Hardiest breed?

[Bramble-Poultry]

the scots dumpy is reputed to be a very hardy bird as it has to deal with horizontal rain, gale force winds, 8' snow drifts and still lay eggs

[Birdie Wife]

the scots dumpy is reputed to be a very hardy bird as it has to deal with horizontal rain, gale force winds, 8' snow drifts and still lay eggs

I can vouch for that and they look very comical running towards you with those little legs

[BUFFS]

Hardy birds

WE HAVE TWO BLACKROCKS (SCOTS BRED FROM McINTYRES,BY AYR) AND THEY JUST SEEM TO SHRUG OFF THE CONSTANT RAIN WE HAVE HAD EACH DAY FOR THE LAST MONTH OR MORE IN THE WEST OF SCOTLAND,WE HAVE TWO NEW BLUEBELLS,SO ARE WAITING TO SEE HOW THEY COPE,SO FAR SO GOOD.BEST OF LUCK WITH WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE.

[Bramble-Poultry]

for hardiness to disease, you can get no better than a good first generation "chick of the day" i.e the result of of whatever the cockerel got hold of on that day, a true mongrel full of hybrid vigour, the more dubious the parentage the better.

They might not look pretty and they might not give as manby eggs as a pure bred egg machine, but they will be good farmyard birds.

[Shellintons]

I agree with Bramblepoultry. All my best fertility rates, hatching rates and surviving birds have come from 'back yard' chickens. The 'Show' blood line birds have caused me nothing but trouble and heartache this year.
So many of the so called pedigree birds seem to come with problems that none of the others seem to come with .
The best birds I have ever had were some black orpingtons. Just that, no show winners, not from a particular line, just ones bred by someome who found a good fertile cockerel and had some lovely black orp girls.
I spent nearly 6 years trying to get these girls to roost but they would not sleep anywhere but on their shed roof. Snow, rain or mid summer. There was a thick ivy plant covering it over but that is where they lived until one thought she had got her head stuck under the shed and had a heart attack and the others were 'removed' from their pen one night.
I crossed some legbars with a light sussex cockerel earlier this year and the resulting birds are fabulous. Good hatch rate and healthy. As were the Bluebells (which I believe are technically as cross too) I hatched for Maureen. So much so I have had more eggs off her

[enrich100]

This one might be a contender as the Hardest Chicken

[di]

He wouldn't last five minutes against our Norfolk Grey!!!...unless of course you waited til the weekend!

[Snadger]

This one might be a contender as the Hardest Chicken

Looks like a bit of a poser to me!!!!!