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Leghorns are remarkable, skinny chickens which give 1 egg per day that you wonder how it fit in the bird. Barred Rocks are a great 2 way chicken, layer/eater. Not as productive as the leghorns, but they do a good job. If you're going to free-range them a rooster isn't a bad option, he will tend to keep them together and watch over them. Can be aggressive, and noisy, so if you're going to fence them in, maybe not what you want. Hens do tend to be more productive with a rooster, in my limited experience.
They aren't labor-free, and they aren't really a great financial decision, but the fresh eggs are fantastic compared to store-bought, and the birds are cool to have around (although rather poopy). For predators, have a secure pen, a secure coop, and get an appropriate tool for dispatching them. We've had issues with bears, foxes, and possibly bobcats. Usually just when they free-range, I end up with fewer birds and become more intentional about keeping them secure.
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'86na, 5-spd, turbo front brakes, bad paint, poor turbo nose bolt-on, early sunroof switch set-up that doesn't work.
Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem.
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