New Member Help. Northern Cyprus

[jllvehdist]

Dear Poultry Forum,

I am new to keeping chicken and have not started as yet.

I am looking for advice to the breed of chicken to keep.

I have just moved to Northern Cyprus and while at this point in the year it is a very mild 13C in July/August the temperature will rise to the 40’s.

Can anybody advise me what breed would be suitable to keep in these conditions.

I have looked in the local markets and the chickens here seem very poor specimens.

I have read books and would like to have Rhode Island Red as they seem friendly and are easily tamed.

I have a lot of land (4 acres) and hope to keep 10 or 12 birds and allow them to be totally free range.

Any advice on keeping Chickens in hot conditions would be appreciated.

 

[dinosaw]

Welcome to the forum. RIR's are considered a heat tolerant breed and are a widely kept bird in the hot southern states of the USA where the temperatures can exceed those of Cyprus, so if you like them and can source some then there is nothing to stop you keeping them. An alternative is the white leghorn which is a highly heat tolerant breed which is used for egg production in nearby Turkey, flighty birds but great layers. The best advice for keeping them in the sort of conditions you will have is to provide areas with plenty of shade for them to shelter in and to keep their food and water and housing in these areas, water is especially important and you need to ensure that it does not evaporate away during the day. If you can I would suggest changing it several times a day during the summer months to keep it nice and cool, possibly adding some ice. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation in the hen house and that it is also screened from direct sunlight.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Jllvehdist and welcome to the forum. Leghorn derivatives are the breed favoured in Mediterranean countries. They lay well, are very flighty and excess cockerels make very poor eating, so RIR's would be a better option if you can get them. The maximum air temperature chickens can stand is 37 degrees (Poultry Behaviour and Welfare, CABI Publishing). From experience our Leghorns have little problem at this temperature (large combs act as a radiator), the Wyandottes are struggling and the Orpingtons need air conditioning of some description -we wet the ground and blow air across it with fans. We use a lot of water! In the sun the temperature is 20 degrees higher, so shade is absolutely essential.

Wyandottes are another American breed. Ours lay moderately well and are excellent eating. You may be able to find better laying strains like the original white Wyandotte (ours are blue laced). The problem you will have is them completely free ranging. If they can't find a cool enough spot you will lose them. The optimum water temperature for chickens is surprising low at just 5 degrees, so you will certainly need a lot of ice in Summer.

In my experience RIR's are aggressive, as are some Wyandottes. Both are excellent foragers and will therefore defend their territory accordingly.

 

[jllvehdist]

Thanks to the two replys I have.

Are there any members in TRNC ?

I'm in Edrimit.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Lucky you living in Northern Cyprus, it used to be our favourite family holiday spot, before the division, many years ago now, but I will never forget how beautiful it was and the fun we had.
I think most Mediterranean type breeds, Leghorns for instance, who come in a few colours, white eggs, not so flighty or unfriendly as most people seem to think, actually very sweet tempered, bright, and curious, I just love mine, especially when when they get curious and nosey. The girls stand, heads cocked combs falling. Mine are white, and supposed to be the best layers of all.