Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. A lot of us were lurkers before joining. My wife and I were both raised in the great state of Texas. You have some good dual-purpose breeds. I have raised Black Australorps for years and they are my favorite, standard breed; extremely hardy, calm and gentle (my children, and now my granddaughter, made lap pets of them), and excellent layers of large, brown eggs. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.