first time chickens Rant/learning curve

[madsnbot]

Welcome to BYC. I too am in hot humid FL. Currently 96. "Feels Like" 109. Not yet the hottest we are expected to go today.

So...
There are pretty horrible chicken diseases out there. Potentially devastating. That's "High Consequence". The risk of infection, however, is extremely small. That's "Low Risk". Humans, as it turns out, are unusually bad at evaluating high consequence low risk events. As is demonstrated by the millions of people playing lotto, and the current state of Earth's preparedness for a significant asteroid hit. Or the global response to COVID. All High Consequence events with extremely low risk they will occur in any given year.

Meaning your feelings are quite normal. But they almost certainly are not reflective of the true risk to your birds (or yourself).

Your birds, at some point, most likely will get sick. And if I had to place odds, I'd bet they would get sick with either:

Coccidia (because coccidia are everywhere humans have been), which is easily treated with CORID from the farm store;

or Fowl Pox, because mosquitoes carry fowl pox from flock to flock, and mosquitoes and FL, well, you know... If your flock gets the dry version (most common), apart from some ugly scabs on their combs for a while, you likely won't notice, and you do almost nothing to treat.

In other words, relax. The most serious threat your birds will absolutely face is FL's heat and humidity. Make sure your coop is WELL ventilated, you provide lots of shade, and plenty of fresh clean water. and a place for them to dig into the dirt to cool off. Choosing birds with clean legs and big prominent combs helps too.

Thank you! and yes. the heat is horrible here.

 

[Folly's place]

Florida looks really good___ in January.
Mary

 

[Brooks_]

Florida looks really good___ in January.
Mary

Have you lost your mind? It's freezing in January.

 

[madsnbot]

Have you lost your mind? It's freezing in January.

if it’s below 70 it’s freezing!

 

[Folly's place]

I grew up in Wisconsin; it's freezing THERE in January!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We froze in January once - there was snow, even. FL shut down I-10, and I-95 from the state line to Volusia County - about 100 miles. I assume there was a similar shut down on I-75

 

[madsnbot]

I grew up in Wisconsin; it's freezing THERE in January!

I can imagine. might be better than this heat though haha!!

 

[Brooks_]

We froze in January once - there was snow, even. FL shut down I-10, and I-95 from the state line to Volusia County - about 100 miles. I assume there was a similar shut down on I-75

Are you referring to '89 or that one in mid to late 70's?

 

[madsnbot]

We froze in January once - there was snow, even. FL shut down I-10, and I-95 from the state line to Volusia County - about 100 miles. I assume there was a similar shut down on I-75

When was this?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

When was this?

I believe it was '89, I had only been driving a few years. There was an unusually hard freeze when I was very young - we still had ribbons tied around trees for the hostages being held in Iran, but I wasn't driving then, so don't recall if they shut down the Interstates.