Chicken breeds that do well in the winter

Winter Laying Chickens & The Best Cold Hardy Chickens For Meat

Lately, our low temperatures have gotten into the negative numbers. Although many chicken breeds do quite well in below-freezing temperatures, many chickens start to struggle as the temperature nears or drops below zero. 

But, some breeds seem to still thrive in the extreme cold. I have a flock of 18 chickens. There are 8 breeds among my flock. This has given me the ability to observe which breeds need the most help during cold weather and which breeds handle cold like a super-star. 

Check out this article to learn how to protect chickens from frostbite and this one to learn how to keep water from freezing off-grid.

Best Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds

Many chicken breeds do well in the winter and in freezing temperatures.

But, if you live in an especially cold area that gets below 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, then you will either need more hardy chickens or you will need to take extra precautions during the winter months.

What Chicken Breed is Best For the Winter? The Chantecler is probably the most well-suited chicken breed for extreme cold. It was bred in Northern Canada and has almost no wattles or combs to be vulnerable for frostbite. Check out the other chicken breeds that handle cold winters great

Best Cold Hardy Meat Chicken Breeds

Many of today’s meat chickens are hybrid chickens that are bred to be super growers. As a result, those breeds generally don’t do well for long-term sustainability.

They are usually purchased in the spring, raised and butchered in the summer. They are bred for mild summer months.

But, many heritage breeds do well in cold weather. These breeds are slower growing and were traditionally used for both meat and eggs. They are listed under the dual-purpose section.

The best meat breed for cold weather is:

Best Winter Laying Chickens

Two trains of thoughts exist as it relates to egg-laying chickens. Some people love to raise hens that produce a lot of eggs throughout the year. Others love to have multicolored eggs. I’ve included both types of chickens on this list.

Do Chickens Stop Laying When It’s Cold?

When the fall hits, hens will usually reduce the number of eggs they lay. There are three reasons that chickens will stop laying when fall or winter arrives.

  1. Fall is usually a time of molting, which decreases egg laying in most hens
  2. Fall has reduced daylight hours, which directly impacts the number of eggs laid
  3. Extreme cold can force a chicken’s body to work on warmth instead of egg production

It takes extra energy for a chicken to grow new feathers. Hens usually do this in the fall when the weather starts to cool down. The thicker, down feathers will help to protect your birds in the cold of winter, but the extra energy and resources needed may cause egg production to decline.

At the same time as most hens molt and grow new feathers, the days are also getting shorter. This is probably the biggest reason hens stop laying eggs.

Most chicken breeds need a minimum number of daylight hours to keep up with good egg production.

As fall comes, consider using a timer and light to keep the lights on for longer hours that will mimic summer. Lights can come on at 6 AM and turn off at 10 PM. This will provide your girls with night hours, but also give them longer days.

In extreme cold, egg production can also stop or slow down due to the cold. As hens need more energy to keep warm, limited bodily resources can pull energy from yolks to warmth.

This can be combated with higher energy foods that help to warm chickens and increase their metabolism.

Best Cold Climate Dual Purpose Chickens

Raise Chicken Breeds Especially Climatized To Cold Weather

Specific breeds of chickens do best in cold weather.

Generally speaking, darker chickens, those with heavier feathers, and smaller wattles and combs do the best in colder climates.

Chicken Breeds That Do Well In Sub-Freezing Temps

The breeds that are the most cold-hardy have smaller wattles and combs. Rose combs and pea combs do better at protecting chickens from the cold. 

The thickness and size of the feathering also make a difference. Some breeds, such as the Turken Naked Neck, Polish, and Silkie chickens have loose feathering. Polish and Silkie chickens don’t have water-resistant feathers. 

This makes them more susceptible to cooler weather, even rain. 

You may also consider is whether a chicken breed will continue to lay eggs in the dead of winter. 

Some chicken breeds will slow down their egg-laying only slightly when it gets very cold and dark in January and December. 

Roosters are the most likely to get frostbite. Roosters often like to patrol the coop, which keeps them out in the snow and wind more than the hens. Plus, they have larger wattles and combs, which also makes them more vulnerable. 

