Chicken math is a fickle thing. Are you sure 3-5 is enough to feed your family? With 3-5 chickens, depending on what breed(s) you pick, you may not get enough eggs to make breakfast every morning for two people - and less during the winter. Right now I have 10 black copper marans of laying age, vary from 8 to 18 months approximately - one is molting, two trying to go broody and it's winter with shorter days. Today I got 2 eggs. Yesterday there were 4. Being a dual purpose breed, BCM are not the most prolific layers but they do OK. My coworkers rarely turn down free eating eggs when I have too many in the fridge.