We hope to get chickens in the spring of 2006.  There is already a nice chicken house on the property, and the only repair needed is the enclosed yard needs to be redone.  We'd only use the yard for small chicks; other than that we hope to free-range our chickens.

We're planning on getting Buckeyes, a dual-purpose breed listed on the ALBC's Conservation Priority list with a status of Critical, meaning there are fewer than 200 annual registrations in the United States and estimated fewer than 2000 global population.  They were developed in Ohio and have small combs, which means less risk of freezing.  They are supposed to be excellent foragers, even eating mice!  They do best in a free-range environment.

We've found three sources for Buckeye chickens:

Duane and Phyllis Urch
2142 N.W. 47th Avenue
Owatonna, Minnesota 55060

Sandhill Preservation