Freedom Ranger heat tolerance?

[HillCountryMomma]

Hi Y'all,

For those of you who have raised FRs, how tolerant of heat where they?

My Rangers are a little over 4 weeks old now and it's getting HOT already here in central Texas. Highs in the mid to upper 90s the last couple days. Lows in the 70s. All my chickens spend the heat of the day lounging around panting. It's not gonna get any better for many months either! Darn Texas heat.

I'm transitioning the Rangers out of the coop and into a big tractor. It's a hoop tractor very much like the one on the Delibrate Agrarian blog site, except mine is open wire at both ends for ventilation. Tarp over 1/2 of it for shade. Trying to keep it under trees as well for additional shade. Once they outgrow the tractor (and with 44 of them, I figure they'll outgrow my 6.5 x 10 tractor pretty soon)they'll be 100% free range in a large fenced in area behind my garden (high fenced, pretty secure) that has lots of trees and shade.

I'm really hoping to keep a few hens (if I have any, still can't tell) fro breeding purposes. Will they survive our 100+ degree summers?

Thanks,
Liz

 

[greyfields]

If they have adequate shade and water, they ought to do well. If there is anything you can do ot keep them more spread out (rather than laying in one big ball) that helps too. I spread random things around the area that they can lay behind for shade.

I believe someone set up a swamp cooler for his Cornish Crosses in Texas in another thread here.

 

[HillCountryMomma]

Thanks Greyfiels.

I tell ya, if the birds have to have a swamp cooler then I'm afraid they're just gonna have to die off around here! Wonder what part of TX they got a swamp cooler to work in, it's usually to humid for them here! Funny thought though.

I'm hoping shade and water will be enough. I went and bought a 3 gal waterer, and I'm dumping and filling it 2x a day to keep it clean and fresh. They seem to really appreciate that fresh cold water at the end of the day. It's pumped up out of our well and is nice and cool.

Liz

 

[meganblythe]

HillCountryMomma, what ended up happening with your freedom rangers in the Texas heat? I have four adult freedom ranger hens who I'm trying out as laying hens (harvested the rest of their brethren last fall) and we're getting into the mid-80s here. They are panting a lot already and are going to have to tolerate a lot more heat to make it through the next four months. They started out as chicks last fall, so this is the hottest weather they've experienced. I'm hoping they will adjust with time, but I'm a little worried. I sprayed down the inside of their pen (an A-frame that I move daily, but it stays in the shade, but not deep shade) and put a bin of fresh water in there for them to drink and stand in. They currently drink from nipple drinkers (worked great all winter) but I'm concerned they might not get enough water from the nipple drinkers during the summer heat. Any advice or experience you can share would be much appreciated.