Few Question

[Fire Rescue1401]

ok i'm looking to start a little chicken coop to have my own eggs... i am looking for a breed that will handle the Texas Heat and give me a ton of eggs... i plan on having about 10 would like to have both brown and white eggs would like them to be large eggs. i have been looking at the breeds page and everything makes since other than the comb type, and Broodiness and can some one explain the temperments (the ones that a guy that is ignorant in chickens would understand)

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Explain temperaments on what breeds specifically?

 

[10 point]

some leghorns and sexlinks would be good for those specific purposes.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

My Norwegian Jaerhon really lays large eggs and she lays at least 5 eggs a week. She's small (doesn't eat a lot) and tolerates the cold and the hot weather here...although really hot weather here is 95 and humid and not longer then a week lol SO...but she lays nice large white eggs

She is also VERY nice

 

[Fire Rescue1401]

Flighty
Bears

That's really the only two, does flighty mean scared? If so then how can some birds be friendly and scared?

Also why does comb type matter? And what does broodiness mean?

Thanks

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
They can be flighty because they don't like to be handled, but friendly because they aren't mean or aggressive toward other birds or toward people. Bears confinement well = don't have to be free ranged.

Some people prefer different types of combs for a variety of reasons, such as how they look, etc.

Broodiness means the tendency of the hens to set on eggs and hatch their own chicks. Though realize that if you get birds that are from a hatchery, much of the broodiness has been bred out of them, as they have been bred for production. When they are broody, they quit laying.

 

[Ema]

apart from comb preference for some people, combs is specially important in you live in a cold climate. you see rose combs don't get frost bite as easily as single combs. Mine are all single combs...RIR (rhode island reds) and they all got some frostbit on their combs this past winter, vaseline is what helped.

Leghorns lay really well and good large white eggs, Rhode island reds or sex links lay big beautiful brown eggs. There is no difference in taste from brown to white the only difference is the colour of the shell also these breeds do well in all climates

Ema

 

[Fire Rescue1401]

Thanks for all the help, also how old are they when they start laying?

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
Also something that varies a lot depending on breed. The "layer" breeds like the sex links, tend to lay earlier, in the 19-week range. Where other, more "ornamental" breeds can lay much later. Again, something that whether they come from a hatchery or private breeder makes a big difference in. A hatchery Easter Egger will lay in the 20-24 week range, but my breeder Ameraucanas don't lay until they are about 8 months old.

 

[stormylady]

If you go to Hendersons breed chart it will give you a good Idea of what birds are heat/cold hardy as well as laying rates and the color of the eggs also, and his personal opinion of the chickens he has owned. Also the Breed personality as a whole ( all chicken vary within a breed) anyway it might help ya, if you see something that appeals to you, feel free to ask about that breed on here, and Im sure everyone that has that breed will chime in and give ya there take on that breed. Hope this helps some , Sandy