Best heat hardy breed

[Chonke]

Hi!
I'm in KY and it gets pretty hot here, but cold as well, so that got added to my requirements. I just wanted to pop in and say that my barred rock and ameraucana are two of my favorite chicks so far!!! And the Easter eggers are not far behind.
Sadly my RIR seems to like to go for the eyes of the other chicks, hope she cuts that out soon.
But ya, if you want friendly birds, definitely get a barred rock and ameraucana! (Not to mention the pretty eggs!) They hop up out of the brooder to greet and sit on my arm and lap

Good to hear! Luckily we dont have bad winters here, only the terrible heat.
Originally I wanted to get rhode island reds, but ive read a lot that they dont do as well in the extreme heat. Plus I have a few friends locally who have chickens, and warned me that their RIR didnt do well in our weather, so I kinda tossed that idea out. Hopefully the ISA brown does a little better.

 

[WillGriffin03]

Hi Chonke,

What are you considering having in your flock?

 

[Chonke]

Hi Chonke,

What are you considering having in your flock?

So far Im thinking:

1) ameraucana
2) welsummer
3) barred rock
4) white leghorn
5) isa brown
Im also thinking about a golden campine but i hear they do better free range than confinement.

Im thinking about starting out with 6 hens, so maybe ill get 2 ameraucanas and i should be set

 

[Chonke]

So i read that black australops also do well confined and in hot weather. I was a bit concerned due to the heat and dark color but theyre breed originates from australia, so that works for me

I should be all set

 

[dekel18042]

Hi guys, Ive been reading about which breeds will suit me best but i keep finding contradicting info. I still dont have chickens, but im getting closer to building my coop.

I live in a really hot area with temperatures reaching 116 f so having having heat hardy breeds is very important to me. They are also going to be in a run most of the time to keep them safe from my dog when im not around.

So far ive read that leghorns fit the bill, but i hear 50/50 about rhode island reds.

So what breeds would you recommend that are
1) heat tolerant
2) can handle being inside a run most of the time
3) good egg layers
In that order of priority???

Thanks

There is not one breed that stands out over the others. As rule the Mediterranean breeds are excellent when it comes to being heat hardy and great egg layers, so the leghorns would be an excellent choice. Usually anything with a big comb that can dissipate heat does well when it is hot.
Another question is do you want all your chickens the same or are you interested in a colorful flock of different breeds?
While I have and like welsummers and they do well in the heat, love their terra cotta and speckled colored eggs plus I can use them to make olive eggers, at best they are only fair egg layers. Their olive egger daughters are an improvement over them.
My Easter eggers are both heat and cold tolerant and next to my California greys which are considered by many to be a production bird (They would probably also be excellent in the heat, and come in a barred and white color (California whites) are my best layers and give me various interesting colored eggs.
You can go to www.mypetchickencom and take a short quiz about what you want in a hen and they will give you a list of breeds that should be a good fit for you.

 

[BlueBaby]

So i read that black australops also do well confined and in hot weather. I was a bit concerned due to the heat and dark color but theyre breed originates from australia, so that works for me

I should be all set

You are right. I live in the desert in Arizona, and I do have Australorps. I have them in 3 colors, the black, the blue, and the splash. I have them contained to the coop, and their run. All is predator proof. In the summer when we have those really high heat, I put in a misting system at the far end of the run, away from the coop. Provide something for shade, good ventilation, and plenty of clean water for them to drink. My next door neighbor also has some Australorps, and hers runs loose in her fenced in yard. Either way, the Australorps can adjust. I hope that this helps you.

 

[Chonke]

You are right. I live in the desert in Arizona, and I do have Australorps. I have them in 3 colors, the black, the blue, and the splash. I have them contained to the coop, and their run. All is predator proof. In the summer when we have those really high heat, I put in a misting system at the far end of the run, away from the coop. Provide something for shade, good ventilation, and plenty of clean water for them to drink. My next door neighbor also has some Australorps, and hers runs loose in her fenced in yard. Either way, the Australorps can adjust. I hope that this helps you.

We have similar weather to phoenix, so that good to know. Im still designing the coop and I have plenty of ventilation set, plus its going to be right next to a large block fence, so it should have plenty of shade. Im going to look into a mist system tho. Sounds like a good idea. I remember my dad made one for our dog when we were little, so maybe I can do something similar. Thanks