Breed Recommendation: Quiet, Hardy vs. Heat & Confinement

[mkoat]

Hello all, this looks like a great forum, I've been wanting to raise chickens for years, and am finally in a situation to do so. I have very quiet neighbors, and am looking for a quiet breed, however I also live in Texas, so they will need to be able to sustain our summer temperatures. The chickens will also be somewhat confined when they reach full size.

However, I've never done any of this before. I'm really guessing on all of these issues. What exactly is considered too hot for chickens? And what exactly is "confined"?

 

[gritsar]

Hi Mkoat and welcome to BYC!
First, here's the link to Henderson's Chicken Chart:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

It will give you a quick overview of the most common breeds.

I have LF brahma here in SW Arkansas. Do really well in the heat and breeze thru our mediocre winters.
Mine tolerated confinement to a pen when they were young, but have been free-ranging for over a year now and I'm thinking they'd have issues with being confined now.
Temps. started getting into the 100s and they need extra care in the form of ways to cool off, frequent water changes, maybe some electrolytes in their water.
Good luck in your new adventure!

 

[mkoat]

edit - answered my own q, sorry

 

[mkoat]

Grits, Thanks for the response, but I am confused on some issues. I am wanting to basically raise the quietest chickens possible, but I'd also like to get a breed that will be more comfortable with the higher temps and confinement.

The chart you provided, for example, mentions "quiet" under the following breeds:

Australorp
Belgian D'Uccle or Barbu d'Uccle
Polish

Yet, according to a thread I found (https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=113737&p=5), byc keepers voted on their opinion of the quietest, many of the voters had many breeds of chickens. The results from the 5th page:

The latest tally:
Easter Egger - 6
Silkie – 4
Orpington – 4
Golden Comet (SL) - 1
Red Star (SL) – 1
Black Star (SL) – 1
Cinnamon Queen (SL) – 1
Total for Sex Links in general – 5 (one response was just “sex links” not a specific variety)
Hamburg– 3
Cochin (or Pekin) Bantam – 2
Ameraucana - 2
Cuckoo Maran – 2
Wyandotte – 2
Cochin (standard, I’m assuming) - 1
Rhode Island Red (breeder quality!) - 1
Japanese Bantam - 1
Barred Rock – 1
Andalusian – 1
Light Brahma – 1
Dorking – 1
Phoenix - 1







My problem with the chart is that there is not a significant correlation - In fact, the differences are almost contradictory.

I'm currently leaning towards the silkie, as they scored well in the quiet thread and are noted as doing well with heat and confinement on the Henderson chart. But I would like to get something with a bit more egg production, and while I know that easter egg and orpingtons are kept in the area(DFW), the chickens will, at times, be in an area that could be warmer than outside temps, and don't want to get in a situation where the birds are suffering.

Thanks again for the help, and if you can toss any more in my direction, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[worldwidechick]

I think you will just love silkies. I resisted havning them for a long time, but now am quite addicted. They are super quiet, very calm and friendly. Their eggs are small though, and they tend to get broody often. If it is eggs you need, you may want to have a couple of breeds. RIR's are great layers, handle heat and confinement well and are friendly. Not sure how quiet, but my hens didn't make too much noise. Buff Orps are very quiet natured, calm and tranquil, not sure how they handle heat though. Gosh, you have a tough decision to make, I'd get one of each kind if it were me.

 

[Judy]

You should look at the temperature chart in this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=215061

I don't think you should be planning to keep chickens in Texas where it will ever be hotter than outside temps; I don't think they will survive.

Several people on here have reported losing chickens this summer to heat stress/prostration, despite efforts to keep them comfortable.

 

[mkoat]

Quote:
I believe you're referring to this chart:

Heat Stress and Ambient Temperature

65°F to 75°F
Ideal temperature range.

75°F to 85°F
A slight reduction in feed consumption can be expected, but if nutrient intake is adequate, production efficiency is good. Egg size may be reduced and shell quality may suffer as temperatures reach the top of this range.

85°F to 90°F
Feed consumption falls further. Weight gains are lower. Egg size and shell quality deteriorate. Egg production usually suffers. Cooling procedures should be started before this temperature range is reached.

90°F to 95°F
Feed consumption continues to drop. There is some danger of heat prostration among layers, especially the heavier birds and those in full production. At these temperatures, cooling procedures must be carried out.

95°F to 100°F
Heat prostration is probable. Emergency measures may be needed. Egg production and feed consumption are severely reduced. Water consumption is very high.

Over 100°F
Emergency measures are needed to cool birds. Survival is the concern at these temperatures.

This is some great info, but I have some pretty obvious problems with this...Basically this chart suggests that all chickens deal with temps the same way, yet that is directly contradictory to Henderson's Chart, most breed discussion on temperatures, and most modern biology. Short of getting in touch with Kenneth E. Anderson, I'm not sure how the table is supposed to be viewed. I did not read anywhere in the complete study a mention of breed or breeds. In fact, very little discussion of his method was used at all.

There are commercial breeders in the area who, while supplying climate control I'm sure, also crowd their coops(if that's what you fall them?) to the point where body heat alone would warrant higher than ambient temps. I'll certainly try to supply additional cooling, but would hate to think that raising chickens at this point is impossible.

 

[mkoat]

Quote:
You've hit the nail on the head. I thoroughly considered RIR, but the general consensus from multi-breed owners was that they were not among the quieter of the breeds.

Loudness is probably my biggest priority, as my neighbor is very old and the kindest person in the world, so I'm willing to sacrifice the egg production if it means a significantly quieter hen with a silkie. I'm hoping, however, I won't necessarily need to make that sacrifice - The thread I referenced, for example, suggests the EE to be the quietest, which is quite productive with eggs, yet many of the votes in the thread were not from a comparison perspective, which leads me to suspect it might not necessarily be quieter than say, an orpington.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I'm in Yuma, AZ, where it hits the upper 120's in August. I've never had a chicken die in the heat. However, I let them free range and I leave water running at all times for them to stand in if they choose. I have plenty of tree shade for them. One tarp for shade is not sufficient. If they were cooped, there would probably be casualties. Of all the breeds I have, the ones that seem to not notice the heat at all are the Silver Penciled Leghorn rooster, the brahmas, and the White Faced Black Spanish. Henderson's lists the Blue Andalusians as being heat hardy, but they sure don't look like they're enjoying it. The cornish doesn't look too happy either. The black stars hold their wings away from them and pant. They all pant, but the brahmas and leghorn don't hold their wings away from their bodies.

 

[Judy]

I see I did not word my post very well. I did not intend to suggest you shouldn't keep chickens in Texas (I know, that's the way it sounded.) Many do, and as also posted here, in even worse temps. I was trying to say that I didn't think that plans should include keeping them in a situation where it would be warmer than outdoors.

To me, the point of the chart is that any chicken is going to suffer above certain temps, and will then lay less, be subject to stress which could push it over the edge if there is an underlying problem, etc. Perhaps Silkies or other breeds are more likely to survive the stress than others. There is survival, but then there is also thriving, or at least being healthy.

I have several breeds, and do see that some do more panting and wing spreading than others. (The Australorps and Wyandottes tolerate the heat the best, by the way.) But stress is stress, and all mine pant in the heat of the day to some extent, despite my measures.

It simply doesn't seem sensible to me to plan a situation in which the stress of the unavoidable outdoor temps is worsened by their quarters.