Later this month, I’m getting a new batch of chicks to begin a new sustainable flock of layers. We have a batch of four-year old layers now. We’ll keep many of them, but weed out a few. I’m adding New Hampshire Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Araucanas (Chilean Easter Eggers), and some Old English Game Birds. I’m trying out the Old English because they’re closer to the original ancestor of the chicken, and I thought that would add some interesting DNA to the flock. The objective this year is to keep a few boys, and start letting the birds reproduce. With luck, I won’t have to buy any more chicks after this, at least for the layer flock. I’m still going to get a batch of broilers at the end of April, this year. But if the breeding programs go well, maybe we’ll be able to make do without hybrid birds, going forward. I’m kind of interested to see what might result from crossing the Old English with my Jersey Giant hens…