Nick,
We had pretty good luck with the R.I. and leghorns. Takes some patients to get started. Keep them watered, fed and their pen relatively clean. Later in life I had to clip wings on the leghorns. They kept escaping and I almost gave up on them. Fortunately, they survived and were prolific egg layers.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/

I also copied someone's chicken tractor to let them eat bugs without becoming dinner for the neighbor dogs.

Pheasant chicks are going to be available any day now. My neighbor is going to give it a go. Helped him put up a separate pen. Good fun.