We started out with Buff Orpington (which we love), then experimented with a few Araucana (blue egg layers), White Brahman (meaty with big floppy, feathery feet), Rhode Island Red (really meaty), Barred Rock (friendly as all heck), and Black Australorps (reputation of being the world's most prolific layer breed). We've noticed no significant difference in egg production between any of these heritage breeds -- they all produce well for the first couple years but slow after that. They are all good foragers, scattering over a couple acres during the day and then tucking themselves into the coop at night. Roosters from any of these breeds seem to be pretty interchangeable, as well. They all take about 6 months to beef-up and cook up to be equally tender in the crockpot. It just makes for good conversation to have so many different breeds running around.

As for the Guineas, ours come in all sorts of colors: white, lavender, purple and polka-dotted. To assure a good genetic mix, we've hatched eggs (purchased off ebay) from a half-dozen states. Our Guineas are fabulous foragers, covering a good quarter mile or so from the coop daily (they seem to have a special fondness for ticks (hooray) and tomatoes (%&#$@!)). If your New Year's resolution is to start getting up earlier in the mornings, having a flock of Guineas around the house will certainly help you accomplish that.

SORRY: We currently have no chickens, guineas or free-range, farm-fresh eggs for sale.