You are now consumed by the chicken bug. I live further out and have a few chickens. WE love them and have favs that come in the house.
CHickens can and will detroy your plants. But you love them so much you won't mind.
Flying and climbing gets them anywhere they want to go but mostly they run on the ground.
Have a safe place to keep them cooped, with a run big enough to play in. This means make it bigger than you think you should. 
Start with a few and stay with a few as you are keeping them as pets. THey have personalities too and some get along better than others. In small quarters, easy going temperaments. If you go rhode Island Reds, get all RIR. They can be tough and biters. Love them anyway.
Some breeds make better pets than others. Since you want eggs, think Orpingtons. Or Sussex. The hatcheries have buff orpingtons and speckled sussex. Other varieties are available thu private breeders. MyPetchicken.com has a selection feature that is fun and useful to try to understand each breed is a little different. You are better off with a dual purpose aka heritage types. Some chickens are rather like a wild bird compared to others. Use "docile" in the selector.
Check the coop section for ingenious designs.
Keep reading BYC. Many people here to share with and willing to help. I've been reading and live here for a year.
DH adopted our first hen from the BOston area. So good luck and I hope you enjoy your chicken adventures.
Edited by Arielle - 2/27/12 at 4:47pm