  • Cold hardy breeds have small wattles and combs
  • Pea combs and rose combs fare better in cold weather
  • Thick feathering helps chickens to stay warm in cold weather
  • Cold hardy breeds often continue laying eggs in the dead of winter. 
  • Roosters are more susceptible than hens to frostbite

Many chicken breeds are listed as cold-hardy breeds, but that doesn’t mean they all handle the cold equally well. 

If you live in an area where it gets to freezing, but not much below, then most of those breeds will do just fine. 

But, if you live in an area that gets substantially below freezing, or stays below freezing for weeks on end, you will want to know which breeds are best suited to cold temperatures. 

But, that doesn’t mean all chicken breeds fare the same in cold weather. I’ve sorted chicken breeds into 3 categories: Amazing, Good, and Fair In Cold Weather. 

4 Amazing Chicken Breeds Built For The Coldest Weather 

Among cold-weather chicken breeds, there are four breeds that are superstars. These breeds have small combs and wattles, which makes them highly resistant to cold weather. For the most part, these super-star chickens won’t need much extra care in the winter.  

Chantecler Chickens Are The Hardiest Of The Hardiest Chickens

The very best cold weather chicken breed is the Chanteclers. Chantecler chickens can withstand sub-arctic temperatures for many months. They were bred by a monk in Northern Canada and as a result, do the very best among chicken breeds. 

Chanteclers have almost not wattle and a very small comb. They are a much planer-looking chicken, but they do awesome in the cold and wet. They also have tight feathering, which helps to keep in the warmth when they fluff it at night. 

Chanteclers will continue to lay eggs during the winter, but as an egg-laying chicken, they are average. They lay about 200 eggs a year. 

Ameraucana / Araucana Cross Breeds 

Ameraucana and Araucana chicken breeds are very cold hardy. The Araucana chicken was bred for thousands of years in the Andes Mountains in Chile. They do well in the cold but are rare as a purebred because of a deadly gene inherent in the breed. 

Ameraucana chickens were bred from Araucanas and are also cold-hardy. In the US, most chickens sold as Ameraucana chickens are not purebred but are labeled such for sales purposes. 

Even so, most cross-breeds of these two breeds are very cold hardy. My Ameracana (notice the spelling difference because it’s not purebred) do not get frostbite, even in sub-zero temperatures. They have also continued to lay eggs almost daily all winter long. 

Buckeye Chickens 

Among American-created chicken breeds, the Buckeye chicken is the only one that has a pea comb. They also have tight feathering, which helps to keep out the cold and wet of winter. 

Buckeye chickens are moderate egg layers, laying about 3-4 eggs a week. 

They are rarely susceptible to frostbite and will usually continue to forage in the snow and rain. Buckeyes are happier in a larger coop area and have a deeper voice than many other chicken breeds. 

Wyandotte Chickens

Wyandottes chickens are one of my favorite breeds. They are friendly and useful. Even during sub-zero temperatures, I haven’t had any issues with any of my Wyandotte chickens getting frostbite. Their rose combs protect them from the cold. 

Additionally, their feed and legs are feather-free, which helps them to avoid frostbite on their feet. They are one of my breeds that venture out first in the mornings and goes into the coop at night. 

Plus, they continue to lay during the cold. On average, a Wyandotte chicken will lay about 260 eggs a year. 

The Best Chicken Breeds For Extreme Cold:

  • Chanteclers
  • Buckeye
  • Wyandotte
  • Ameraucana

In addition to these 4 super-star cold weather chickens, there are several other breeds that do pretty well in the cold. 

8 Chicken Breeds That Do Great In The Winter

The chickens in this list of good cold-weather chicken breeds do well in the cold but may need some precautions taken to keep them healthy. 

Orpington Chicken

Orpington chickens are cold hardy. They don’t have feathered legs or feet. The breed also comes with either a single comb or a rose comb variety. Rose combed Orpingtons will fare better in the cold than the single-comb variety. 

Orpingtons do well in the winter and will continue to lay during the darker days of winter. They are also super friendly and great with kids. 

New Hampshire Chickens 

New Hampshire chickens are very cold hardy. They will continue to forage in the snow and cold even while less-hardy breeds stay inside the coop. 

They do have a single comb, which can be susceptible to frostbite, but otherwise will do well in the cold. 

Chicken breeds that thrive in the cold (1)
Photo Credit: Duc Ly Flickr

They lay decently well in the winter. 

