Best egg laying breed chicken for HOT weather?

[AZ Heat]

What breed of egg layers is the most durable for HOT weather (here in Phoenix)? If I can plan accordingly, it would be a great help.

It doesn't matter to me if brown eggs, white eggs, etc.

Thanks in advance!

 

[pipermark]

One of the production breeds, ISA browns, Sex-links, production Reds (most RIR sold by hatcheries are production reds). Studies have shown that in hot weather an increase in foods high in antioxidants helps increase egg production.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...nel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

[Buckguy20]

Fayoumi's are great hot weather birds.

 

[Quack Shack]

Agreed with RIRs and I also have EEs. They take the heat and winter cold and just keep on laying. I do let them take a winter break.

 

[LA~Poulet]

My two BR are laying pretty steadily and our temps have been 96-101. They lay about 5-6/week.

Someone recommended to me that their Brahmas were laying all through the summer in very hot weather, that is why I chose that breed in my recent chicks. I'll have to wait for personal experience with them, however!

 

[aveca]

There are many fine breeds of egg layers. even the hardiest have to have extra care in extream weather like fan ect...
The mediteranian breeds like leghorns, or american breeds like Rhode Islands , sex links, ect... ect...
My husband has australorps, they are egg machines. Not the prettiest bird but production is thier middle name, .Australia had severe heat this last year I would be interested to see how it affected the whole poultry industry down there and what breeds weathered it well.

In the end you can look up list of good egg layers then decide what appeals to you. Rhode Islands always did well for us, aussielorps did OK but liked cool better,I find thier eggs in mid jan. the leghorns seemed to shrug off heat.

 

[Mahonri]

RIRs and Rocks don't do well in the heat.

Leghorns, Anconas, Minorcas do OK.

Also my Black stars and Cinnamon Queens have done well in the heat.

 

[TXmom]

I don't know about RIR's in heat...my only RIR pullet died in this extreme TX heat, and I know of at least 3 other RIR's dying in the heat. It seems to me that they were developed up north so they wouldn't be as heat tolerant...or maybe these are from a not-so-tolerant strain...

Anyways, I read that Brahmas are from India which can be pretty hot, so I'm thinking of getting some Brahmas. My Leghorns are doing fine and laying lots of eggs. My Buff Orpingtons seem pretty stressed...lots of panting and holding their wings out and digging holes to sit in. But they are alive through heat indexes of 105-110 for weeks on end. My EE's are doing pretty good too...panting a lot but laying eggs almost every day.

 

[Krys109uk]

Of the purebreeds, I'd agree with Buckguy20 Fayoumi (from Egypt) are fine with hot weather, good layers of white eggs, hardy (coccidiosis resistant) & good foragers.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Blue Andalusians!