Can my chickens stand the heat

[SurferchickinSB]

I don't have chickens yet but I'm planning to get three RIR and one plymouthrock I want to get them as chicks but I don't want them to overheat ( I live in AZ ) so what should I do?

Where in Arizona? I know some places get to almost 120° in the summer and I don’t think a lot of breeds would do well in that kind of heat. Make sure you investigate the breeds that you will be getting and make sure that they are heat tolerant breeds. Most chickens don’t like heat!

 

[aart]

I have ceramic floor tiles left over from a floor job. I put those in the freezer over night and then place in in shady areas for the animals to lay on.

That's good idea.

 

[pacorona]

We live in Louisiana - different heat, but just as hot!! I add a box fan in the summer time, and sometimes a mister if it gets in the 90's or more. Ladies seem to know and stand in the breeze or mist, and sometimes will even pause while free ranging just to go to their coop to cool off!! Ice once in awhile in their water, frozen creamed corn or other veggies quite a treat!

 

[Judy Todd]

Australorps are known for their heat tolerance- the breed originated in Australia apparently. They are good layers and very nice!

I’ve only had one of the breed until this year (I’m adding 3-5, just depends on how many of the little ones I keep) and while it only hits 100 here for a week or so, she does great during the hot streaks while the others (Brahma, leg horns and barred rock) all take breaks from egg laying.

We do not get very much extra hot weather here in the PNW, but I would get Sicilian Buttercups and other similar breeds. They do fine in hot weather.

 

[Layke]

I don't have chickens yet but I'm planning to get three RIR and one plymouthrock I want to get them as chicks but I don't want them to overheat ( I live in AZ ) so what should I do?

No, chickens don't melt in AZ. I live in Arizona and keep chickens. Lots of people keep chickens here in Arizona, just give them plenty of water and shade, they find their cool spot. Chickens are surprisingly hearty creatures.

 

[chiengora]

Hi - I am in the Phoenix, AZ area.
Have had chickens for more than 10 years. Mine are loose in the back yard so they can pick where they can get. I find them under bushes a lot. I will flood a depression in the shade so that they can stand in mud. My chickens seem to prefer this over a mister, which they avoided.
I currently have just one Easter egger, and a sex-linked, both hens. We had an accident some months ago and I lost all but my remaining Easter egger. The sex-linked was a cull from a commercial situation; I got her so the Easter egger wouldn't be alone. I am hoping that the Easter egger will go broody as she has for the past few years and I can get her a couple of chicks to raise. She has raised 2 batches of chicks for me and is an excellent mother.
I used to worry a lot about the heat but with shade, water, and mud to stand in, they do well.

 

[chaz65]

Get those small watermelons or grown them, put them in the freezer. When it's hot take one and crack it open and the chickens will love it! It works with most water veggies or fruits, like cucumber, watermelon, cantaloupe, ect... You can freeze chunks of fruit or cucumbers and put them in their water, they'll peck the frozen chunks plus get nice cool water. Make sure to place water in a shaded area and fill a couple times a day with fresh water. Sometimes I run my water from the hose to make a puddle and they run/splash in it.

In my area it's hot and very humid during the summer, but my chickens don't mind as long as I give them frozen fruits/veggies, fresh water, shade, and fresh cool water puddles.

Do not feed them corn, it's known to cause heat within their bodies as the digest it. That's one thing I learned years ago from a friend who's had chickens for 10+ years, that bit of info has always stick with me.

 

[rhondita55]

I feel your pain. I'm in the Phoenix area and most people just don't understand the high DRY heat we have here. Install a mist system. I turn mine on at 104 to 105. On those nights where our low is 103° I leave it running all night. I do find that Red sexlinks and Easter eggers do real well. All my girls LOVE the mist. I wouldn't want to stay outside, even in the shade all day when we get these up to 120°+ and I won't let my girls stay in it either. Just get the simple mister system you can tie to the fence and connect your hose too. I eventually did the pvc pipe and put it in with the lawn system. So when we are camping, I can watch the weather and still turn the cool mist on for the girls.

 

[rhondita55]

We live in Louisiana - different heat, but just as hot!! I add a box fan in the summer time, and sometimes a mister if it gets in the 90's or more. Ladies seem to know and stand in the breeze or mist, and sometimes will even pause while free ranging just to go to their coop to cool off!! Ice once in awhile in their water, frozen creamed corn or other veggies quite a treat!

I've lived in GA and been in Louisiana. It's real humid there. The 90's are miserable. But until you stand in the shade with the heat waves coming up off the ground and it's still 115° to 120° you have no idea how fast the dehydration starts.

 

[WELDON99]

I live in Deep East Texas where we often see temps above 100, coupled with high humidity. I have Bantams, Easter Eggers, Brahmas, Gold Stars, Selkies and Frizzles. They all seem to tolerate the heat well. I do turn on an oscillating fan for them during the summer and they all have plenty of shade and fresh water. This has been our practice for the last 4 years and no major problems. We do give them treats of watermelon, cantaloupe and kitchen scraps. Their main diet consists of Purina Layna Pellets and cracked corn. The corn really helps them in cooler (very seldom gets below freezing here!) months, but we have seen no ill effects during the summertime.