Keeping chickens is back in style and if you want to be part of the new, old-school trend, here's how to start.
First, decide how many chickens you need. During warmer weather you will likely get one egg per day from each chicken. So, don't overbuy.
Second, pick a breed known for laying. A few breeds known for their good laying and heartiness are the Red Sex Links, which are a hybrid, and the Buff Orpington. If you are keeping chickens for eggs, don't worry about getting a rooster. You only need a rooster if you want to raise new chickens from the eggs.
Finally, decide how you will shelter your chickens. Even chickens allowed to roam (free-range chickens) need some sort of draft-free shelter, out of the elements. Chicken coops should have nest boxes and a raised perch for sleeping. They must have shade in the summer and some warmth in the winter.
Free-range chickens require the least amount of work since the chickens will literally roam free on your property. They will eat insects out of the grass and forage and are great at keeping the tick population down.
Free-range has some serious drawbacks, though. Wherever chickens go, so goes their poop. They may get into the garden and quickly make lunch of your growing vegetables. Free-range chickens are also unprotected, leaving them at the mercy of raccoons, hawks, foxes and domestic animals.
A chicken run offers protection, but requires more work. This is simply a fenced in area for the chickens. Generally, it is attached to their coop, so they can go in and out. This keeps the birds (and their poop) contained and safe. The chickens will quickly eat the ground in the area bare so they can no longer forage. You will have to bring them greens and food.
A moveable run (or chicken tractor) allows you to move the fenced area so the birds can forage in a new place. It is usually a coop and a run on wheels.
Birds will generally lay their eggs in the coop. Even the free ranged birds will go back to the coop to lay, and will actually put themselves to bed at night in the coop.
Chickens can be fun to watch and even affectionate, but it likely won't be cheaper than buying eggs. What you will get is a better, fresher taste, nice deep and bright yolks that don't break. Plus, you'll know how the chickens were raised, a concern many people have for factory chickens.
All that is left is to collect and keep the eggs each day. Freshly laid eggs have something called a bloom on them. Keep the bloom in place and the eggs will stay fresh on the counter. Wash right before use.