What is the most heat tolerant chicken/chicken breed with biggest wattles

[Bryce Thomas]

I live in Gilbert, AZ and I notice my silkies panting and getting very hot, I have a mister, ventilation, more than half of the coop/run is shaded and they always have fresh water and food. I want to get 1 or 2 chickens of a very heat tolerant chicken breed and introduce them to my flock so my future silkies are more heat tolerant. I have also really thought about getting some showgirl silkies although I have yet to find a breeder that has showgirl silkies

 

[Pollito Pelon]

I think turken or hybrid turkens are a good breed. I've had Rhode islands and New Hampshire hens died on me from too much Californian heat last year

 

[NatJ]

Beards make the wattles smaller.
So non-bearded silkies might be able to cool off a little more.

Combs can help get rid of heat too, so selecting the ones with the largest combs might also help.

If you really want to cross in something else, and then breed back to mostly-Silkie traits, maybe try a Hamburg or a Rose Comb Leghorn. They are both Mediterranean breeds and should be pretty heat tolerant. I suggest them instead of breeds with single combs because the rose comb has more in common with the silkie comb (genetically speaking.)

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

White leghorns and andalusians are good heat tolerant birds

 

[Bryce Thomas]

Beards make the wattles smaller.
So non-bearded silkies might be able to cool off a little more.

Combs can help get rid of heat too, so selecting the ones with the largest combs might also help.

If you really want to cross in something else, and then breed back to mostly-Silkie traits, maybe try a Hamburg or a Rose Comb Leghorn. They are both Mediterranean breeds and should be pretty heat tolerant. I suggest them instead of breeds with single combs because the rose comb has more in common with the silkie comb (genetically speaking.)

ok, my roo Koa doesn't have walnut comb but he is a silky so im thinking he is half silky half something else, is this ok to breed him with another chicken without his type of comb?

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

View attachment 2712883
ok, my roo Koa doesn't have walnut comb but he is a silky so im thinking he is half silky half something else, is this ok to breed him with another chicken without his type of comb?

He's full silkie. Hatchery bred silkies usually have the single comb, as they aren't bred for looks

 

[Lemon-Drop]

View attachment 2712883
ok, my roo Koa doesn't have walnut comb but he is a silky so im thinking he is half silky half something else, is this ok to breed him with another chicken without his type of comb?

If he has a single comb, that is just something that I *think* pops up once in a while with silkies.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

He's full silkie. Hatchery bred silkies usually have the single comb, as they aren't bred for looks

Oh, that’s good to know! (All of my hatchery silkies (I have 4) have walnut combs)

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

Oh, that’s good to know! (All of my hatchery silkies (I have 4) have walnut combs)

Walnut combs are pretty common, but single combs to pop up occasionally, more frequently in hatchery bred birds. Pretty lucky of you to have 4 walnut combed birds!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Walnut combs are pretty common, but single combs to pop up occasionally, more frequently in hatchery bred birds. Pretty lucky of you to have 4 walnut combed birds!

I am pretty lucky!

I bought them at my local feed store, and I know they order from larger hatcheries, but I don’t know which one.