Can you help me find the right breed?

[eggsrcool]

Silkies are very friendly, but I'm not sure how they would cope with the heat. Pekins are small, friendly chickens and sussexes lay ,lots of eggs, if you are planning on getting a rooster, they are reasonably quiet. All the breeds I have mentioned go broody very easily (they will sit on eggs). If you want some chickens which lay beautiful eggs, I recommend the Cream Legbar, but I must mention, mine aren't quiet. My first chickens were farmyard-type ones, but after that I got light sussex's and I haven't not had sussex's since!

 

[Katy]

I guess I would disagree with Jason that the buff orps (or any of my orps)are heat tolarent. Even tho they and my wyandottes are some of my favorites they definately struggle with the heat more than some of my other breeds do. The lighter weight the chicken the better they'll handle heat as opposed to the heavy breeds.....but the lighter chickens are also usually flightier.

 

[speckledhen]

Since Katy said this, I do know that my big blue Orps are the ones who have the hardest time staying cool. Barred Rocks, being not as heavily feathered and fluffy as the Orps, seem to take the heat in stride. And my blue/black/splash Ameraucanas do even better, being lighter weight birds. They do well in cold, too, with their pea combs. The BRs and Ameraucanas are my quietest birds, overall, with the Orps right up there, too.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I have to agree- my Orps are panting when it's in the 90s here. The Australorp seems fine- and not as talkative. RIRs are great layers- but aren't as friendly- and the roos can be slightly agressive.

My best hen-socially and egg wise- has to be my White Rock. All-around great bird.

 

[feather leg farms]

I can't help you much on the heat part but silkies are the best on temperment. Silkies, showgirls, orps and coachins. Like I said sorry but can't help you on the heat part.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

A breed with a single comb can cool itself easier than breeds with other comb types. If you are looking for a friendly breed, I would steer away from the Leghorn varieties. They are wonderful layers, but are skittish and flighty, IMO.

Here are some recommendations I found from the chicken breed selector on www.mypetchicken.com:

Australorp *
Delaware *
Easter Eggers
Faverolles
Plymouth Rocks *
Rhode Island Red *
Black Star (aka Black Sex-link) *
Sussex *
Wyandotte

Those with the * next to them are single comb breeds.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I have mostly silkies. They will do fine in heat if given shade and plenty of water. Yesterday our local temps were up to 118. I can't say the birds were happy with the temperature, but they did fine--they were more concerned that their food bowls be refilled, or that they be allowed out to roam the yard than they were about water (which is what we checked on several times throughout the day). Of course if they had not had water available it would have been a serious concern.