Continued from above...
We raised our flock of 10 from chicks at two different stages about two months apart. We didn't have any issues; they lived in the garage in rubbermaids under heat lamps until they needed bigger quarters in the way of horse troughs (still in the garage and under hardware cloth stretched over frames. Tractor Surprise will have everything you need depending on whatever age you start at and they figure it out pretty quick.
We started right before Covid and the school lockdowns so it actually turned into a project with my 8yo. We would socialize with them a couple times a day and chart their weight by week as a science activity and observe their gains.
Once they were old enough/hardy enough to live without the heat lamps, I assembled a pre-fab coop ($300 on clearance? Can't remember - could not buy materials for that cheap). Built a foundation out of cinder blocks, lined the bottom with caps and the run is filled about a foot deep with cedar mulch (my take on the deep litter method). The roost is filled with pine shavings but is easy to clean with doors and pans on each side. This has to be done about every 2-3 weeks but it's not critical. Waste goes into a special compost heap. Allowing them to free range also helps keep the coop run and roost cleaner.
They roam our 100x100 fenced in area and the Malinois leave them alone once we came to an understanding that these guys are part of the pack. Our highest prey-drive Mal is wary of them - I think she mighta gotten hen-pecked or at least the shit scared out of her that these aren't squeaky toys. We have plenty of fox, coon, hawk, owls, etc on property but I think they stay out of the fence line based on dog scent. Haven't had an issue yet. We clipped everyone's wings because we have some adventurous ones but they can still manage to buzz over the split rail. If they go rogue and get snatched, I am not going to shed a tear. I have tried to keep them in the fence by bringing them back in, but they haven't gotten the message. I am not a chicken herder. Prefer they free-range and forage anyway - great in the summer for bugs/pests as stated.
Egg production started about 5.5 months from week old chicks which is about right for our climate. So far this winter they have not seem to be bothered by temps but they prefer not to be in the snow. I have walled off three sides of the coop for wind with an old tarp cut to fit and they are happy every night to return to the roost. We generally just have to latch the coop door after dusk. I don't have to shut the roost door. My 5-gal bucket with the nipples has been a pain - the nipples will get jammed open or otherwise leak. Also noticed that if the lid is on tight, it can cause a vacuum seal as the water is depleted and then nothing comes out. Again, free range to the rescue. They like the little creek where my sumps dump into.
They get all the produce scraps and man they can go through some blueberries, grapes, and strawberries! We have more eggs than three people can consume and give loads away to family and friends. We probably have about a 100 in the deep freezer - just crack an egg into a silicone mold, freeze, than ziplock. Did that for when winter production slows down, but we have enough back log that I think we will be fine. Current pic of the counter-top (about 100 +/-)... The camera washes out the blue, but in the sunshine, straight from the nesting box, they are a spectacular shade.
I had to register with the State because chicken farming is one of our largest ag outputs here. The reason is to keep all owners notified of disease outbreaks or other topics of interest like sanitation, cleanliness, and knowledge and care. Fun fact: you can determine the color of the egg that a hen will lay by examining her earlobes. I did it by breed, and the hen I tried it on was not too happy about the idea.
I recommend it for anyone that has the space and enough care to consider it a hobby (or at least work) and not necessarily cheap/free eggs - no such thing. The quality and self-sufficiency of the effort is also worth something. Doubly-so if you have young children that can help out by learning and chorin'
edited for image re-sizing