38 breeds
Best chickens for cold climates
Cold isn't what hurts a flock — frostbite and damp are. These breeds carry the heavy feathering and small, frostbite-resistant combs that let them ride out a real winter, and many keep laying through the short days.
1
Golden Comet🌱Cold-hardy · 250–320 eggs/yrUnited States2
ISA Brown🌱Cold-hardy · 280–320 eggs/yrFrance3
Black Sex Link🌱Cold-hardy · 250–300 eggs/yrUnited States4
Rhode Island Red🌱Cold-hardy · 200–300 eggs/yrUnited States5
Australorp🌱Cold-hardy · 200–280 eggs/yrAustralia6
Barred Plymouth Rock🌱Cold-hardy · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States7
Buff Orpington🌱Cold-hardy · 180–280 eggs/yrEngland8
Delaware🌱Cold-hardy · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States9
Easter Egger🌱Cold-hardy · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States10
Dominique🌱Cold-hardy · 180–260 eggs/yrUnited States11
Ameraucana🌱Cold-hardy · 180–250 eggs/yrUnited States12
Rhode Island White🌱Cold-hardy · 200–250 eggs/yrUnited States13
Sussex🌱Cold-hardy · 200–250 eggs/yrEngland14Holland🌱Cold-hardy · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States15
New Hampshire🌱Cold-hardy · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States16
Wyandotte🌱Cold-hardy · 180–240 eggs/yrUnited States17
Cream Legbar🌱Cold-hardy · 180–230 eggs/yrEngland18
Chantecler🌱Cold-hardy · 180–220 eggs/yrCanada19
HamburgCold-hardy · 150–220 eggs/yrNetherlands and Germany20
Welsummer🌱Cold-hardy · 160–220 eggs/yrNetherlands21
Barnevelder🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands22
Black Copper Marans🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance23
Brahma🌱Cold-hardy · 130–200 eggs/yrUnited States24
Buckeye🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States25
Jersey Giant🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States26
Langshan🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrChina27
Naked Neck (Turken)🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrTransylvania (Romania)28
Olive Egger🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States29
Salmon Faverolles🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance30
VorwerkCold-hardy · 150–190 eggs/yrGermany31
Appenzeller SpitzhaubenCold-hardy · 150–180 eggs/yrSwitzerland32
AraucanaCold-hardy · 140–180 eggs/yrChile33
Cochin🌱Cold-hardy · 150–180 eggs/yrChina34Java🌱Cold-hardy · 150–180 eggs/yrUnited States35
Old English GameCold-hardy · 100–160 eggs/yrEngland36
Russian OrloffCold-hardy · 100–150 eggs/yrRussia37
Silkie🌱Cold-hardy · 100–120 eggs/yrChina38
SumatraCold-hardy · 100–120 eggs/yrIndonesia
Golden Comet🌱Cold-hardy · 250–320 eggs/yrUnited States2ISA Brown🌱Cold-hardy · 280–320 eggs/yrFrance3Black Sex Link🌱Cold-hardy · 250–300 eggs/yrUnited States4Rhode Island Red🌱Cold-hardy · 200–300 eggs/yrUnited States5Australorp🌱Cold-hardy · 200–280 eggs/yrAustralia6Barred Plymouth Rock🌱Cold-hardy · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States7Buff Orpington🌱Cold-hardy · 180–280 eggs/yrEngland8Delaware🌱Cold-hardy · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States9Easter Egger🌱Cold-hardy · 200–280 eggs/yrUnited States10Dominique🌱Cold-hardy · 180–260 eggs/yrUnited States11Ameraucana🌱Cold-hardy · 180–250 eggs/yrUnited States12Rhode Island White🌱Cold-hardy · 200–250 eggs/yrUnited States13Sussex🌱Cold-hardy · 200–250 eggs/yrEngland14Holland🌱Cold-hardy · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States15New Hampshire🌱Cold-hardy · 200–240 eggs/yrUnited States16Wyandotte🌱Cold-hardy · 180–240 eggs/yrUnited States17Cream Legbar🌱Cold-hardy · 180–230 eggs/yrEngland18Chantecler🌱Cold-hardy · 180–220 eggs/yrCanada19HamburgCold-hardy · 150–220 eggs/yrNetherlands and Germany20Welsummer🌱Cold-hardy · 160–220 eggs/yrNetherlands21Barnevelder🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrNetherlands22Black Copper Marans🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance23Brahma🌱Cold-hardy · 130–200 eggs/yrUnited States24Buckeye🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States25Jersey Giant🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States26Langshan🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrChina27Naked Neck (Turken)🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrTransylvania (Romania)28Olive Egger🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrUnited States29Salmon Faverolles🌱Cold-hardy · 150–200 eggs/yrFrance30VorwerkCold-hardy · 150–190 eggs/yrGermany31Appenzeller SpitzhaubenCold-hardy · 150–180 eggs/yrSwitzerland32AraucanaCold-hardy · 140–180 eggs/yrChile33Cochin🌱Cold-hardy · 150–180 eggs/yrChina34Java🌱Cold-hardy · 150–180 eggs/yrUnited States35Old English GameCold-hardy · 100–160 eggs/yrEngland36Russian OrloffCold-hardy · 100–150 eggs/yrRussia37Silkie🌱Cold-hardy · 100–120 eggs/yrChina38SumatraCold-hardy · 100–120 eggs/yrIndonesiaHow this list is built: Every breed here is rated cold-hardy in our profiles. Ranked by annual egg production so you can find a winter layer, not just a survivor. It updates automatically as we add breeds — no hand-picking.
Keep exploring
Cold-hardy breeds that keep laying in winterBest chickens for hot & humid climatesBest chickens for beginners
New to this? Keeping Chickens Laying in Winter: Light, Care, and Honest Trade-offs walks you through it. Or browse all 51 breed profiles.
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