Newbie Questions about Coop Temperature

[LisaJean]

Hi all!

I have some newbie questions. I did look at the FAQ and through the rest of the site, but I couldn't find what I was looking for.

I live in Raleigh, NC. It gets hot here in the summer. Like 100+F. Do I need to put an air conditioner in my coop?

It does get cold in the winter, even though I am in the South. Do I need a heater in the coop? An acquaintance told me that chickens like the cold, but I am worried about it getting too cold.

Also, are there certain breeds that do better in warmer climates? I am looking for egg production most of all, so if anyone can suggest breeds that like heat and are good layers, I would appreciate it.

 

[peepkeeper]

Your chickens should do fine in the winter. As long as they can get out of drafts and the weather, they'll be fine. No need to heat. Up here in north country most people don't even insulate.

Chickens are more sensitive to heat than cold. You might want to put in a fan and make sure they have shade. if you go to mypetchicken.com, they have a section where you plug in your needs and they give you breeds that would be good for you. Give it a try and see if you can find some heat hardy breeds.

 

[ChickMomma]

Welcome to BYC! I live near HIgh Point, NC, but this is my first year keeping chickens. You need to have ventilation in your coop for the summer. This can come from open windows. Some people put in fans. A shade tree or two would help keep the temps down. On really hot days I froze gallon jugs of water and put them into the run. The girls enjoyed laying against them. You can look at my coop by using the link in my sig. For winter I plan on closing up the window / vent openings and covering the floor with pine shavings. I do have power run to the coop if I have to put a heat lamp in but I think they should be able to keep each other warm as it does not get THAT cold here! I hope that helps some.
My golden comets did very well with the heat of this summer but did not start laying until 26 weeks and then only one is laying.
Susanne

 

[nccountrygirl]

Welcome from Sanford NC, I don't think we need to insulate or use heaters as long as the coops are draft free.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Henderson's breed chart mentions which breeds are known to be hardier in the heat. There's a lot of other information on it, including how well they lay.

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

[LisaJean]

Wow, you are all so friendly and helpful! Thank you so much for your advice. I have looked at the website that was mentioned, and I think I am going to start with Legorns and Rhode Islands. They seem to be OK with heat, are good layers, and do well in confinement.

Then if I do well with it, I will add Ameracaunas, because I can't wait to see those pretty blue-green eggs! Maybe an Australorp, too.

We can't have free-range birds in Raleigh, so they will be confined. I plan to build them a nice run, though, and I will let them out into my fenced yard when I am out there with them.

Is it OK to get only one of a certain breed? Would she be lonely, or will she make friends with other breeds? Are chickens racist? :-D

Delawares also seem like they would do well in my situation, but they are listed as "rare," so I might not be able to find any.

 

[peepkeeper]

A chicken of a single breed doesn't know that it's a different breed than the others. As long as you have at least 2-3 chickens, they'll be happy together.

I have heard that Delawares are a pretty aggressive breed. I don't have any, so maybe a delaware owner can give you more advice, but I hear they bite and peck a lot.