Hi from Florida!

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Glad you joined us!

Feel free to ask lots of questions! We're all here to help.
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No breed preference yet. We have been hearing about a Cornish Cross, for meat. And we love how cute the silkies are. (They look like they are straight out of a Dr. Suess novel!) Other than that, probably a mild mannered breed that is reputed to be a good layer. I'm sure in the next 6-8 months we'll learn quite a lot, and solidify our preferences more.
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NorthFlChicks has given you a couple of good links for researching the various breeds. Another good link is http://albc-usa.etapwss.com/images/uploads/docs/pickachicken.pdf. Also, Murray McMurray has an excellent "chick selector" tool at https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chick_selector.html to help you determine which are the best breeds for you. Just be sure and click on "show more characteristics." Cornish Cross are definitely the way to go for meat. They are ready for butchering at 8 weeks. In fact, if you let them go much beyond that, they begin to rapidly develop all sorts of health problems due to their abnormal growth rates. Silkies are definitely sweet, friendly, little lap pets, but they are poor layers and their eggs are small. Breeds that have a well deserved reputation for being both calm and gentle, and good layers, are Australorps, Orpingtons, Brahmas, Sussex, and Faverolles. Of the birds on this list, Australorps are the best layers. If you don't mind hybrids, Black Sex Links are hardy, friendly egg laying machines. I've raised them for years (along with all the other breeds mentioned here except the Faverolles) and the Black Sex Links have been my best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 eggs per hen per year. Whatever breeds you decide to get, good luck with your flock.
 
Wow, thanks! 2015 will be a fun year! I hope my mealies are way up in numbers by then!
 

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