I don't know anything about the Florida heat. I also don't have chickens(but would like to and have been reading about it...try the homesteading and farming forums). There are no stupid questions. I do know how you feel about asking your DH questions. My DH is Finnish and the first time I tried to learn some Finnish words, he laughed at me. I was mortified and it was a looong time before I tried again.
I think if your chicken coop/shelter has sufficient shade, and you collect the eggs regularly you'll be all right. The eggs will be getting a certain amount of warmth from being under the hen anyway, no matter where you live, and I would think they would be insulated from too much heat in the same manner unless they were left exposed to the sun.
Good luck with the chickens and the garden, and good for you for trying!

Here is some of what I have experineced - YMMV

Chickens come southern and northern breeds, get a southern breed and they handle heat better. They are typically the white egg layers, brown egg layers are the heavier european breeds, they handle the cold much better. BTW - egg color is determined by breed, nothing else, they are in no way better because the shell is not white.

Chickens sleep all night long, they wake up early and may lay an egg, but they don't lay them at night. If you collect once a day, you would want to collect in the evening, not in the morning. Mine usually are done laying around 11am, sometimes one will lay later (from weekend observation). Also, you don't need a rooster to get eggs, in case you were wondering. I work full time and have always collected eggs in the afternoon/evening when doing chores for the night. The only thing I do in the morning is open the coop door to let the hens out. (preditors can be a big concern, lots of critters love a chicken dinner).

Salmonila is an issue if you want to eat raw or undercooked eggs. It gets in the egg as the egg forms inside the bird. YOu can't tell without testing if the bird carries salmonila, but it's not common. Pasturization kills it (heating to around 140-150F for 3-5 mn) and you can easily home pasturize if you want to use raw eggs in something (like eggnog or mayonaize). I personally don't have any qualms about eating my eggs raw - that part is up to you.

As to leaving them out, I've experimented and left eggs out on the counter for two weeks, and they were still fine. I routinely use eggs that are 5-6 weeks old (stored in fridge)that are still nicer than store bought eggs.

you can tell how fresh an egg is by seeing if it will float in water. Air is obsorbed through the shell, the more air the older they are. Eggs in the fridge obsorb air slower than eggs sitting out. I will toss any egg that lifts off the bottom of the pan. Most will tip upright, those I'm fine with. If you get one that actually floats on the top, dispose of it carefully because a rotten egg really stinks!

Don't wash the eggs, brush them off if needed, but the natural coating the have when layed is the best at keeping them fresh.

macybaby summed it up very well.
I also have chickens (Oregon) and concur with what was said.
I don't have any issues with the eggs even when our summers hit close to 100 degrees for short times.
I also collect eggs in the evening.

If you think about it, people have been raising chickens in all areas of the country (and world!) for hundreds/thousands of years. The heat is not an issue.

Chickens are fun! They really do have personalities and they "learn" to a certain extent. Mine are NOT pets. They are "the chicks". No names. I rotate them about every 18-24 months and the older ones are butchered and eaten. Just makes sense on a farm.

Deanna

Be sure to also check out all the info available on raising chickens over on the Farm Life forum and the Homesteading Forum here.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Farm Life forum

Thanks to everyone, makes sence to me.. I love the sound of chickens, so peacefull and calming.

jamie

It's a good idea to research breeds, not just for their suitability in the Florida climate but also for their breed characteristics. Some chickens are hardier and some are more "mellow," for instance.

Chickens can present issues the novice wouldn't imagine, so without trying to be scary, the more research before acquiring chicks the better. Be prepared to provide adequate space for the number of hens you have and to provide appropriate protection from predators. (It isn't just humans who love a chicken dinner.) Optimal living conditions will reduce stress on the hens so that they are healthier and happier and less prone to "picking on" the bottom hen in the chain.

Also research (and that can include the forum Dave mentioned) nutritional needs and supplements and common parasites and health issues. You may never encounter an egg-bound hen, but if you do, it's far better to have researched the issue ahead of time.

Hens are wonderful to have around. There's nothing like fresh free range eggs. But it's a bigger responsibility than some realize.

Carol

Great posts you guys!
Jamie, here's my 2 cents.
I'm probably south of you, but I have chickens, don't have chickens, and have chickens again.
Get a good book on raising chickens first.
Talk to people in south Florida that have chickens. You can find them on Craig's List and by searching on the internet, especially for organic eggs, chickens for sale, etc.

My advice is if you really want chickens, go for it. But if you're getting chickens for eggs, think about it first. Eggs come in spurts down here, either you don't have them or you have way too many and can't give them all away.

If you just want fresh eggs, search Craig's List. There's people that will deliver and that's a lot cheaper than raising chickens. I get all the eggs I want now, mostly for free, from a few friends in the RedLands.

Good luck, keep us posted
Corrie

I'm half Finnish and I've had chicken's for about 25 years, plus other poultry, like peafowl and ducks. In fact, I have a 12 pound chicken in the oven right now that I raisers, the biggest chicken I've ever raised.
I would suggest researching some breeds that are good layers and good for heat/humidity. There is a wild Key West chicken, although I doubt it lays well.
The chickens I have that tolerate heat very well are Silver Leghorns, Egyptian Fayoumis, Sicilian Buttercups and Hamburgs. Easter Eggers do OK, but not as well as the others when it's really hot. Also, Old English Game Bantams, which lay a tiny egg and go broody a lot, so are great if you want a natural incubator. The Old English are great pets, very sweet.
Unfortunately, the really heat tolerant breeds, except the Old English Bantam, aren't generally known as cuddly pet breeds but they do lay well. It seems the really good pets tend to be the bigger, Northern breeds.
One unusual breed, that lays a great big brown egg and is very heat tolerant and very friendly is the Naked Neck or Turken. Unfortunately, they're so ugly, only a mommy can love them.
As far as leaving the eggs out. The natural bloom, when they are not washed, protects the eggs amazingly well. When we visit Bonaire, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, the eggs are left out and it's quite humid and warm. Eggs are sold on shelves in nearly all countries except for the US. I've never had an egg that was bad when visiting a third world country. In fact, the eggs I've bought in markets in other countries have tasted quite fresh.
I keep my eggs on the counter, although I do wash them right before using. If they have been soiled, I wash before putting them in the basket but those will get used quickly.

tracy, I've got light sussex right now. Have you tried them?
...they are good layers and a lot of fun.

I've never had light Sussex. Right now, I have buttercups, hamburgs, fayoumis, Easter Eggers, two production reds ( they haven't seen summer yet) and Silver Leghorms. I also have some pet Old English Bantams and a couple of silkies for my granddaughter.
The Hamburgs and Fayoumis are a little too crazy but I wanted to see what they would be like because we plan to move to OK or TX in a year and I'll probably keep my chickens free-range then. Wilder chickens with better survival instincts and foraging instincts will be better at free ranging.
Unfortunatly, they don't survive so well in a backyard situation and tend to commit suicide by jumping the fence and getting eaten by neighboring dogs. The Fayoumis and Hamburgs are the only ones I've had any losses with so far, except for a Buttercup to drowning in a rain barrel, I guess that was a suicide, too. I really like he Buttercups. Beautiful hens, very inquisitive and sweet.

On a related egg note, I was in the super market the other day buying eggs at the same time one of the staff was restocking the shelves, and the first carton I picked up had a broken egg in it - he took it, then explained that they have store-brand-label Grade "B" cartons, and they repack the undamaged eggs in those cartons, sold for 90 cents a dozen. All eggs - the most expensive brown organic ones, anything that wasn't expired.