A Hen breed that can survive harsh Canadian winter without heating

[meadow_wind]

Poule/Hen: Chantecler
Now listed as Canadian heritage but its population is very low and threatens its survival.
Resulting from genetic crosses, designed by a monk from Oka Abbey in the last century.
It's been created to prevent hens from dying in the winter because their crest and barb would freeze.

Here is a documentary about Canadian Horse, Canadian cow and Chantecler Hen (starts at 5:32). French video, but you can have English subtitles.

Here is a small-scale producer of chicks and eggs located North of Montreal: Saint-Calixte, Lanaudière - Maître Poulier

I forgot to add his post on Facebook:
Permaculture Québec | Je crois que la poule #chantecler est LA poule permaculturelle du Québec | Facebook

Je crois que la poule #chantecler est LA poule permaculturelle du Québec.
* Elle est très rustique
* Passe l’hiver sans chauffage
* Elle est une « bonne » pondeuse (taux de ponte de 60%)
* C’est un succulent poulet de chair (1.6kg net à 16 semaines)
* Assez vigoureuse et futé pour trouver une bonne partie de sa nourriture.
J’ai un petit élevage et j'essaie d’aider à sauvegarder cette partie de notre patrimoine Québécois. J’offre donc des :
* poussins chantecler blanc non sexé 7$/ch pour 10+

believe that the #chantecler chicken is THE permacultural chicken of Quebec.
* It is very rustic
* Spends the winter without heating
* She is a “good” layer (laying rate of 60%)
* This is a succulent broiler chicken (1.6kg net at 16 weeks)
* Vigorous and smart enough to find a good portion of its food.
I have a small livestock farm and I try to help save this part of our Quebec heritage. I therefore offer:
* unsexed white chantecler chicks $7/each for 10+

 

[gdpetti]

From a 3d pov, the question seems to be whether it can survive the next ice age up in Canada?

 

[meadow_wind]

From a 3d pov, the question seems to be whether it can survive the next ice age up in Canada?

I doubt anything or anyone can survive an ice age if they are located in the coldest part of the planet, enduring 12 months of winter.
Meanwhile, this breed may help people by saving on heating expenses

 

[iamthatis]

I doubt anything or anyone can survive an ice age if they are located in the coldest part of the planet, enduring 12 months of winter.
Meanwhile, this breed may help people by saving on heating expenses

Well, we don't know what this ice age will look like. It's a mystery! Full blown ice age? Or mini ice age? The Maunder Minimum was harsh, but there were still tons of ships from Europe traveling to North America the whole time. It was cold, yes, and there was famine and war and conquest, but many people lived through it, and some even found time for adventuring. The book A Cold Welcome goes into all this in detail.

I also remember that during the last mini ice age, there were also some parts of the globe that actually warmed in some strange places according to this NASA map. So who knows, maybe those chickens will be just fine! They're hardy birds even without special breeds.



When I lived in the Kootenays, it was common to only provide ducks and chickens with heat at night, via a red heat lamp - and it gets down to -30C sometimes. My neighbours kept theirs in a greenhouse, and the heat of the birds fills the greenhouse itself, creating a thermal battery. If in doubt, put 'em inside an insulated shed with some kind of heater and they'll be toasty. Or if it really gets too cold, bring them inside the house. There are certain designs of ages past for houses in Europe designed where there was basically a huge entrance room, like a barn inside the house for bringing livestock inside during the winter.

Some farmers keep their cows inside for winter even now. The bonus is that when you let them out, they are very cute:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1770371014251192392