New to CA, chickens, and this group!

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LaRu

LaRu

Hatching
Feb 27, 2015
5
0
9
So i moved to the desert in Southern CA and want to start a small flock soon. The heat can get to about one hundred twenty in the summer. So i could use advice on breeds and supplies. I am interested thus far in easter eggers and wellsummers. I have a building to use for a chicken house. Thanks in advance and im excited to be here!
 
Hello and Welcome to BYC! We're glad you joined. Feel free to ask any questions you may have! I'm sure you'll find answers here!
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Good choice in breeds! Two of my favorites!
 
Welcome to the flock. You may want to post on the Southern California thread to find out how others have their chickens survive such horrible heat. Generally chickens tolerate cold much better than heat. I'm sure others will be along to post on their personal experiences.
 
Welcome to BYC!

We get pretty warm and humid here in the Florida summers. Last year our girls did all right; we gave them plenty of fresh water (for drinking and wading in), cool treats like watermelon and we wet down their run 2-3 times a day. Their run is also covered with shade cloth and that helped.

Good luck with your chickens and nice to have you join us!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Definitely check out the link that Kelsie left for you on the different breeds. It will help you pick out heat tolerant birds.

You might also consider using sand on your coop floor and run. I have found that sand is a wonderful flooring for hot climates. You can hose it down in the summer time and when you put a big fan on it, the evaporation cools the floor. My birds feet stay incredibly cool. Cool feet mean cooler birds. Sand repels flies, absorbs poop smells and is very easy to maintain. Here is a link on sand if you want to read more....https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444759/got-sand-you-should

I dig mine out of nearby arroyo's and dry washes for free. Just make sure you are collecting sand and not dirt. I like to wet the material and squeeze it. If it falls apart easily, it is sand. If it clumps and sticks, it is dirt. I use sand in the nest boxes too. LOL The chickens love to scratch around in it and dust bath as well. Lots of gizzard stones too in natural sand.

Great to have you aboard and welcome to our flock!
 
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I'm glad you joined our community!

Welsummers and Easter Eggers are two great breeds, though I would say they are more suited for cold than heat. However, as long as you give them shade and plenty of water, they should still weather hot temperatures fine. Other heat-tolerant, productive breeds would include Leghorns, Anconas, Catalanas, Andalusians, and Minorcas. Those breeds can be a little flighty, but they are very heat hardy and lay lots of white eggs.

Whatever breed(s) you decide on, good luck with them!
 

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