Hello Chick_a_dee!! It is your fellow canadian settler's dream farm

I am sorry to hear about your birds
How are your EE's doing?? Laying Well?? Mine are thats for sure

What about your ducks, how are they doing? Have they started to lay yet?
Good to see you are going to get birds from performace poultry again.... he is a very good breeder

I would 100% recommend Chanteclers!
I have a white hen and I love her!
They are great in the winter, they lay at a good rate, they lay a big, light brown egg (almost a pinky/ tan) and they go broody.
My hen bonnie has been broody three times and she is only three years old, she actually has a chick right now!
I have never had Jersey Giants so i have nothing to say about them, but I hear good things about, Plymouth Rocks.
Maybe you should try going with a couple different breeds, if you do, definatley make sure you get at least a couple Chanteclers!
Well i hope I was helpful!