I have about 20 laying hens & 5 cockerels. If you want to know which breeds are good layers, I'd suggest Light Sussex or one of the hybrids. Sussex also go broody quite well and make excellent mothers and they are pretty hardy, too. Mine are still laying, despite the awful weather. They aren't exactly free range, as we have a fox problem and a pair of resident goshawks, but they are in huge runs, so are outside (if they want to be) all day. My dogs don't really bother the chickens, neither do the cats - the birds have got used to them all now, but if a strange cat or dog comes into their field, they kick up a h*ll of a racket!