I buy Cornish cross from Murray McMurray hatchery and I have had good luck with them.  They are online, so you can check them out there.  I love getting their catalog in the winter to look at.  It's like a seed catalog!  Dreaming of spring.

When I first get my birds, I take each one out, one by one and smear vaseline on their butts.  This helps prevent that inevitable "poopy butt" they sometimes get.  It takes a little time, but I find it's worth it.  Then I dip each beak in the water to make sure they have a drink and off they go. 

I have a large box I use as a brooding box.  It was something that was given to me and it works perfect for that purpose.  I have a heat lamp wired to the top.

As a rule I only buy enough chick starter to get them feathered out.  I always stop to think about what they did before they could run to the store and buy chick starter.  They made their own chick mash and with 50 - 65 birds, it's not feasible for me.  The purpose of store-bought chicken feed (first the starter and then the finisher) is to pump the bird up quickly so that you can butcher them in a short amount of time.  I learned this the hard way the first year I ever raised butchering chickens.  They got so big so fast they couldn't support their own weight and would flop to their feed trough and just gobble down the food like they were starved.  Several died of heart attacks too.  They just grew too fast.

So once they are feathered out, I only give them barley and/or wheat.  Whole grains are fine.  When I open the Chicken Hoop in the mornings to let them out, their feed is scattered on the ground and they can have their breakfast.  After that, they are on their own!  I provide plenty of fresh water and then they have to go out and find bugs and eat grass.  They do a great job of spreading the manure, which is part of the reason I have them in the first place. 

I don't have a set time that I grow these chickens out.  I just go by the weather and the season.  I eyeball them for size and check the weather and on a good day we butcher.  They are sure nice to have in the freezer!