Arizona Chickens

[SonoranChick]

Panting is how they cool themselves, just like dogs. Did they still lay eggs when it was so hot, or were they so miserable that they quit laying, I guess is my question.

I hear ya. They weren't laying yet so I'm not sure. My white leghorn just started laying, but they are all 20 weeks old (and several are doing the squat thing which tells me they're ready to lay!). I'm trying to be patient but it's hard, I'm so excited. I will have to recap next summer and see how the leghorns faired compared to the rest as far as laying through the heat goes.

 

[Parront]

I guess I could picture the NN having their whole neck and chest as a radiator, that would certainly be more cooling surface!

 

[Bobby Basham]

I think that the reason why they show them like that is because the manufacturing companies that make them are all up north?

I was thinking more along the lines of the folks that build their own coops from scratch. They have reasons for designing their coops the way they did. It seems like they're all over the map. --BB

 

[BlueBaby]

No diapers on those butts! Maybe the fluff insulates from heat as well as from cold? I think a light color would be an advantage in the heat, like those nice Splash Australorps @BlueBaby has.

Well, I like having them in the 3 colors, as then they are all the same breed but also have color variety. I like being able to put the blacks back with the blues, because it helps to get better color in the feather lacing of the future blue chicks out of the match. There is color genetics at work in these.

 

[BlueBaby]

I was thinking more along the lines of the folks that build their own coops from scratch. They have reasons for designing their coops the way they did. It seems like they're all over the map. --BB

I think that they design them according to their needs. Some people have small flocks, while others have big flocks. Also, I think that many are built with the materials that the person can afford to do it. My run is made of old horse panels that were no longer being used and just re-purposed, with 2 x 4 welded wire fitted over the top and sides of it. I have boards on the top of it clamped down for shade and cover. We used a trench digger to be able to run some pvc pipe from the house out to the coop, so that I could have a handy water source for them.

 

[Diannastarr]

Those of you breeding specific lines are in a different boat than others so A/C is a whole different story. The rest of us can use a fan to move the air as needed - now to just understand solar so I can put in a solar fan/air mover with a place for ice!! I would always go with the almost open concept of a coop - that's what I have. When the storms come I just have tarps that I put up to keep out the majority of the wind and rain OR if its going to be a really cold night. I've almost never needed anything more - at least I can't think of one. Yes sometimes those tarps don't make it up and it wet as all get out in the coop but its so hot it dries in no time!!
Other thing I was thinking about with heat hearty is the comb and waddles? I think there is a bit or correlation there for some. AND I'm a gonna get me some of those NN and blue and splash aussies!!

i rewrote this sorry didnt mean you were insane . but gosh yes i think the really cold air from an ac unit would be the worst idea its called an air conditioner, that is never a good idea for birds, no matter what kind of birds the air from that kind of unit is just to cold & its not even think able to use in an open air coop ,which would just create a gigantic electric bill, to even try to air condition an open air coop.....lol... its almost insane to try and cool an open air coop with an a/c, which is not the best for that purpose , but better done with a swamp cooler & fan taking the heat off the roof area and cooling down the coop inside its shade it works great

 

[meetthebubus]

I have had my Australorp's now through 3 hot summer's here. Is that not them getting by in the heat? I know other people who have different breeds as a mixed flock, that ended up loosing several of them during the summer.

I was tired when I formed my question it seems that I didn't get it across right I wasn't questioning the legitimacy of the heat tolerance,or anyone opinion I was literally wondering what those with experience with them noticed that you think help them if anyone had an observation on that


As far as a/c goes I think everyone's opinion that I've read so far has been correct, it's ultimately a choice how I do it is in the hottest months during the peak heat of day light a/c goes on that allows them to experience 115 day heat as 100 it is important that if you keep it cool and then they go out into the heat they can experience a shock so personally I allow them to tough out the heat in the mornings and evenings with shade and ice and misting, and gradually let the heat return by turning off the a/ç as the sun goes down and they free range once more. I personally feel that with the soaring Temps, you are more likely to lose hens without a careful a/c plan from may until mid September is my a/c months and it gets turned on once 105 degrees is reached and off a few hours later


Also chickens lose heat through their legs/feet so cool water puddles where they can stand in and coat their feet with mud is a fave with my girls this past summer

 

[meetthebubus]

@Diannastarr well I wouldn't say I'm insane guess you have to actually see our design in person the way I work the a/c is just to bring down the intense heat, in a mostly enclosed place and it's timed so it costs me 50 dollars in electricity a month to provide them with relief during the hottest part of day,

I do understand your viewpoint though

Also to credit those against a/c my hen turned rooster gets ice bottles shade and misters only and survived without a/c perfectly, for me though I cool my girls bc have you ever noticed they need to eat more than roos so they heat up that way and staying in the nesting box during heat is hard on them with no water and they heat up pushing out an egg so I put their nesting boxes back there and they didn't have to pant so much

 

[MagicChicken]

I just bought a trap to relocate a squirrel, it's only been in my yard a couple days. Amazon is wonderful I should have it Thursday. Lots of feral cats around here I haven't seen mice for over a year.

If you want more without the wait, a lot of feed stores carry squirrel (and other) traps.

 

[SonoranChick]

I was tired when I formed my question it seems that I didn't get it across right I wasn't questioning the legitimacy of the heat tolerance,or anyone opinion I was literally wondering what those with experience with them noticed that you think help them if anyone had an observation on that


As far as a/c goes I think everyone's opinion that I've read so far has been correct, it's ultimately a choice how I do it is in the hottest months during the peak heat of day light a/c goes on that allows them to experience 115 day heat as 100 it is important that if you keep it cool and then they go out into the heat they can experience a shock so personally I allow them to tough out the heat in the mornings and evenings with shade and ice and misting, and gradually let the heat return by turning off the a/ç as the sun goes down and they free range once more. I personally feel that with the soaring Temps, you are more likely to lose hens without a careful a/c plan from may until mid September is my a/c months and it gets turned on once 105 degrees is reached and off a few hours later


Also chickens lose heat through their legs/feet so cool water puddles where they can stand in and coat their feet with mud is a fave with my girls this past summer

I can't say enough about cool water puddles for toe dips!

I totally understood & sympathized with your question, and I am honestly wondering the same How are these big ol feathered things supposed to be better in the heat than the rest? Lol I'm learning as I go.