@A.A.Ron ‘s advice is good. We’ve had chooks for around as long. Getting chicks in the spring (April) works out well. It warms up right about the time they can go outside. We used hardware cloth instead of chicken wire for the coop. Like chicken Fort Knox, but we’ve only lost chooks to raccoons once due to our own negligence in locking the nesting box. You won’t regret it. They are easy once you get going and a pet that poops breakfast rocks. And they give you a reason to sit outside while they scratch around.