Dominick, Plymouth Rock and Barred Rock Chickens 

The Dominique Chicken breed was once considered the same breed as the Plymouth Rock. It has a rose comb, but the Plymouth Rock has a single comb. Barred Rock is a specific coloring within the Plymouth Rock breeds. 

These chickens are great in the cold. Traditionally, they were Pilgrim chickens and left to forage on their own all year round. The breed became used to fending for itself and doesn’t get too rattled with bad weather. 

Dominiques chickens can lay as many as 270 eggs a year and Plymouth Rocks will lay as many as 220 eggs a year. 

Australorp Chickens

Australorp chickens have been known to lay as many as 360 eggs in a year. More modern versions usually lay nearly 300 eggs a year and will still lay during the cold winter months. 

Australorp chickens do well in the cold and wet weather. 

Rhode Island Red Chickens

Rhode Island Red Chickens are one of the most versatile chicken breeds. They do well in almost any weather. Even in cold climates, they can lay as many as 280 eggs a year. 

They do have a single comb, which means they may need a little extra attention during extremely cold weather to protect them from frostbite. 

Lohmann Brown Chickens 

In the United States, Lohmann Brown Chickens haven’t caught on in popularity. But, they are very popular in Europe and Africa. Lohmann Brown chickens lay about 300 eggs a year. 

They continue to lay during the cold winter months. 

Lohmann Brown chickens have a single comb. Some chickens will have a larger comb than others and will need to be watched for Frostbite. 

Ancona Chicken

A more wild breed, Ancona chickens are also rare. But, they do well in the cold and are great at foraging and taking care of themselves. They lay about 220 eggs a year. 

They sense danger better and also fly better than other breeds. This can make it harder to contain. 

Andalusia Chickens

Andalusian chickens are susceptible to frostbite on their combs and wattles. Otherwise, they are very cold hardy chickens. They are curious and often prefer to roost in tall trees. 

This can make caring for them during the cold winter months problematic because they are harder to contain. 

Great Cold-Weather Chicken Breeds

  • Orpington
  • New Hampshire
  • Dominique or Plymouth Rock
  • Australorp
  • Rhode Island Red
  • Lohmann Brown
  • Ancona
  • Andalusia

I’ve also seen a couple of other breeds listed as “cold weather” chicken breeds, but they are less hardy as the 12 I’ve listed previously. 

Breeds That Do Ok, But Can Struggle In The Cold

Austra White – Great free-rangers that lay 250+ eggs a year

Barnevelder – Dark Chocolate eggs, do well in cold wet conditions, but not the snow

Dorking- Larger wattles, need more care

Leghorn – Large comb and decreased egg-laying 

Brahma – Larger with feathers needs a little more care in the cold, feathered feet

Cochin- Lay good in winter, but feathered feet makes them liable for frostbite

Hamburgs – watch the comb for frostbite

Langshan- feathered feet

Conclusion 

Most chickens will do well in freezing temperatures as long as they have the resources to stay dry and get plenty of water. But, when temperatures get into the teens, or even below, then it’s best to have chicken breeds that do well in even colder temperatures or to take the steps to protect chickens from frostbite.

My Favorite Chicken and Duck Supplies

This list contains affiliate products. Affiliate products do not cost more but helps to support BestFarmAnimals and our goal to provide farm animal owners with accurate and helpful information.

Manna Pro Oyster Shell keeps eggs strong. Before I gave my chickens oyster shell, I had the oddest eggs, many with weak and irregular shells. Now, I don’t have an issue.

Layer Feed by Manna Pro. I like pellets rather than crumbles as my chickens eat them better and less gets wasted or scavenged by rodents. A good layer feed makes the difference in hens laying many more eggs.

My chickens love this mealworm treat, which gives added protein, something that’s great during molting and winter months.

There are many ways to feed and water your chickens. I like this food and water setup the best because it reduces waste, saves me time feeding and watering, and keeps the food fresh longer. Except, in the winter, I use a heated waterer. The only problem is the heated waterers need to be replaced every few years.

I love this chicken veggie hanger. It makes it easy to give your chickens produce from the garden and keep them occupied in the winter with a fresh head of lettuce.

These chicken toys are a hoot! They will help curb bullying and keep your chickens active, especially in the winter when hens tend to get more lethargic.

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