A few things about chickens.

We have kept chickens for about 5 years now.  Other than a dog, they are the first animal that we brought to our place in the country.  We had heard that they were cheap, easy to care for and gave you eggs.  We decided to give it a shot.  I thought I would share my experiences with you.  Again, I only have 5 years experience, so go ahead and find someone else who knows a lot more.  I probably would.  I recently heard that Dallas is allowing residents to keep chickens in their backyard.  That is awesome! 

So, here are some tips and tricks that we have learned through trial and error:

• Chickens are disgusting creatures and will eat nearly anything.  This includes all table scraps(except raw potatoes for some odd reason).  I even give mine the old chicken carcasses after I cook one and they will eat it up, including the bones.  It is a great way to get rid of any waste, less for the garbage can and better on the food bill as well.  The chickens will also need some type of chicken food that you can buy in 50 lb bags at the feed store for about $13.  If you want to know what I feed, let me know.  I found a good deal on great food, way better than the feed store stuff.  They will eat all day long and so we only throw as much as we think they need and let them fend for themselves on pasture.  If your chickens aren't allowed access to gravel or other very small rocks and what not, you will need to get them some little rocks they sell at the feed store.  The chickens need those to process the food in their guts.  If you end up with soft shelled eggs, they aren't getting enough calcium.  I throw mine egg shells and the food I feed them has oyster shells in it and I haven't had a problem.
• Chickens will scratch up your yard, pretty flower beds and peck everything to death.  We have nothing pretty at our house, but if you have a manicured lawn and flower beds, you will not want to allow your chickens access to it.  It will be bug free, but also scratched and pecked to death. 
• Chickens poop a lot and poop on everything.  They will poop on the sidewalks, on the driveway, decks, etc.  So, something to consider.  I have to spray my sidewalks with a hose a lot and it's a pain in the butt and makes me mad.
• They will not lay eggs every day or year round and how much they lay depends on numerous factors.  During the winter we only get half or sometimes even less of the eggs we do during the warmer months.  Putting a heat lamp or even just a light with a regular bulb in their coop is supposed to help during those winter months because it tricks them in to thinking the days are longer and they get a little more heat.  I wouldn't want to lay an egg if I was freezing my butt off either.  Hens will also stop during the time when they are moulting which happens for about a couple weeks one time a year.  I really think that having a rooster(only 1) helps with egg production.  So, depending on how many eggs you want to get, should play a role in how many hens you should get.  I have 15 laying hens right now and get between 6 to 9 eggs a day.  That is more than we can eat as a family, but we sell some of them.  During the winter months I may only get 3 a day...
• The little buggers can fly better than you think.  We have had them fly over an 8 ft fence and could probably fly out of something higher.  If you need to keep them contained, you can clip their wings, but keep in mind that it's something you have to continue to do when the feathers grow back.
• They lay phenomenal eggs.  Well, that's if you are treating them right.  See my previous post on the nutrition of eggs here.  You need to allow your chickens to graze on pasture or grass, whatever you have.  The eggs cannot be compared to those from the store.  They are just way better and it's cool to get your own eggs.
• They need a coop.  Anything that keeps them dry, has a place for them to lay their eggs(lay boxes), a place to roost and can keep them safe from predators will work.  If you want to get fancy, there are many factors to consider and I would suggest you look at some plans online.  There are definitely things that I would change about mine had I known what I know now.
• Remember when I mentioned that they were gross and pooped a lot?  Well, you will need to clean their coop regularly.  I use straw on the bottom of ours.  I put a thicker layer right under their roosting area because that is where they will poop the most.  I also put straw in the lay boxes and have to change that more often that I change the straw from the floor.  If you don't keep the lay boxes clean, you will end up with dirty eggs.  That will happen sometimes even if you have just cleaned them, but that's life with chickens.  I clean the coop about every two weeks, but change the straw in the lay boxes once or more a week, depending on the need.  I just scope it out each day I gather the eggs.  The straw is great for use in the compost pile if you have one. 
• Mites and other diseases.  There are like 10 million things that chickens can get.  We have had mites, but now we dust the coop with diatomaceous earth and haven't had a problem since.  We have had a couple that just got diseased and we have no idea what it was.  Those are the times it's nice to have a heartless husband who can take care of that little problem ;).
• They are so fun to watch.  I love watching them peck around outside and my kids have had so much fun with them.  They are not too much work, but like with any pet, they do require care.  Feed them, clean up after them, give them water and grass and you should have some pretty happy chickens. 

I hope you consider keeping chickens if it's right for you.  They really have been fun to have and I never see us without them.  If you haven't ever kept chickens and are interested in knowing more, I would be happy to help.  If you are a fellow chicken person, please share your thoughts.