[AL Hathaway]

this might be a bit helpful when looking for chicks to know that these are auto and sex link so you will be guaranteed a pullet or a hen  

autosexing
Amrock, Ancobar,Barnebar,Bielefelder Kennhuhn,  Brockbar, Brussbar, Buffbar, Cambar, Cobar, Cream Legbar, Dorbar, Gold Legbar, Hambar, Niederrheiner, Norske Jaerhon, Oklabar, Polbar, Rhodebar, Welbar, Whealbar, and Wybar. Silver dorking


Sex-Links
Black Sex-link pullet, ISA Brown pullets, Golden Comet, Golden Sex-Link, Red Sex-link, Amberlink, Hallcross , Black Star, Red Stars, Black Rock
 

that is the only ones i can think of atm =)

[joyfull]

if you buy pure breeds they can live until over 8 and still lay the occasional egg.
All hens lay roughly the same amount of eggs it's just that some lay less per week but over a longer period.
As for culling - if you hatch eggs then for the sake of the health of the group of chickens you have to remove the majority of cockerels. You shouldn't let brother and sister mate which they will do if kept together as this could give you genetic faults in their offspring (like humans). You have already seen how difficult it is to re-home cockerels - even pure breeds.
I would suggest that you look into buying young chicks that are guaranteed to be girls rather than take the risk of getting boys.

[FeralSuz]

Lovely stuff, Joyfull. Yes, I think we will first try some female chicks, and when we are feeling a bit braver, we'll try to hatch some autosex eggs.

Thanks so much for helping me with this. Everyone's advice has been really invaluable in helping me with my cockerel: to get or not to get conundrum. 

Have a super day!

[joyfull]

glad to help