Day Old Chicks Photo courtesy of McMurray Hatchery

Jocelyn, you have to look at this article about chickens.  I have my opinions about the cost effectiveness of raising these critters in the suburbs or at least near the foothills (lots of predators like foxes, weasels and neighbor dogs).  Corn chicken feed is not cheap.  Chicken manure piles up quickly.  Chicken drinking water freezes quickly in the winter.  Chickens are day length sensitive and fail to lay.   Electric light bulbs in the winter are costly as well.   BUT,  they’re soooo cute, especially those bantams, although they don’t lay very well. 

By the way, my last surviving hen stopped laying years ago (when she was only 18 months old) and now crows like a rooster in the mornings.  Most chickens don’t start laying until they are about 4 months old.  Some never start laying because those cute chicks turn out to be roosters.  FYI: Go for the sex-linked chicks.  Color indicates sex.