Flock troubles

I have been buying our chickens at the same feed store since we started a flock again in Colorado.  Up until this year we have had great success with breeds chosen - the breed, coloring, health and sex has been exactly what we ordered for any pullets purchased.

But this year 1/2 of our birds died before reaching maturity - for random and unknown causes.  With this mortality rate I decided against the expensive Black Copper Marans and Olive Eggers.

Our Americanas seem to be Easter Eggers (a hybrid w/ one blue egg laying parent breed) - the colors we received, although beautiful, are not colors of a true breed.  At least one of our Buckeyes looks like a Rhode Island red (their combs are different).

And our partridge cochin is a rooster.  He is beautiful, treats the hens well - herding and making sure they all get food.  And loud when he crows.

We suspected it when his feathers did not come in brown with a penciled pattern, but at 6 months he had yet to make any identifying calls.  Now at 8 months he proved to just be a late bloomer.  We are disappointed - more that we can't keep a male to guard the henhouse in city limits than anything else.  But although excessively barking dogs are allowed, crowing roosters are not.