Hi all
I started raising 25 black/red sex links last year for eggs and meat they were $1 each as chicks. One of them looks like a barred rock rooster. I kept 5 hens and the rooster over the winter but lost 2 due to a stray dog. I built a pen for them for when they were small. The 3 hens and 1 rooster have been free ranging for 6-8 months and roost in a large dogwood. The 2 layers (one hen had/has a bad leg since I got her and her vent never got large like the others) mostly lay in the basket I set up. I enjoy having them around and would like to get some that will go broody and have chicks that make good size fryers . The eggs I get have really dark yokes and a great flavor. I feed them some whole corn but mostly they find there own food. There seems to be a lot less ticks around.
I started raising 25 black/red sex links last year for eggs and meat they were $1 each as chicks. One of them looks like a barred rock rooster. I kept 5 hens and the rooster over the winter but lost 2 due to a stray dog. I built a pen for them for when they were small. The 3 hens and 1 rooster have been free ranging for 6-8 months and roost in a large dogwood. The 2 layers (one hen had/has a bad leg since I got her and her vent never got large like the others) mostly lay in the basket I set up. I enjoy having them around and would like to get some that will go broody and have chicks that make good size fryers . The eggs I get have really dark yokes and a great flavor. I feed them some whole corn but mostly they find there own food. There seems to be a lot less ticks around.
and Welcome To BYC! Fewer ticks are one of the best things about having chickens. For breeds, you might want to do a search and look at some of the heritage or duel-purpose breed threads, ie 
