Hardy breed for hot weather

[carlosbenitezv]

Before i decide to go out and buy a bunch of chicks and start raising for meat and eggs, im trying to figure out what breeds are there that do well in the scorching heat in South western Mexican coast but that will also be tolerant of confinement, as there are alot of predators in the are like snakes, scorpions, rodents of all kinda, ferral cats and dogs and possibly air born predetors. Ive been advised by several members that the Cantalana and others are a good choice but the thing is neither of them do very well confined. Im kinda stuck at this phase of my research. Thanks.

 

[junebuggena]

Check this out.
http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Especially-Heat-Hardy-c69.aspx

 

[beetandsteet]

Leghorns do well in the heat and lay a lot; not good for meat. They are little flighty though. You may want to consider raising meat birds in the cooler months of the year as the summer is harder on heavier animals. I live in Southeast Texas near Houston and it gets extremely hot and humid here (95-105 degrees for 5 months of the year). If you provide a lot of shade for your birds, with cool dirt to lay in, they will pant and will be stressed, but they will survive. Use some electrolytes in the water (always provide plain water, too) to help them in times of extreme heat. I have lost 4 chickens to the heat over the past 4 years, and those were due to the shade cover blowing off their cage. Good luck with your flock!

 

[junebuggena]

If a breed description mentions that a breed doesn't tolerate confinement, it means that they don't do well in a small coop/run type environment. They can't be kept in dense numbers. This is a big factor to consider in North America, where winter weather can keep a flock inside the coop for days at a time. Most Mediterranean breeds (white egg layers) do very well in hot climates, but they tend to be bossy, domineering types that need their space. 4 sq ft of coop space and 10 sq ft of run space per bird is usually enough to keep them satisfied.

 

[hellbender]

Overall...the Naked Neck/Turken can't be beat. Even tempered, excellent meat birds and very respectable layers, in hot weather and they do remarkably well in very cold climates too.

 

[carlosbenitezv]

I have a design in mind already where i atleast try to accommodate those breeds that dont like being enclosed. It respects that 4sqft coop 10 sqft run per chicken and i dont mind that ill be using a 10th of my property. But it seems like i may still have options. I wont make a decision until ive exhausted all my options. Thanks for your responses.

 

[hellbender]

I have a design in mind already where i atleast try to accommodate those breeds that dont like being enclosed. It respects that 4sqft coop 10 sqft run per chicken and i dont mind that ill be using a 10th of my property. But it seems like i may still have options. I wont make a decision until ive exhausted all my options. Thanks for your responses.

Just one more thing....good Naked Necks should be very easy for you to lay hands on.