Yay East Texas! We recently moved away from there for work, but I went to school at SFA and I LOVE the Nacogdoches area!
For egg layers you need to consider how many eggs you want per week and if you want it to be consistent throughout the year. Of course, during molting and during the hottest/coldest times of the year, egg production will slow down some.
Our first flock had 10 sex links to start with. When these girls were 4-5 months old, they laid about 1 egg per day, almost every day of the week. They lay faithfully during the winter when other chickens usually slow down (because of less sunlight). We started selling to Dad's friends at work and later at our small, local farmers market. We ate a lot of eggs until we got regular customers. Save up those egg recipes!
I'd say start with 5-10 chickens. Always plan on losing 2-4 (because that always seems to happen).
Keep the chickens in an enclosed coop at night because there are raccoons, coyotes, foxes, skunks, and other people's dogs who will grab an easy meal if they can get them!
With ducks and chickens, try to have 1-2 males per 10 females. Otherwise they will wear the girls out and pull too many feathers!
Our red sex links did fine in the Texas heat. I've heard Black Astrolorps do well too. Best to give them plenty of shade.
Enjoy your growing your new flock!
For egg layers you need to consider how many eggs you want per week and if you want it to be consistent throughout the year. Of course, during molting and during the hottest/coldest times of the year, egg production will slow down some.
Our first flock had 10 sex links to start with. When these girls were 4-5 months old, they laid about 1 egg per day, almost every day of the week. They lay faithfully during the winter when other chickens usually slow down (because of less sunlight). We started selling to Dad's friends at work and later at our small, local farmers market. We ate a lot of eggs until we got regular customers. Save up those egg recipes!
I'd say start with 5-10 chickens. Always plan on losing 2-4 (because that always seems to happen).
Keep the chickens in an enclosed coop at night because there are raccoons, coyotes, foxes, skunks, and other people's dogs who will grab an easy meal if they can get them!
With ducks and chickens, try to have 1-2 males per 10 females. Otherwise they will wear the girls out and pull too many feathers!
Our red sex links did fine in the Texas heat. I've heard Black Astrolorps do well too. Best to give them plenty of shade.
Enjoy your growing your new flock!
He/she is doing better after 24 hours of binding but it will probably have to go back on (as advised by some BYC members). 
