Inexperienced Chicken Owner with Free Range Flock, help?

[AMELIAdetonated]

I'm a city chick owner in Fl, high temps in the 90s, with little shade in the chicken yard. 4 layers (2 black sex link, 1 rhode island red, 1 barred rock [WHO ANNOYS THE CRAP OUT OF ME]), 4 almost layers (3 gold sex-link & 1 red star) and 4 pullets (1 speckled sussex, 1 merucana/easter egger, 1 black colombian wyancotte, and 1 white colombian wyancotte [I think!]). The pullets live in a coop, but everyone else is free range. In little time, they ate all the grass, so it's mostly dirt in their yard. I get little to no predators because I have big dogs that hunt everything that moves in the yard (minus my chickens) and a guard cat that loves the chickens, so they don't have a coop, they just have a mounted brooder and about 13x30 run space. I feed them natural layer crumbles and change their water every other day, and when I fill my compost heap, they usually clean it out for me. Nobody seems to be upset about their living arrangements, other than the barred rock who SCREAMS the same sound, it's like low to high crow from sun up until I come out to feed them when I wake up around noon-one ish (I work nights). I feel like there is more I should be doing for them, but I just don't know, given my situation. Could anyone offer any suggestions? And let me know if I should keep the screamer? She's obnoxious, she's rude to the other chickens, just screams all day, even after I've fed them. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[PunkinPeep]

Standard chickens are generally pretty resilient to the heat, but it's always a good idea to make sure they have several sources of fresh water and plenty of shade. If you see that they're not laying well as the summer wears on, you might give them extra protein in their diet. That helps. If you can find a way to provide more shade, that's always a good idea. For Texans and Floridians, we spend a lot more time worried about the heat than about the cold, so establishing some permanent shade is in the best interests of your chickens.

Your screamer would concern me more for the neighbors than anything. But if you don't think she's good for your flock, maybe you can re-home her and someone else will love her and not notice her screaming.

 

[BooBear]

To help them through the summer lots of shade and fresh cold water Daily is a must.
Frozen treats like frozen peas, blueberries, and chilled watermelon help.
Shallow pan with ice water that covers their feet. (This helps them cool down alot)

My property is mostly shadey with an open area that is grassy. I have a condensation drain pipe from the house where a puddle of really cold water is from the condensation. My flock work the shade zones and visit the cold puddle alot during the summer.

The fluffier the breed the harder it is for them to keep cool. I have Wyandottes that have it rough during the summer. However, I keep close eye on everyone and make sure that they are able to have cool down zones to help them endure the heat.
My Wyandottes and Ameracaunas can handle temp up to low 90s ok, but, as soon as it creeps into the high 90s and triple digits they need the extra help. Generally if there is a breeze it helps them. Triple digits on a still day is ubber rough.

 

[HEChicken]

The "screaming" is a sound that some hens make, mostly in the mornings. In my first small flock, I only had one Buff Orpington who did that and it drove me nuts at first. It sounded to me like a discontented sound and started around the time she started laying. She would wander around making it until she got into the nest box. Once her egg was laid, she'd be quiet for the rest of the day. I tried everything to shut her up - throwing out scratch, changing this or that. The scratch would quiet her for the few minutes it took to eat it and then she'd resume "the scream".

Now my flock is exponentially larger and I have quite a few birds that do it. I don't mind any more and just associate it with egg laying. When I hear that sound, I know a hen is "in labor" and preparing to lay her egg. By around noon all goes quiet as they have either laid their egg or are in the nest box.