Welcome! I'm in my first fall of stay at homedness too, with my first flock of chickens. I am so glad I found BYC; any question you have, post it, and someone will have an answer or suggestion.
This is the nicest forum I've ever been a part of. We're all here for each other. We encourage, congratulate, and help one another. And when necessary, be a shoulder to lean on too.
As far as talking to chickens, yup, I do that. And I swear that they answer. Especially one; when I give them treats, I'm sure her little noises mean "thank you."