My husband and two young daughters have kept chickens in our backyard for 6 years now. Have gone through ups and downs as we've learned about predators, etc, but mostly it has been fun. We only have two laying hens at the moment--a 7 year old Americana and a 4 year old dominique, but we have a brooder full of chicks--many different breeds! So exciting! Looking forward to learning from the other members.