Why not Wyandottes?
Wyandotte chickens have dotted the farms and homes of people across the nation. The Wyandotte, which has nine varieties, is a dual purpose bird, used both for laying and eating. The silver laced Wyandotte was first developed, and accepted by the American Poultry Association (APA) in 1883. Its white feathers with black edges looks like lacing. It also has a black tail and yellow legs. The birds are hardy and tolerate confinement well, said Art Rieber, a long-time lover and raiser of poultry from Neola, Iowa. They are a decent setter, a decent layer, with enough flesh on them to be a good butcher bird, Rieber said. Theyre just a good all-around bird.  Their rose combs, close to the head and flatter than single combs, do not freeze as easily as single combs and are tolerant of freezing temperatures well below zero, Rieber said. His Wyandottes have handled winter temps of -25 degrees without their combs freezing. They are well-suited to regions with colder winters. Wyandottes are generally calm and friendly, can forage well, and lay brown eggs. Their medium size makes them a good fit for small flocks and homesteads. Standard weights are 8.5 pounds for roosters, 6.5 pounds for hens, 7.5 pounds for cockerels (males less than a year old), and 5.5 pounds for pullets (females less than a year old). Varieties of the Wyandottes include silver laced, white, black, blue, Columbian, golden laced, buff, partridge, and silver penciled. The most common varieties of Wyandottes are the silver laced and the whites, Rieber said. Some varieties are very difficult to find, including the golden laced, Columbians and blacks.