What is best egg-laying breed for a hot, tropical climate?

[aquittner]

I am interested in having 2-4 laying small breed chickens in my backyard in Miami.
What are the best breeds for this?

thanks

 

[faykokoWV]

Is your purpose for having them for egg laying, something pretty to look at, or pets? There is a breed selection tool on this site that might help you. If you are just interested in eggs, any "production" type breed would be good. Red Stars, barred rocks, black stars, leghorns etc

 

[mrsc1951]

I am interested in having 2-4 laying small breed chickens in my backyard in Miami.
What are the best breeds for this?

thanks

I live on the West coast of Florida and have Australorps and Lt Brahmas. Both of them are good egg layers and not too big, plus they tolerate the heat well. They are also relatively quiet which was a big factor for me. The Australorps have great personalities and the Brahmas are friendly with people but are aggressive with some of the other (smaller and younger) girls.

 

[kapie9969]

I read that naked necks are bred for this.Lighter feathered,some people have said good things about them.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html
Here you go - have at it!

There are so many to choose from- it is very hard to decide.

 

[galanie]

Silkies, Polish, and Naked Necks are all known to do well during very hot weather. I know for fact that silkies do. I know someone who has had a silkie and various other breeds. The other breeds were suddenly dying for mysterious reasons. Then I saw where they were. Those others were dying of heat stroke. The silkie is still rolling along.

 

[gg706]

I live in west central Georgia. I have Blue Laced Red Wyandottes and Araucanas (not easter eggers). Both of my breeds handled the hot weather decent. The Araucanas dealt with the heat VERY well! The Wyandottes had a more difficult time. Both breeds have good personalities and manners. My wyandotte hens "taught" my weimaraner pups to leave the chickens alone. If the pups came up too close they would flog and peck the pups. My Weims have respect for the chickens now and I can free range my flock. My Arauacana rooster is very friendly to humans and my hens. The Wyandottes started laying at about 7 months and my Araucanas are just beginning to lay now at 8-9 months. Both of my breeds are pretty quiet my rooster crows a bit in the morning and the hens do a egg song other than that they are seen and not heard. If you are interested in Araucana you will have to get them from a breeder as they are not a typical hatchery breed. I got my flock from chicken scratch poultry.
edited to add the following.
The Araucanas do require some maintenance....I trim the feathers a little on their tush to keep poop from getting stuck on their feathers. This is not a big deal with a few chickens but if I had a LARGE flock I would not want to have trim feathers monthly.