Can anyone recommend the best chicken to raise?

[Aunt Angus]

I live in Southern Oklahoma and the heat and humidity get outrageous at times...

Plymouth Rocks are pretty hardy. We had temps in 110°+ range where I used to live. My Rock did well. Wasn't humid, though. My Naked Neck also does well when we hit triple digits. Leghorns, too.

Now my coop is air conditioned so they all do pretty well - lol! Spoiled birds....

 

[gunslinger33]

I live in central Georgia. I really like our Bielefelders. They are large and calm. I have not experienced any issues with the heat. I think fresh cold water helps and an area that they can get out of the sun.

I would also look at Heritage RIR. I have some of Cackle's Exhibition RIR and I am super impressed with them. I normally do not buy from the mass hatcheries but I wanted Heritage RIR for the color. They are as big as my Bielefelders and similar in personality. They are good layers but , they are in their first year.

I have some of the other breeds you mentioned and I don't know that I would get them again. I would rather speak to the ones I like versus the breeds I don't necessary love.

Biels are big eaters

 

[Lollychicken]

I live in Australia and where I am it reaches 35⁰C (won't usually get hotter than that) and my Light Sussex get around. They usually chill under a tree. Good egg layers, but do take a while to start again after moulting. Super friendly, and will come up and eat out of your hand

 

[artbykarenehaley]

I can tell you favor your Biefelders based on your original post. They're a more uncommon breed so you could sell them for higher. You'd probably be happiest raising a breed you really like. They're pretty hardy. I would go with your favorite, and try some different tactics for keeping your roos going.

Could it be that the roos are taking on the hawks to protect your hens? I have redtails in my area that the roosters will try to fight, so I have to use aerial protection over my run in the form of a shade cloth (the cloth is lightweight but the hawks can't see through it.)

Have you been giving your roosters the layer feed? I'd try offering higher protein feed and a separate dish of oystershell if that's the case. Sometimes the roosters' health suffers from lower protein or too much calcium. If you have another roo die, I would recommend getting an autopsy done to find out if they're lacking something or getting too much of something else. I wouldn't know how to tell.

Possibly try a different supplier for your birds and see if the line is the issue. That's unlikely but could be worth a try.

It may be that they are suffering from the higher heat and humidity that you're describing, but without more information regarding how much shade they get, if there's airflow, or if the water is in the shade or sun (I've had chickens choose to not drink if their water is too warm and then get dehydrated) I wouldn't know for sure.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope you can find a breed with the hardiness and appeal you are looking for!

 

[Data]

I am guessing the answer to this changes with each person/state/circumstance but I would like to know what you have found the best chicken to raise.
I have a huge chicken coop where I live. I have purchased several other small chicken coops that cost less but dogs can break into, etc... It costs so much to keep chickens up (if I never let them run free so they breed true breeds) that I have decided to switch to just one breed and let them have the big coop, free range, and breed that set of hens/roosters only. I have tons of predators and I think chicken hawks are the worst where I live. It is illegal to hurt them so I am leaning toward a heavier breed that they can't carry off. I am in the South (Arkansas) with horrid, hot, humid summers.
These are my choices:
1. Bielefelders: I love this breed. Both my hens and roosters are calm and sweet. They are heavyset and have huge eggs although it does take them a long time to start laying. They eat a lot though . That would hurt in the winter when there are no bugs. The bad thing is, I can't seem to keep a rooster alive. Last summer, I lost roosters and a few hens. I live in Arkansas and our summers are horrible. I am guessing it was due to the heat that those few died but now I am on my 4th rooster and have no idea why they keep dying. I have not lost any hens since last summer: just Roosters and I have no clue why. They are expensive but I have several now along with several babies that I can use as breeders to keep going next year. If something happened to these, I could not imagine paying $10-30 each for new birds to raise. They're too fluffy to fly over the neighbors fence also.
2. Sapphire Gem. Pretty and sweet. Lay young. Lay good sized eggs. My hens never die but both my roosters died. Like the Bielefelder, I have no idea why. I am thinking about steering away from them because they are smaller and because they (from what I've read) don't breed true once you breed them.
3. Ameraucana's: I live the pretty eggs and the two that I have are so sweet (but not as sweet as my Bielefelder hens) but are also small and chicken hawks love my small chickens.
4. I have leaning heavily on Barred Rock or Black Australorp. Both free range great. Both are heavy set. Both lay good. Both are cheap to replace. Babies are not over $3-4 each and that's pullets. However, they don't seem as friendly as the Bielefelders. My Australorp roosters are definitely not friendly. They are not mean but I can't pick them up like I can Mr. Roo Roo (Bielefelder). Also, I am not sure how they do in the summer. Bielefelders didn't handle Arkansas summers well last year. I would like to know how Barred Rocks and Australorps handle hot humid summers since they are so heavy set.

Right now, everything is running together but I am only gathering eggs to eat and not to breed. I want to downsize by the end of summer and just have the one breed. I just need help deciding what one. Somebody tell me your favorite lol.

My Australorps are near impossible to kill. My hens have done well in nasty hot and humid summers and freezing winters. They just need shade and water.

I find it's odd that your roos keep dying with no losses in your hens. The only thing that comes to mind is the possibility of kidney damage from too much calcium in the diet. I know you can't feed young pullets layer feed because of their kidneys can't handle it until they ready to lay.

 

[Debbie09011970]

I wrote it in another post but they were dying due to Mycoplasma.