From: "Jim Walsh" <[log in to unmask]> > it makes sense for me to keep them for eggs first, and look at the possibility of meat later?) I have chickens. We're ex-city moved rural with 16 acres. If you want breeds not hybridized (much?), "Jungle Fowl" would be a good choice. I personally raise "Jumbo Black Cornish". They are the ones that are the "cornish hens" at the groc store...and they are also good egg layers. (brown eggs). Most breeds that are best for meat are not good egg layers. You probably need a MINIMUM of 10 sq. ft. per bird (floor space). My husband turned an old garage into the ckn house and built an attached "run". The "run" is treated lumber pole barn style walls with heavy dog kennel wire over it (fox or coon can tear up ckn wire). There are of course treated boards under the soil line also for the walls to tie into. (He built the pen, then filled to grade with sand. The roof is metal. Cold weather months they are not let out. But we're northern Minnesota. Other months they are. You won't regret having your own source of ckn meat/ BROTH/ and eggs. Your "meat" are: old laying hens, extra roosters when they are yet young (breeding makes them tougher), and just plain young ones you raise for meat. Hens generally lay well for a year or two, then egg production slacks back each year (although each egg gets bigger). It becomes an economic thing to butcher older hens for "stewing meat" and broth...and replace them with younger hens. There is a rhythym to it so you are never without laying hens. My chickens run loose on MY schedule. Because they will scratch up a lot of GOOD stuff, like vegetable and flower gardens and bushes and ferns, etc....I usually let them out about two hours before dark each evening. I'm out with them to keep an eye on them so they don't tear up good stuff and they get to eat wild things and take dust baths and run around. They put themselves to bed in their coop (newly acquired ckns may take 3-6 wks to get imprinted on where home is). They really are no less expensive than store bought meat/eggs, probably MORE expensive. The quality makes it worth it. Mine get lots of treats. I grow extra zucchini, cukes, raspberries, etc.etc. You must chop everything up for them unless it is so soft they can rip out pieces. You must give them sand or dirt for dust baths, sand or oyster shell for grit, vitamins with extra D3 in their water occasionally is good for them, DAILY green stuff (in the winter its usually 1st cutting, real leafy green alfalfa, OR chopped grain sprouts that you sprout for them...OR salad stuff chopped...but mine get the latter rarely, usually they get alfalfa. Another tip is mount an electric "bug zapper" in their "run". This gives them a good supply of electrocuted bugs to eat! Mine get grain as part of their daily diet. I know this list has a dim view on that. But I have no way to feed mine if I don't give them that. Maybe someone has a better suggestion, but until then, mine get their share of grain. All I seem to be able to do is give them as much "spoiling" as I can with letting them out as often as I'm able and growing extra good things for them. Good luck! Katy