Arizona Chickens

[springvalley123]

The heat wave is back! and this time they snuck it into the forecast. Today was supposed to be 95, then they upped it. It's 102 now, and I'm in the high desert! They're forecasting about a week without much letup this time. I've been breaking out the ice bottles more often and adding ice to the shallow litter pan, and misters! The andalusian who went broody last year is in the nestbox right now.

 

[Parront]

The heat wave is back! and this time they snuck it into the forecast. Today was supposed to be 95, then they upped it. It's 102 now, and I'm in the high desert! They're forecasting about a week without much letup this time. I've been breaking out the ice bottles more often and adding ice to the shallow litter pan, and misters! The andalusian who went broody last year is in the nestbox right now.

100 here, even in Mile-high Prescott. Ice in the water for all the birds.

 

[springvalley123]

100 here, even in Mile-high Prescott. Ice in the water for all the birds.

at least mine didn't go broody so far this year, she just laid an egg.

 

[Parront]

yes ordering chicks is so fun! for however many years from now my next flock will be, I'd either try to get the desert-raised heat tolerant birds (who would probably accept younger flock mates later if done appropriately), or a "surprise" assortment, where each day/week would be like Christmas, as the chicks developed and I could play guess the breed/sex.

The Naked Necks I have are barely panting. The Leghorns are even panting more!

 

[Parront]

The new chicks in the "She Shed" brooder are getting ice in their water. It is 100 in there with the fan on.

 

[springvalley123]

The new chicks in the "She Shed" brooder are getting ice in their water. It is 100 in there with the fan on.

maybe they'd like a hessier portable swamp cooler like @Veelee has!

ETA: their price has increased 43% in about a year!

 

[BlueBaby]

The Naked Necks I have are barely panting. The Leghorns are even panting more!

Yes, those Naked Neck's do the best in the heat. They have less feathering on the bodies too, but you can't tell because the feather's branch out enough so that it doesn't show. You have to pick the bird up and examine it to see.

 

[springvalley123]

Yes, those Naked Neck's do the best in the heat. They have less feathering on the bodies too, but you can't tell because the feather's branch out enough so that it doesn't show. You have to pick the bird up and examine it to see.

Your naked necks do much better than the hatchery ones I had. Mine panted worse than my leghorns! I guess breeding for extreme heat really makes a difference!

 

[BlueBaby]

Your naked necks do much better than the hatchery ones I had. Mine panted worse than my leghorns! I guess breeding for extreme heat really makes a difference!

One of my neighbor's that used to have a mixed flock of chicken's said that her white leghorn's did the worst in the heat. She also had some Black Australorp's, and some Easter Egger's.

 

[springvalley123]

One of my neighbor's that used to have a mixed flock of chicken's said that her white leghorn's did the worst in the heat. She also had some Black Australorp's, and some Easter Egger's.

There's not a lot of rhyme or reason to which birds from which breeds will do best in the heat. Leghorns are "from" a port town, so think milder climates than the plains of Andalusia or Egypt (fayoumis). But then think of their hatchery/living environments. Just living to breeding age would be an accomplishment in your climate (except of course how you care for them), but any breed/bird might do well in Iowa or other generally colder climates, and they probably have swamp coolers on the birds in those hatcheries anyway.