The Flock · A field guide

The best cold-hardy
chicken breeds.

Compare breeds for a flock that faces winter.

57common breeds
to compare

Decorative chicken illustration

212rarer breeds
in the records

Compare the breeds

Choosing your flock

Start with the birds. Plan for the season.

Cold rarely kills a healthy chicken; frostbite on a big floppy comb does, and a breed that stops laying at the first frost costs you the whole winter. Cold-hardiness is really two traits: a compact comb (rose or pea, less to freeze) and enough body mass to hold heat, ideally on a bird that keeps laying in short daylight.

These 57 common breeds are rated cold-hardy — 269 qualify across the whole database. The heavy dual-purpose Americans and the small-combed Chantecler (bred in Quebec for exactly this) are the safest bets; feather-legged Brahmas and Cochins handle deep cold well too. Give any of them a dry, draft-free but ventilated coop and they will out-winter you.

The breed records

Compare the breeds.

57 breeds, with the details that matter for this guide.

57 breeds

Swipe across the table to see every detail.

Scroll through all 57 breeds below, or type a name to narrow the list.

BreedEggs / yearKept forTemperamentSizeOrigin
Amberlink200–300EggDocile, calmStandardNetherlands
Ameraucana150–200Dual-purposeFriendly, activeStandardUnited States
Appenzeller Spitzhauben150–180Dual-purposeActive, flightyStandardSwitzerland
Araucana150–180EggActive, friendlyStandardChile
Austra White220–280EggCalm, friendlyStandardUnited States
Australorp250–300Dual-purposeDocile, friendlyStandardAustralia
Barnevelder180–200Dual-purposeDocile, calmStandardNetherlands
Bielefelder200–230Dual-purposeDocile, calmStandardGermany
Black Star250–300EggDocile, friendlyStandardUnited States
Booted Bantam120–160OrnamentalDocile, friendlyTrue bantamNetherlands
Brahma150–200Dual-purposeDocile, calmStandardUnited States
Buckeye150–200Dual-purposeActive, friendlyStandardUnited States
Calico Princess280–300EggDocile, calmStandardCzech Republic
California Gray240–300EggActive, calmStandardUnited States
California White280–320EggCalm, friendlyStandardUnited States
Chantecler180–220Dual-purposeCalm, docileStandardCanada
Cinnamon Queen250–300EggDocile, friendlyStandardUnited States
Cochin110–160OrnamentalDocile, calmStandardChina
Cream Legbar180–230EggActive, friendlyStandardEngland
Delaware200–280Dual-purposeCalm, friendlyStandardUnited States
Dominique230–270Dual-purposeCalm, docileStandardUnited States
Dorking140–190Dual-purposeCalm, docileStandardEngland
Easter Egger200–280EggFriendly, docileStandardUnited States
Faverolles150–200Dual-purposeDocile, gentleStandardFrance
Freedom Ranger140–180MeatActive, robustStandardUnited States
Golden Comet280–330EggDocile, friendlyStandardUnited States
Hamburg150–220EggActive, flightyStandardNetherlands
Houdan150–230Dual-purposeDocile, calmStandardFrance
ISA Brown300–350EggDocile, friendlyStandardFrance
Java150–180Dual-purposeCalm, docileStandardUnited States
Jersey Giant150–200Dual-purposeDocile, calmStandardUnited States
Lakenvelder150–200EggActive, flightyStandardGermany / Netherlands
Langshan140–200Dual-purposeDocile, calmStandardChina
Leghorn250–320EggActive, flightyStandardItaly
Marans150–200Dual-purposeCalm, docileStandardFrance
Midnight Majesty Marans230–260EggCalm, docileStandardUnited States
Naked Neck150–180Dual-purposeCalm, friendlyStandardHungary
New Hampshire200–240Dual-purposeFriendly, calmStandardUnited States
Old English Game100–160GameAggressive, boldStandardUnited Kingdom
Old English Game Bantam120–160ExhibitionActive, boldBantamEngland
Olive Egger150–200EggFriendly, docileStandardUnited States
Orpington180–200Dual-purposeDocile, friendlyStandardUnited Kingdom
Plymouth Rock200–280Dual-purposeDocile, friendlyStandardUnited States
Prairie Bluebell Egger240–260EggActive, athleticStandardUnited States
Production Red250–300Dual-purposeActive, hardyStandardUnited States
Rhode Island Red200–300Dual-purposeHardy, docileStandardUnited States
Rhode Island White200–250Dual-purposeDocile, calmStandardUnited States
Russian Orloff150–180Dual-purposeCalm, quietStandardRussia
Sapphire Gem260–290EggDocile, friendlyStandardCzech Republic
Starlight Green Egger260–280EggActive, easygoingStandardUnited States
Sussex200–250Dual-purposeDocile, friendlyStandardEngland
Swedish Flower Hen150–200Dual-purposeCalm, friendlyStandardSweden
Welbar160–200Dual-purposeActive, alertStandardEngland
Welsummer160–200Dual-purposeFriendly, docileStandardNetherlands
Whiting True Blue280–320EggActive, friendlyStandardUnited States
Whiting True Green280–320EggActive, friendlyStandardUnited States
Wyandotte180–220Dual-purposeDocile, calmStandardUnited States

Rarer breeds that also fit

These match too, but few or no US hatcheries stock them — expect a breeder waitlist.

Adler Silver · Alsacienne · Altsteirer · Amarela · American Game · Amrock · Annaberger Haubenstrupphuhn · Appenzeller Barthuhn · Ardenner · Assendelft Fowl · Augsburger · Banat Naked Neck · and 200 more

Put it to work

Keep exploring.

From the field guides

Winterize the coop

Equipment & supplies

The winter flock kit

More on choosing a flock

The Best Chickens for BeginnersThe Quietest Chicken Breeds for a Suburban YardThe Best Chickens for a Food Forest

Breed facts from our open chicken-breed database, cross-checked against US hatchery listings, the Livestock Conservancy’s 2026 priority list and the American Poultry Association. Lay rates are a healthy hen’s good year, not a guarantee.