FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[HOUDINI1961]

Hi, my friend has family in Alabama, forget the city right now. So I wouldn't rule it out. Also have a friend in Smithville, TN, so I'm also looking into that.

 

[Kikiriki]

Good morning Florida!
Can anyone from South or Central Florida share their experience with raising Wyandottes here? How well do they handle our summers? Have you lost any due to heat/humidity? Do you need to take extra special precautions for them compared to other breeds? Do they seem more susceptible to any illnesses than other breeds here?

I have room for one more hen and I would really like a Wyandotte, although having to pick the color is going to be SO hard if I do get one.

Our Golden Comets are all laid out, and then I lost my favorite one (in my avatar photo) due to a severely broken leg: she snuck out of the run and our seven month old, 100 pound Kangal Dog puppy decided to play with her. There was no malice intended...he was definitely not trying to kill her. (If he had been, she would have been dead). Her leg was broken in three places with one break too close to her body to splint. I dispatched her, cried all day, and couldn't speak to the dog for three days... But! This dog will be awesome when he gets over being a puppy idiot. He has quickly learned to alert to hawk cries, and barks at any big birds when they fly over! If I say "bad bird!" He starts barking and scanning the sky. I was imagining how much loss to bird predation a Kangal could prevent on a grain farm by chasing away crows, etc...

So with only two hens, both of which are not laying, I have started looking for replacements. I found Red Brown Ameraucanas at the feed store, so two came home with us yesterday! They are feathering on the wings and tails, so I am guessing they are about 5 weeks old. But by the time we got to the house, DH and I were sure one is a cockerel...I don't think he will be friendly, although he is very sweet to and protective of the pullet, who is very quiet and gentle. If he is not an especially quiet Rooster he will have to go.

I am also picking up three Lavender Ameraucanas this month from the St. Pete area, and again, any noisy roo's will be be rehomed.

That should leave me with room for one more hen, and I have been researching madly, but just have not found good information about Wyandottes in Florida or other hot humid regions. If Wyandootes suffer here, my next choice is Blue Andalusians.

 

[abserbean]

I am in North FL, not south, but my wyandottes do fine. I do have a very shady run though, in a stand of trees, and make sure they have plenty of water. My largest BLRW would walk around with her wings out sometimes to cool off, but otherwise seemed okay. I would def. make sure they had deep shade though, because they are a very heavy and fluffy breed. Hopefully someone a little farther south will chime in, they are pretty popular, so I'm sure someone has them!

 

[Sjisty]

We are just north of Tampa. We have mostly Brahmas and a couple of Wyandottes and Jersey Giants. All very large and heavy birds, they do just fine in the summer. They all free range and there is always plenty of shade and water.

 

[Kikiriki]

I am in North FL, not south, but my wyandottes do fine. I do have a very shady run though, in a stand of trees, and make sure they have plenty of water. My largest BLRW would walk around with her wings out sometimes to cool off, but otherwise seemed okay. I would def. make sure they had deep shade though, because they are a very heavy and fluffy breed. Hopefully someone a little farther south will chime in, they are pretty popular, so I'm sure someone has them!

Thank you! I guess you probably do get weather as hot/humid as us. I think we stay moderated due to being on the peninsula.

 

[Kikiriki]

We are just north of Tampa. We have mostly Brahmas and a couple of Wyandottes and Jersey Giants. All very large and heavy birds, they do just fine in the summer. They all free range and there is always plenty of shade and water.

I do have good shade, and I have a heavy silver tarp that keeps even dappled sun out in the coop area, which is under a tree. It makes a significant difference. So it looks like I am getting my Wyandotte!

 

[Gingersnap722]

Good morning Florida!

Can anyone from South or Central Florida share their experience with raising Wyandottes here? How well do they handle our summers? Have you lost any due to heat/humidity? Do you need to take extra special precautions for them compared to other breeds? Do they seem more susceptible to any illnesses than other breeds here?

I have room for one more hen and I would really like a Wyandotte, although having to pick the color is going to be SO hard if I do get one.

Our Golden Comets are all laid out, and then I lost my favorite one (in my avatar photo) due to a severely broken leg: she snuck out of the run and our seven month old, 100 pound Kangal Dog puppy decided to play with her. There was no malice intended...he was definitely not trying to kill her. (If he had been, she would have been dead). Her leg was broken in three places with one break too close to her body to splint. I dispatched her, cried all day, and couldn't speak to the dog for three days... But! This dog will be awesome when he gets over being a puppy idiot. He has quickly learned to alert to hawk cries, and barks at any big birds when they fly over! If I say "bad bird!" He starts barking and scanning the sky. I was imagining how much loss to bird predation a Kangal could prevent on a grain farm by chasing away crows, etc...

So with only two hens, both of which are not laying, I have started looking for replacements. I found Red Brown Ameraucanas at the feed store, so two came home with us yesterday! They are feathering on the wings and tails, so I am guessing they are about 5 weeks old. But by the time we got to the house, DH and I were sure one is a cockerel...I don't think he will be friendly, although he is very sweet to and protective of the pullet, who is very quiet and gentle. If he is not an especially quiet Rooster he will have to go.

I am also picking up three Lavender Ameraucanas this month from the St. Pete area, and again, any noisy roo's will be be rehomed.

That should leave me with room for one more hen, and I have been researching madly, but just have not found good information about Wyandottes in Florida or other hot humid regions. If Wyandootes suffer here, my next choice is Blue Andalusians.

We are in Plant City and have Silver Laced and Golden Laced Wyandottes (getting ready to breed the GLW and we have some of these hens for sale). I haven't had any issues with the Wyandottes and the heat. I also haven't had any health issues with them. We make sure they have shade in the summer and cool snacks to help them stay comfortable.

 

[Bean789]

Good morning Florida!

Can anyone from South or Central Florida share their experience with raising Wyandottes here? How well do they handle our summers? Have you lost any due to heat/humidity? Do you need to take extra special precautions for them compared to other breeds? Do they seem more susceptible to any illnesses than other breeds here?

We have a GLW and she was a chick during this last summer. She along with her brooder mates did fine in the heat as well as the transition from the brooder to the coop. She is top of the pecking order in a line of 7 but still friendly, can be handled, and lays beautiful light/medium what I would call average size brown eggs. On the mypetchicken.com web site, Wyandotte's are listed among those for heat hardy. Hawkeye, her name, is more like a rooster sometimes, or a mother hen maybe. When they all go in the coop after a day of foraging, there is always a straggler, Coco, our Sultan. Hawkeye will go back out of the chicken yard to 'fetch' her. It is adorable to watch. Their coop is mostly shaded and they tend to hang out under the trees and bushes. Frozen watermelon is one of their favorite treats and this helps keep them cool as well as a waterer in the back yard that is changed a couple of times a day.

 

[mrbigschickens]

It may always be Sunny here in Florida but it's not always warm.
30 degrees here in north central Florida this morning burrrr.
Anyone else besides me and the lizards freezing their butts off. LoL
According to the weather it's warmer up north than it is here, please will somebody turn the heat back on!

 

[N F C]

It may always be Sunny here in Florida but it's not always warm.
30 degrees here in north central Florida this morning burrrr.
Anyone else besides me and the lizards freezing their butts off. LoL
According to the weather it's warmer up north than it is here, please will somebody turn the heat back on!

I'll second that motion! I didn't move from KS to FL for weather that's just as cold, brrr. At least I haven't seen any freezing rain here (at least, not yet, lol).