Hey there. I am helping a friend look for a breed of chicken or a similar bird which will suit her present situation. She needs an animal which is hearty, can withstand the cold of Ontario (Canada), will forage on its own, provide good manure, and which hopefully wont eat the sprouts in the vegetable garden. Any recommendation you could give regarding a breed or a useful website address would be deeply appreciated. Thankyou in advance, Daya.

DAYA: This is indeed a tall order. This has got to be some super chicken. The Chanteclers was developed primarily to withstand the extreme temperatures of the Canadian winters. They will provide good manure as all poultry but as far as foraging for their own food and not eating sprouts in the vegetable garden this is probably impossible to find. Most chickens will pick up a lot of their own food such as grasses and bugs, insects, etc. and pick up spilled grain and feed if on a farm where it is available but to go out and find their own food, this is not really feasible. I know of no other poultry that can do this either. Muscovey ducks can do a good job of taking care of themselves even raising young under really adverse conditions but even they must have adequate food and water supplied. Pigeons were raised like that in Europe many years ago. They were not fed and turned out to eat grain from the neighboring fields. Needless to say, when they were seen, they were set upon and killed if possible. Sorry I cannot be of any help on this subject....Red Tail Chicken Hawk......

Barred Plymouth Rocks do pretty well in cold weather and are a very docile bird.They are very good foragers also .I raise them and I am thrilled.

A few breeds I was thinking of were the Wyandottes and the Brahmas more towards the Brahmas are A large bird that lays large brown eggs and has a Rose combs and has feathers on its feetto protect its toes from frost bite. The wyandotte lays a few more eggs, has a rose comb, and does not have the feathering on the feat. Both the breeds need a fairly good amount of supplamental feed and water.

If cold is a problem, get something with a small come (preferably a small rose-comb) and feathery feet. Brahmas are good. The come in both standard size and bantam. Feathersite is good to check for breed info. Cochins would also B good. They have very fluffy feathers which would insulate them very well and feather feet. They also come in standard and bantam size.

Hi;I have a similar problem.We are not as cold as you,But we do get 20 below.I've fenced the garden,so thats not a concern.Still I need a fairly robust bird for eggs and meat.A good disposition is always a plus.Good luck withn your query.If you find anything useful,please send it my way.Thanks P.S. So far Bared Rocks sound bullet proof.

Chanticlers were developed in Canada, so they would probably be in your top five choices. They come in three colors buff, partridge, and white. As far as I know they are broody. Chanticlers have almost no comb and wattles. I don't know about feathered legs keeping the chickens warmer, but it makes sense. Chanticler don't have feathered legs, so you could crossbreed them with Cochins to get feathered legs, unfortunately as far as I know all Cochins are single combed which is NOT what you want in cold weather. There are other choices of feather legged breeds, such as Brahmas. Wyandottes would be another good choice. Wyandottes will lay right through winter. (Sometimes they lay the best in winter.) Cochins would be really good if you could just find some with small combs. If they are going to be free range, it would probably not be good to have heavely feathered legs, because that might hinder their chances of escaping predators. Definately do not get a crested breed if the chickens are going to be free range. You will want to avoid: tightly feathered breeeds (such as Games and Cornish), and single or spiked rose comb breeds (most breeds are single combed). I would say Chanticler would be your first choice (just because Canadian farmers worked for years to develope this breed for their harsh climate) Wyandottes second, Cochins third(ONLY if you could find some small combed ones, otherwise don't even consider Cochins), and Brahmas fourth. Hope this helps!

Hi, we live in Massachusetts, and we were wondering if we could raise Belgian D'uccle Porcelain Bantams and Egyptian Fayoumis chickens with just a heat lamp in their cage in the winter (obviously sheltered). The temperature can drop below 0, but usually is not that cold. We were also looking for where we could find these beautiful creatures, and if they could be kept in the same cage. Any information on obtaining maintaining chickens would be greatly appreciated! Contact me at SharkwranglerA@aol.com.

Yes, you can keep them, if people can keep chickens in canada then you can keep them in boston. THey can be kept in the same cage.

YoYo

My name is Jordan Coleman and I have a good breed to suggest for cold weather. I raise Buff Orpingtons and they are excellent for cold weather. Infact, I think and many others that Buff Orpingtons are the best chickens for cold climates. I raise Buff Orpingtons and take them to shows they are good chickens. If you would like more information about this breed e-mail me at JordanColeman2001@hotmail.com.

I would suggest Old English games in bantam or large fowl. The large fowl will be able to withstand the weather better however. They fit the description of everything that you mentioned above and their dubbed comb and wattles makes them immune to frost bite. They lay fairly well and their only drawback would possibly be their agressive nature toward each other but they can be as tame as a Cochin or Brahma with a little attention. They will brood their own eggs and take care of the babies and will survive on the most minimal care under the most adverse circumstances. In my opinion Old English games are the way to go. If I can be of further assistance please let me know.

I am looking for blue antwerps, mottled Japs if any one
knows of anyone in Ontario selling this breed I would appreciate the tip!