I have been raising chickens for 8 years. I disassembled my brothers chicken house and reassembled it at my house. I built a pen out of salvaged fence posts, pallets, chicken wire, chain link fencing, and wire fencing I got from removing it from the front yard. I call it my chicken fortress as it is roofed and has strips of metal roofing buried about a foot deep around the exterior. I am on my third batch of chickens, and raised the last 2 from tiny chicks. I have donated 15 dozen eggs to the local food bank and keep my friends supplied with fresh eggs. I have 4 cuckoo marans and 5 random others., red, black, white,black and gold and white with gray spots. One is an Americana and lays light green eggs, 2 lay white eggs and the red one lays big brown eggs.