JP, oh no!!! First swarm catching, now chicken catching, smiling. Annette, you make me blush, I am by far not near to being as great a chicken keeper as I am a garden digger, smiling.
Anyways, JP, this needs lots of thought on your part. What you want to do, how many you want to keep, how will you get rid of excess eggs, how much work do you want to do, how much fun do you want to have. (I can't find Whoppo, so I can't send you down a nasty Muscovy drake, smiling that big smile).
I have been collecting breeds all summer, incubating eggs, getting day old chicks, raising them up and I now have a great clan here. I have eight breeds of birds. They are all heritage breeds, some on the endangered list, some on the recovering list, but these are all beautiful purebreeds.
My favourite of all the breeds I have would have to be.......nope, can't do it. I love each one so much, they each have such beautiful attributes, I cannot chose, that is why I have so many breeds now. I would imagine that you want chickens for egg laying purposes. There are many breeds that lay well.
Think of what colour of chicken you would like. Think of what type of comb you would like to see on a chicken (there is a single comb, pea comb, rose comb and a few others). Think of what colour of egg you would like, there are many different colours of eggs, including blue and shades of blue/green. Think if you want a big bird, or a smaller type bird, what size of egg.
JP, think of every thing that you would like to see in a chicken at your place and then you can make a good choice. I think you have seen quite a few pictures of some of my birds, maybe you haven't.
Natalie will also be a great guide for you, she is very involved in chickeney stuff, as is Brian Bray, you will have helpers here, just ask more questions.
BTW, this is what I have for my breeding stock (too far to send you any chicks). All my chickens are standard sized, I don't like the bantam (small) breeds. All my chickens lay brown eggs, varying shades, except the Easter Egger, which lays kind of bluey/green.
Light Brahma
Blue Cochin
Silver Laced Wyandotte
Gold Laced Wyandotte
Rhode Island Red
Barred Plymouth Rock
Buff Orpington
Easter Egger
I have 15 eggs in my table top incubator, due to hatch on Tuesday night
I also have a Blue Cochin sitting on 14 eggs.
Want me to send you a bunch of chicks through cyberspace? Not onto your dinner plate and ready to eat though, if you please. Smiling. Friend, have that wonderful day, love our life, with greatest of health. Cindi