Layer/Heat Tolerant/Backyard Breed Recs

[Teaching Chicken Mama]

Hello Y'al,
What are some breeds that are great layers, heat tolerant (95-100 in July and August), and good natured for a backyard? I am learning about the breeds, but would like your recommendations too. Thank sin advance!
Carrie





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[Coops Dad]

Any Mediterranean ancestry breeds, any clean legged, large combed breeds. There's a lot to choose from. Leghorns come to mind; productive, heat tolerant, good foragers.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Agree, the Mediterranean breeds, and so many to choose! Look at Henderson's breed chart for good ideas. And probably where you live, many others will be fine too.
Mary

 

[Teaching Chicken Mama]

Any Mediterranean ancestry breeds, any clean legged, large combed breeds. There's a lot to choose from. Leghorns come to mind; productive, heat tolerant, good foragers.

Thanks so much!

 

[Teaching Chicken Mama]

Welcome!
Agree, the Mediterranean breeds, and so many to choose! Look at Henderson's breed chart for good ideas. And probably where you live, many others will be fine too.
Mary

Thanks! I live in West TN, so wee get some hot and humid summers.

 

[3KillerBs]

I love my quirky, mischievous California White (a Leghorn crossbreed), though I'm not sure I'd want a whole flock of them. She's the only bird in the flock smart enough to fly back inside a fence she flew out of.

My Blue Australorps are also quite heat-tolerant. The Silver-Laced Wyandotte, however, doesn't do so well.

*Generally* you're looking for clean legs, close feathering, and a large single comb in a heat-tolerant breed. But that's not always reliable because Brahmas, who are nothing like that, have a reputation for being weirdly heat-tolerant.

If I have the option for the breeds I'm looking for, I get my birds from Ideal Poultry, which is located in Texas. I figure that their breeding flocks are automatically selected for heat-tolerance. The same would go for any hatchery located in a hot climate.

 

[Folly's place]

Starting out it's fun and helpful to get some birds of several breeds that look interesting to you, and see what works, and what you like.
Different colored eggs? Interesting birds of different colors? Dual purpose or super egg producers? Go for it!
Mary

 

[AprilWC]

Hello! I'm in Georgia so I can relate to summers! I currently have Jersey Giants and Sussex. Both seem to do well in our heat and humidity. The Jersey Giants are probably not going to be the most prolific egg layers compared to other breeds, but they're my favorites.

Breeds I have had luck with in the past include Barred Rocks, Anconas, Easter Eggers, and (surprisingly) bantam Cochins. I had a couple of hatchery grade Brahmas. They did okay, but not as well as the others and I probably wouldn't get them again. All of those breeds except the Anoncas were very sweet natured. The Anconas were the best at foraging and egg laying, but not personable (which is a trait in many Mediterranean breeds). I found the Barred Rocks and speckled Sussex to be the best at camouflaging from predators in a free range situation. Back when we lived in a subdivision, I would let my bantam Cochins free range. However, on our farm I wouldn't because they are not capable of running fast or flying very far to get away from predators.