All the comments about "you gotta have a rooster to have eggs" has me looking at my husband... the so-called "expert" and more experienced flock raiser in the family (he raised chickens, ducks and turkeys, with his previous wife). He insisted that we had to get a rooster to have eggs. I looked at him, and said "No. You do not have to have a rooster to get eggs."
"Yes, you do!"
"No. You do not. You have to have a rooster to fertilize those eggs, but you do not need a rooster to have your hens produce eggs. Since I intend to hatch eggs, either through a broody hen (if I'm lucky to get any that go broody), or incubate them in a incubator, so that I no longer have to buy day-old chicks in the future, it's a moot point... we're going to have a rooster."
With a knowing smirk on his face, he states "we'll see." I then asked him if he or his ex-wife ever incubated or allowed his hens to hatch any eggs, and he answers "No, we were always told we had to have a rooster to have our hens lay eggs."
This was all said BEFORE I ordered day-old chicks, and was studying/researching myself on this new hobby of mine, as I'm one of those that learns as much as possible before I actually get into it, so I can eliminate the majority of learning mistakes.
BTW, I asked him the other day if he knew what "chicken math" was. The answer? "Nope." Had to tell him I'm afflicted with it. LOL!