Getting Summer Ready in Texas! A chicken heat tolerance question.

[A.M. Eggs]

Hi! I have just ordered my newest batch of chicks to come around May 1st. I ordered barred rocks, black austrolorps, EEs, Silver leghorns, Egyptian fayoumis, anconas, buff orpingtons, partridge rocks, and finally Salmon Faverolles. I am interested in the heat tolerance of Salmon Faverolles in Texas. During the summer, temperatures easily reach 100 degrees. I want to make sure that the Faverolles are not going to die suddenly from the heat. Can Faverolles live happily in my Texas home?

 

[Kiki]

Yes...you ordered chicks right?
They will grow up in the Texas heat and have no choice but to own it.

 

[aart]

Any bird can suffer from heat stress/stroke...even in Michigan.
I do not have much good deep shade, which is what's best.
If you live where humidity is low, I do not, a mister can really help.

I give a dose of Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins about once a week during heat waves, it really seems to help....started this after they saved a heat stroked hen once.
BIG(9x14x2") chunks of ice last all day for wading, sitting, and sipping..this had really helped too.

Make space in your freezer!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree it could be any of them, not just the Faverolles. If there is any underlying health problem the stress from that heat can overpower them.

What do your facilities look like? How will you manage them. Are you going to free range them so they can find cooler shady spots or will you keep them confined? Can they get to spots that stay shady all day, like inside pretty open sheds or under trees? Putting a roof on a run does not provide shade all day, a lot of sunlight comes in from the sides, especially early and late. Good ventilation at that shade is important too.

Do you have your coop yet? If not I'll offer some things to consider when you are designing it. If you already have a coop and can't do these things it can still work, but you might get some ideas of what tweaks might help it, curtains over south-facing windows or a vent on the north side for example.

Are you building ovens? I suggest you put the nests on the north side of your coop so they are not against a wall facing the sun. If you have a top on your nests make them a bit tall and have ventilation up high in them so hot air can rise and go away.

With that many chickens I sincerely hope you have a walk-in coop with lots of high ventilation. The taller it is (within reason) the better hot air will rise and go away. Put a vent on the north(shady) side of the coop at ground level so the air replacing that hot air is as cool as possible. You can block that vent in the winter.

Personally I would not put a window on the south or west side of the coop where the worst of your heat will come from like our friends from the north like to recommend. A window on the north side sounds great.

I'd recommend more room than the bare minimum so they can spread out. Be generous on roost space also for the same reason. Don't try to micromanage them. Give them as many options of where to go as you reasonable can and let them decide.

Thanks for letting us know where you are, that helps. You are not only going to be hot but you will be dry. In addition to others suggestions I find that wetting the ground in the shade where they like to lay will help cool them off. Don't worry about the run becoming wet and a problem, just let it mostly dry out overnight.

Provide plenty of water, of course. I use white water bowls outside in the shade but where the sun can hit it to help keep it cooler. The water can get really hot in a dark bowl in the sun.

Plenty of people keep Faverolles and other breeds in your climate but the heat is a risk. You have to manage it. Good luck!

 

[A.M. Eggs]

I have a run, they do not free range. They have three constantly shaded areas that rotate as the day goes by. In the morning, our barn covers the front of the run in shade until around 12:00. Then my second shaded area begins to cover for the rest of the evening. My third is a big bush that provides shade all day.

We have an automatic waterer that provides water to the birds 24/7. We are adding a cover over the waterer so that the water is in the shade all day.

We have ventilation on the north side of the coop near the top. We might add more there this year. We also install a fan in order to allow circulation.

My coop is a huge walk-in building. It is a converted horse stall and can host up to 60 birds at a time.

I tend to give them cool, watery treats during the summer and I mist the ground in the afternoon to give them cool dirt to play in. I have only ever had one death occur from the heat. She was in a nesting box all day and wouldn't come out. It was 107 for the high!

 

[Melky]

SF are cold tolerant so provide plenty of shade. I also offer sav a chick electrolytes in water during high temps along with shade. They also like watermelon occasionally for a cool down.

 

[lovingmyhens]

I cook treats, like veggies and rice and oatmeal, fruit, leftovers and freeze it in zip bags. It’s hot in Houston and they love these frozen treats!!

 

[igorsMistress]

Some breeds, especially the Australorps and BOs can be very fluffy and they can get pretty darn hot in summer. Shallow pools of water and mud puddles are very helpful in the heat. My girls like it when I put a little ice in their wading pools.

Treats containing water like cukes and melons, frozen berries and the like are good and fermented feed in summer increases water uptake too.

While they'll be raised there, it doesn't mean they'll own the heat. I lost 2 Australorps to it last summer, not even a year old and I got them from a local breeder. Some breeds just can't take heat well.

Good luck.

 

[MissChick@dee]

My summer recipe is Shade & Misters & Mud puddles (for feet) Frozen treats in ice blocks (in pans). Putting frozen soda bottles inside the waterers. Lots of watermelon as treats. The Misters are inexpensive and drop the temperature in the run. I like to go to the chickens runs to cool down when I’m working in the garden. Please try them! They make a massive difference.

 

[aart]

Please try them! They make a massive difference.

I would LOVE to!!
Experienced them in AZ.
But they don't work in humid environs.