@badneighbor@LawrenceGerald@givenup@Anon_Z@dictatordave@EmpressBeatrix >How to keep chickens cool in high heat areas?
Double shade, meaning a coop and the coop shaded, especially from the WEST because afternoon is the killing time. Ventilation, of course -and- if you can keep your coop dry, get as much ground contact as possible. They like to burrow in during the heat.
Great tip about shading the western side. Also about keeping the ground dry, placing a coop in a low lying area of the yard that floods is a common mistake that leads to huge very hard to fix problems (including odor and disease risk for the birds).
I'm in S. Florida, I don't have chickens but my neighbor does. The chickens have a coop but he lets them out during the day. In the heat of the day the chickens just tend to stay in the shade of the trees. I still watch them walk around doing their thing, even in the afternoon.
Breed type is important. Choose breeds developed in warmer climates so they do better in that region. Leghorns and Minorcas are a good choice (and Leghorns lay more than any other breed).
Also be mindful of breed temperaments. Hybrid/production layers usually have Rhode Island Red in them and tend to be much more aggressive than the docile heritage breeds. Mixing the two can lead to bullying. This is the best resource by far for learning about breed temperaments and how they get along with other birds because each breed has input from lots of different owners: https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/
I am guilty of the same thing. Early on I got a couple of tiny bantam hens and that dictated all my breed choices going forward (can't have bully breeds around them).
Orpingtons are very sweet and gentle birds. As far as human friendly I would say the pet/show breeds often are. They were bred for 200+ years for beauty, brains and friendliness/personality (vs egg laying).
My little bantams literally "purr" when they are held, you can feel them rumble/shiver from delight in response to the attention/affection. The hens also make great broody hens.
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