I have to say I really like having my own backyard chickens. Not only do I get fresh, delicious eggs every day but they are such a big help around the place. Some days I think they eat their weight in bugs, for which I am forever grateful. They also help with spring clean up by scratching through the mulch and stirring it up before I have to rake it up (plus, there will be fewer bugs). This is especially helpful on windy days! They like to eat the young weeds and grass sprouting up, unfortunately they will also eat the plants I want to keep if I don’t watch them carefully. I think my favorite part is having less bugs, followed by fresh eggs. My least favorite part is them sneaking into the cat food and pooping on the porch. We kind of have a love/hate relationship when it comes to this part of our day.
Chickens will eat just about anything and everything. That comes in really handy if you want to reduce the amount of kitchen scraps that go into your garbage can. During the summer months free range chickens will eat mostly bugs and grasses but will need to supplemented with chicken feed or cracked corn. If the egg shells are thin or papery you may need to feed them some crushed oyster shell or crush up their egg shells and add those to their feed. I had an older neighbor tell me that the more grass the hens eat, the darker orange the yolks will be.
A lot of towns will allow a few chickens, but not usually roosters, within city limits. Be sure to check with your local City Hall before getting your birds. If you are adventurous you can get baby chicks at your local feed store or through mail order. I recommend getting a few extra, just in case. You will need a heat lamp to keep them warm until all their feathers are in. Chick starter is medicated and will help your chicks thrive. If you have older birds be sure to keep them separated. I’m personally not comfortable with eating eggs if the hens accidentally got in the medicated feed.
Every fall, just as the weather starts to turn colder, our hens usually start molting and will lose nearly all of their feathers. I’ve always found the timing of this to be odd, I would think middle of summer when it’s hot would be a better time to be a naked chicken. I’ve read that this has to do with the reduced light and to give the egg producing parts a chance to rest. Another thing my neighbor told me was to give the chickens warm water during the winter and they will keep laying, it has worked every winter!
This is Lady Cluck and Little Red Pecker. Don’t turn your back on her when you are wearing flip flops, she likes to sneak up behind you and peck the backs of your ankles! You can see how far away I stay from her! 
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw the it was good. ~ Genesis 1:21 (KJV)
