Christy,
My parents had a large (for here) egg operation when I was a child and I have just always wanted a few chickens. I just never knew how to go about it, didn't know about the websites and no way to contact others locally. Last April we walked into a garage sale and there were 6 6 week old chicks. We brought them home and quickly converted an old shed. The lady got them from Rural King, had to buy 25 and these were the ones she did not want. She thought they were Leghorns, but they turned out to be Buffs. They were excellent birds. I quickly got the itch for more and got the next 9 from My Pet Chicken. The all arrived healthy and still are. The Buffs began laying in August and the other nine sometime in late Nov./early Dec. In Oct. we went to a poultry show in Lebanon and got the two bantams.
Hubby made a chicken tractor, but it is very heavy. We moved it about once a week to keep them in good grass, but it was a challenge. They can destroy a patch of grass in no time and dig holes! We need a different tractor, one more moveable or something. We didn't want a permanent pen, but I don't know what we will do this year.
They all seem to be excellent layers. We will often get a dozen eggs a day (not counting banties). I hope you have good luck with your order, like I said I did. They were so much fun. As the weather warms up they are easier to keep too. I kind of wish I had more variety, but have enough now.
Good luck, Gram