We live in a high heat area with very long Summers, very hot and humid. Mild Winters with a month of freezing days, if that. We are looking for a hen breed that can tolerate the heat plus is an excellent forager as we hope to let them free range.
I like the heritage breeds because they have stood the test of time. Summer heat or winters cold, they have made it.
Either talk to a free range farmer near you or contact a hatchery for advice. I don't know where you live, but here is link to one in PA. For the past few years we buy 6 or 8 chicks from The Tractor Store every Easter. Sexed chicks have been running about $2.50 & they only carry breeds suitable for the local area. We have been happy with their birds. We have only lost one & had one cockerel slip through. http://www.hoffmanhatchery.com/
My rhode island & barred rock have been really tolerant of all weather. So has my australorp. All very sturdy breeds. Very sweet, family/kid friendly hens.
I have weather hardy chickens, but when it's over 100º it's hot no matter who/what you are. I'm in Indiana where it's been near 100º and no rain all summer. The poor chickens are huffing and puffing like everyone else. To give them a cold treat I go to Aldi and buy frozen peas, corn, etc. and give them a couple of bags a day. A cold veggie is a welcomed treat to my little feathered friends.
I bought a Misty Mate and installed it on the roof of the pen that gets the most sun. It is supposed to lower the temp by 30 degrees. My chickens run when they see the hose, they hate the water. This is a really light mist, my chickens hardly notice it. I also put a fan in the door of the coop to help move the air around.
Naked Neck? They have about 30% less feathers than "standard" chicken http://feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/BRKTurkens.html
I live the frozen veggies idea. I made mine Popsicles of milk with grains, split peas, & lentils in bowls. We also put up misters in KS. It's really been helpful! Haven't lost one yet.
Since your looking for a chicken breed that can tolerate the heat let me suggest Buckeyes....they do very well in hot climates! I know folks in Arizona and Texas who raise them with tremdous success, here in SW Ohio they even handle the heat and humidity well. The key to helping ANY breed survive the heat is plenty of cool fresh water and electrolytes in their water from time to time! Ventilation is critical if they are cooped, too.
Chad, try this website; www.americanbuckeyeclub.blogspot.com Complete, history of the Buckeye breed, the APA SoP and Buckeye Breeders Directory can be found at this site! We also have a GREAT Facebook Group with about 160 members at this location; http://www.facebook.com/groups/126598094076064/
I love my turken chick! She's 14 weeks now & is the sweetest chicken I have. I call her JJ (judge Judy lol) & she knows her name.
With your concern on heat, something we did for our girls last summer (we're in southern OH and it gets horribly hot and humid in the summer)...their run is substantial and shaded...before letting them have it, i laid landscapers fabric in the bottom to block weeds etc, then we filled the entire area with about 9" of sand. In the summer when it's so hot, I get up early in the morning and hose down the sand. The wetted down sand retains it's moisture throughout most of the day, gradually releasing it and keeping their area substantially cooler throughout the day (I've even caught my 11 year old hanging out in the run because of the cooler temperatures LOL) The giant sandbox also works to keep their run area relatively clean. I think I have had to clean the area twice and both times it was due to coming out of molting, not sue to their wastes.
Ladysun, I got a chuckle from your post, I am in south Texas between Galveston and Houston, heat and humidity is what I enjoy as the girls seem to as well. Then I had to wonder, when us from the south get concerned about the extreme cold (the lower 30's), do the folks up north get the same chuckle, as that is a norm in winter for y'all. Anyways, sounds like wetting the sand is good, as long as that sand does not get a lot of direct sun, it should be ok. I see folks adding ice to the drinking water as well, I may try that this year. They also get snacks of cold watermelon in the summer.
@JimI suspect it works both ways When the temps get UP TO the 30's this time of the year....like today...i'm out working in short sleeves and soaking up the sun. Admittedly i was born and raised in the south but from a much more temperate area...summer heat usually isnt above 90..low humidity, winter we got lots of snow in the mountains, but not really freezing temps. Lived in Northern California a few years back...again didnt mind the heat there but the humidity was also low. Something about temps that are hanging in the mid to upper 90's and humidity hovering at 85-90% (Ohio River Valley)..just makes the air heavy and hard to work in and i'm not happy if I cant be productive. I know in CA, I'd get really amused (likely the same in TX?) The temps dip into the 50's and people are pulling out down filled parka's and I'm thinking...this is pleasant stuff.....a light drizzle of rain and they talk about the downpour lol...just a matter of what we're guaging it by from our perspective i guess. As for my chicks, for both they and my Alpine dairy goats..ok yes, I know they are farm animals but...they are my babies. I don't have livestock, just an extended family So I am always fighting my nature vs. theirs...in that...when I feel cold, i make the assumption...they must be too. When temps here started getting around freezing in the fall, thats when I started keeping heat lamps on in all my coops to keep the girls warmer (and since they brooded under a red lamp, thought the red heat lamp would also be comforting on some level to them.
