I have been thinking about chooks for a long time, it just took a while longer to convince the husband that it was a good idea! I have a friend with chooks and when she got some fertilised eggs for her broody hens to hatch, the timing just worked out. My boys are great with them and have lots of fun. I'm enjoying watching the chooks and seeing how they interact and sort out their pecking order.
I'm curious about the eggs over winter too. Some people have said that being young they may continue to lay, albeit less frequently, over winter this year if they start before winter. I guess a lot of it's going to come down to what mixed breeds I've got, and how much light we have.