That's nice you can have as many as 12 birds, that will get you plenty of eggs for home use and probably enough to share. I grew up in KS and am very familiar with the crazy weather you get (very hot and very cold and everything in between). If you would like to make contact with other KS members that might have some tips for your area, you can find them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/248925/consolidated-kansas
Nice to have you join and hope you & your family enjoy the chickens!