Backyard Chickens in Temperate (USDA Zones 6-7)
Four distinct seasons, moderate winters, warm summers — the easiest keeping conditions in North America and home to most backyard flocks.
Four distinct seasons, moderate winters, warm summers — the easiest keeping conditions in North America and home to most backyard flocks.
The primary keeping challenge in Temperate (USDA Zones 6-7) is mud management in shoulder seasons, raccoon pressure. Below, all fourteen breed-purpose categories are filtered to what works best in your conditions.
Breed Categories for Temperate
Eggs + Meat
Heritage Dual-Purpose
Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte
Eggs
Prolific Layer
Leghorn, Australorp
Eggs in Cold Climates
Cold-Hardy Layer
Chantecler, Buckeye
Eggs in Hot Climates
Heat-Tolerant Layer
Leghorn, Minorca
Meat
Meat Broiler
Cornish Cross, Freedom Ranger
Show / Small-Lot Egg
Bantam & Ornamental
Serama, Belgian d'Uccle
Brooding / Small-Scale Hatching
Silkie & Broody
Silkie, Cochin
Eggs (no surprise roosters)
Sex-Link Hybrid
Golden Comet, Black Star
Conservation / Eggs + Meat
Rare & Conservation
Buckeye, Java
Meat (Premium Quality)
Heritage Meat
Delaware, Dorking
Show
Exhibition
Polish, Houdan
Pet / Eggs
Friendly Pet
Buff Orpington, Sussex
Eggs + Pasture Management
Free-Range Forager
Brown Leghorn, Campine
Natural Hatching
Broody Mother
Silkie, Cochin
States and regions in Temperate (USDA Zones 6-7): Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Oregon (valley), Tennessee