The mountain regions often get temperatures as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit and -50 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill in winter.
Chickens handle cold weather more effectively than a warm environment. For this, you need to provide extra care for them.
But there are such chickens that are born cold-hardy and can survive the winter with minimal maintenance.
What Makes a Chicken Cold Hardy?
Most chickens can do well in temperatures between 30°F and 80°F. Heat-tolerant breeds can bear up to 90°F, but when it gets around 95°F, they need something to cool them down.
Additionally, cold-tolerant breeds may survive temperatures as low as 20°F and below, but require extra care in these conditions. These cold-hardy chickens have the following characteristics.
Small Combs and Wattles
Do you know that combs and wattles are highly vascularized?
In the colder months, they get less blood circulation in that area due to the lower temperature. So, breeds with smaller combs allow less heat dissipation.
Additionally, the larger combs and wattles of chickens are particularly susceptible to frostbite.
Dense Feathering
Fluffy and heavy feathers are like down jackets for chickens. More feathers and better feather coverage are essential to survive in the winter or cold climates.
Large Body Size
Larger birds lose less heat as they have a lower surface area to body weight ratio.
Besides, fats insulate the chickens by lowering their skin temperature and maintaining their core body temperature.
The more chickens have subcutaneous fat, the better their ability to keep themselves warm.
Best Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds
1. Plymouth Rock
Barred Rocks can go outdoors to forage in temperatures ranging from 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Though they don’t enjoy walking on the snow, the cold doesn’t seem to faze them.
2. Rhode Island Red
Native to New England, the Rhode Island Red can easily survive harsh winters and cold weather.
They don’t need extra heat.
3. Australorp
Though their combs and wattles are large, Australop can handle snow and cold climates very well.
If nothing else, I would be raising them for their ability to lay eggs in winter.
4. Orpington (Buff Orpington)
Orpingtons are landrace breeds to me, and they make hardy birds as long as you raise them in good shelter.
Make sure your chicken coop is dry and cool in summer and warm in winter. Give them ice packs and plenty of water in summer, and heated water and enough food in the winter,
And don’t forget to do deep litter in the winter and clean your chicken coop.
5. Buckeye
These large chickens do really well in lower temperatures, tolerating around -30 degrees Fahrenheit and even below.
The -20°F winters are usual for chickens every year.
6. Chantecler
The regular, original white ones, not partridge chanteclers, are the most winter-hardy chickens in the breed. They don’t have combs and wattles, but they have lots of fluff and feathers.
I like these chickens as they lay regularly, are friendly, and have a decent amount of meat on their bones.
7. Brahma
This breed is giant, but it is debatable whether it should be raised in regions with snow.
No doubt about it that Brahmas have sufficient feathers, but they also have feathers on their feet, which can cause frostbite while walking in snow.
But it also helps insulate chickens in winter.
8. Faverolles
My favorite is the Salmon Faverolle, and I find them adorable and amusing. They’re super cute, docile, and friendly.
Besides, they’re fluffy, cold-hardy, and produce eggs year-round.
9. Swedish Flower
You won’t find any problem related to cold or snow while raising Swedish flower hens.
They’re curious, go broody, and are good foragers to make semi-tame chickens.
10. Appenzeller Spitzhauben
Aappenzeller Spitzhauben can tolerate both hot and cold. They can tolerate -10 degrees Fahrenheit in winter.
Besides, they thrive in temperatures of up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit and high humidity during the summer.
11. Bielefelder
When winter comes, Bielefelders are happy as they’re super winter-hardy. Chickens are friendly and follow you around the yard and garden.
Bielefelders also make excellent broiler chickens and winter layers. I can expect my hens to start laying around the winter solstice for their whole lives.
Other Breeds
- Wyandotte
- Sussex
- Dominique
- Delaware
- Jersey Giant
- New Hampshire Red
- Barnevelder
Which Breed to Choose for Your Homestead?
Northern Climate
The Northern climate is dry all year round. While summers are hot to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, it gets cold to -10 degrees Fahrenheit in winter.
So, you can choose breeds such as Buckeye, Jersey Giant, Silver Grey Dorking, and New Hampshire Red chickens.
Southern Ontario
I would recommend barred rocks, Orpingtons, and RIR (Rhode Island Red). If it’s 59 degrees Fahrenheit, keep your chickens inside the coop.
Also, reduce the size of the coop during winter and widen it in the summer.
Midwest Regions
Salmon Faverolles and Easter Eggers are such chickens that would never complain even if you don’t have a heat source in the coop in the winter in this area.
Also, thanks to their crest that doesn’t get wet, crevecoeurs beat the winter with temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and even as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
Northeast
Rhode Island reds, leghorns, Isa browns, naked necks, and a few barnyard mix thrive well in the northeast area.
They will be fine in both summer and winter.
Northwestern Wisconsin
I have witnessed that homesteaders are happy with Wyandottes.
They’re big chickens that use their calories staying warm instead of laying eggs when it’s extremely cold outside.
New Jersey
This place has similar ranges and is not quite cold in winter. It’s around -12 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and 105 degrees Fahrenheit in summer.
You can easily grow chickens like Wyandottes, Marans, Easter Egg layers, Polish crested, barred rocks, and some Bantams.
Southern Scandinavia
This area has a yearly range from 86 degrees Fahrenheit to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, with plenty of rain year-round.
You can expect the sleet, occasional snow, and ice in the winter. For this environment, I recommend you raise Swedish flower hens at home.
Canadian Weather
Chantecler, Brahmas, Buckeyes, Wyandottes, and Ameraucanas or mixes (easter eggers) are great breeds for this region.
Crevecoeurs also do great in temperatures down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit with the wind chill.
Final Thoughts
Chicks are more cold sensitive, but as they grow into adults, they can easily tolerate winter as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, built your chicken coop to face south, and add a shutter over the west window to keep snow out.
This helps the south side of the coop facing the sun and keeps it out of the west and north winds
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