Hedemora
Originating from the coldest parts of Sweden… there’s not doubt that Hedemora chickens have to be cold hardy. This landrace breed developed a hardy constitution over generations of dealing with cold, severe winter weather. They are on the smaller side for a cold hardy breed, but they have a thick layer of fluffy down feathers that insulates them against the cold.
– Purpose: eggs
– Breed Class: not recognized by the APA or ABA
– Origin: Sweden
– Eggs: 150-200 per year, medium & cream/tan
– Temperament: calm, docile
– Cold Hardy Features: dense down feathers, small combs & wattles
– Traits: landrace breed, good foragers, hens will brood, quiet
#7. Cochin
Rivaling the Orpington for size and feathers… Cochins are another fluffy, large chicken breed that make a good addition to a cold hardy homestead flock. These birds are known for their calm, laid-back personalities and their dense plumage.
– Purpose: eggs, meat, exhibition
– Breed Class: APA Asiatic, ABA Feather Legged
– Origin: China
– Eggs: 150-180 per year, medium & light brown
– Temperament: calm, friendly, docile
– Cold Hardy Features: dense plumage, small combs & wattles, large mass
– Traits: adapt to free-range or confinement, quiet, hens make excellent mothers
#8. Australorp
Last but certainly not least, the Australorp is another heritage, cold hardy chicken breed that ranks as one of the hardiest chicken breeds for severe winter weather. Despite originating in Australia, these birds have excellent cold hardy constitutions. From their small combs and wattles to their heavy body mass, Australorps don’t seem to mind the cold and snow. They are known to be quiet birds who are friendly and curious. They are also phenomenal egg layers!
– Purpose: eggs, meat
– Breed Class: APA English, ABA Single Comb, Clean Legged
– Origin: Australia
– Eggs: 200-250 per year, medium & light brown
– Temperament: docile, friendly
– Cold Hardy Features: fluffy plumage, small combs & wattles, heavy mass
– Traits: excellent foragers, adapt well to confinement, mature early, hens will brood, quiet
Check out more chicken breeds (and other poultry!) by flipping through Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds!
Cold Hardy Breed Considerations
Just because a chicken breed is known to be cold hardy doesn’t mean you throw all the winter flock care precautions out the window. Cold hardy chickens can still experience cold stress, they just have a much lower tolerance level than non-cold hardy chicken breeds. Meaning, a non-cold hardy chicken may experience cold stress as 32°F while a cold hardy chicken doesn’t start experiencing cold stress until 19°F (NOTE: this statement is just an example, it is not scientifically proven!).
When choosing cold hardy chicken breeds, take into consideration these additional factors that add or subtract from a breed’s hardiness!
Large Combs:
A chicken’s comb and wattles help with thermoregulation, specifically with expelling excess body heat when a chicken is hot. This function is not as beneficial during cold weather. When a chicken is experiencing cold stress, the first place it will restrict blood flow from is it’s comb and wattles. Thus, cold hardy chicken breeds will often have small combs and wattles.
However, you must consider that in any chicken breed (cold hardy or not), the roosters will have larger combs and wattles than hens. A breed may be known to be cold hardy, but the roosters may have large combs and wattles that are prone to frostbite. In general, roosters with large single combs are the most susceptible to frostbite. Other comb types, like rose combs or pea combs, are less likely to become frostbitten.
Here are some cold hardy chicken breeds in which the roosters have large single combs that may need special attention in order to prevent frostbite during the winter:
- Svart Hona
- Plymouth Rock
- Orpington
- Cochin
- Bielefelder
- Australorp
- Svart Hona
- Hedemora
- New Hampshire
Make sure you have a jar of this herbal salve in your poultry first aid kit for frostbite prevention!
Feathered Legs:
Feathered legs are often thought of as an excellent feature for cold hardy chicken breeds. However, feathered legs and shanks can often become a hazard in cold weather. If the feathers get damp, they will freeze and create a cold layer against the chicken’s toes and legs which can lead to frostbite.
If the chicken coop, enclosure, and foraging environment are not kept clean and dry, poop and mud can become frozen to the feet and leg feathers of feather-legged chicken breeds. So, while the feathers may supply extra insulation to a chicken’s toes and legs, they can also make a chicken more susceptible to frostbitten toes if the proper care considerations are not take.
Here are some cold hardy chicken breeds with feathered legs:
- Cochin
- Brahma
- Langshan
- Faverolle
Body Mass:
The size of a chicken certainly plays a role in how susceptible the chicken is to cold stress. In general, the more body mass a chicken has, the more insulated it will be against the cold. Keep in mind, body mass does not necessarily mean fat. A fat chicken will be heavier, but obesity can also lead to much more serious health problems.
Chickens who naturally have a heavy build and large body mass (muscle) tend to be more cold hardy than breeds who are small and light of build. That is why standard size chickens are often hardier than bantam size chickens. With that being said, some standard size chicken breeds who aren’t necessarily heavy or large are still cold hardy. Less body mass requires proportionately less energy, but the breed also needs to have a hardy constitution to be able to cope with the demands of staying warm without extra body mass for insulation.
Standard chicken breeds who are slight of build but have cold hardy constitutions are landrace breeds like the Svart Hona or Hedemora.
Feather Type:
A chicken’s feathers are it’s main form of insulation against cold weather. Chickens with more feathers are better insulated against the cold. Many cold hardy chicken breeds are known for their fluffy, dense plumage. There’s not doubt that the more feathers you have, the warmer you will stay!
However, feather type plays a factor in how effective a chicken’s feathers are at insulating. Even though a frizzle Cochin may have a lot of feathers, those frizzled feathers are not helpful for trapping body heat. Chickens with frizzle feathers or silkie feathers are not as cold hardy as their smooth-feathered counterparts.
Laying:
Lastly, many of these top 8 cold hardy chicken breeds made it on the list because they are both cold hardy and good winter time egg producers. Cold stress causes a hen to divert energy away from egg laying and towards staying warm. Chicken breeds that aren’t cold hardy (and thus experience cold stress sooner) will be less likely to lay during the winter.
If you are concerned that your cold hardy hens aren’t laying during the winter, consider factors such as age and daylight hours. Younger hens will be more likely to lay through the winter even with minimal daylight hours. Older hens will need 12-16 hours of daylight per day in order to lay, and your oldest hens may not lay during the winter at all.
These 8 most cold hardy chicken breeds are the perfect options for northern homesteaders who live in a region that experiences cold, severe, and long winters. Many of these breeds are large, have fluffy feathers, are good winter-time producers, and have sweet personalities! Cold hardy chicken breeds will be less likely to experience severe cold stress, thus they will stay healthier (and even productive) during the cold winter months. Make sure you still winterize the chicken coop and take cold stress precautions to keep your cold hardy flock safe and warm this winter!
Don’t miss any other tips for keeping your homestead flock warm, safe, and healthy this winter… join our modern pioneer newsletter community to stay updated on the latest blog articles for raising a sustainable homestead flock!
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