Getting Started

[Scott2016]

Hello all! I am wanting to start my chickens next year. I live on the Texas gulf coast where it is hot and humid. I have an acre and a half to free range. I want hens that lay large eggs and hens that will sit. I have a coop that is clean warm and dry. My questions are what breeds are good for sitting and lay large eggs? How many roosters per hen to reproduce? I would like to stick with a heritage. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Scott

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

My brahma is a good layer maybe 5 or 6 a week and they are large but the biggest layer my guess would be the jersey giants oh right and WELCOME!!!

 

[Plip]

I want hens that lay large eggs and hens that will sit.

Do you want them to be the same hens?

If so, Orpingtons are a good option. They lay a reasonably large egg. You get decent egg production. They will go broody (sit on the eggs). And they're good caring moms once the chicks hatch.

But if you're fine with having separate egg layers and egg sitters, I particularly like Rhode Island Reds and Golden Laced Wyandottes as layers. Both lay large brown eggs. In my experience the Wyandottes were a little larger, but the Reds had higher production. The Wyandottes are beautiful hens (and I like the way the Reds look, too). But neither wants to broody (at least they never have for me). If you prefer white eggs, White Leghorns are pretty hard to beat for large eggs and lots of them, although I've they're kind of skittish and I find them boring to look at.

For the sitters you could stick with Orpingtons or go with Cochins or something like that.