first of all i raise wyandottes, Rhode Island reds, araconas, and buff orpingtons. they are all great birds for laying, and that is what we got them for. I swear, I will never be able to go without chickens again, because I would feel like I was wasting so much. They can make use of the food we can't, and now I feel like I wasted so much before. While raising chickens, I learned a valuable lesson: chickens in smaller groups will be smarter. When we started with chickens, we got aracona and buff Orpington chicks, 6 of each breed. 2 araconas died, and they all got sick once, but other then that, there were no hardships. They were seeming pretty bright until the second batch came along. 2 Wyandottes, 2 reds. They are so much smarter, they are eventually going to get out of the enclosure.