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If you are thinking of keeping chickens, make sure that you have the time to give these birds the care they need, and that the work involved appeals to you. Chickens are far less demanding than most other domestic animals, but they do require feed and fresh water every day, and a henhouse requires regular cleaning. If you are away for a couple of days or more, then you cannot leave these animals to their own devices. In that case, you need a reliable person to take care of them during your absence. Keeping chickens need not be expensive, certainly not when you only have a few birds. Whatever the case may be, you will have to consider buying or making a solid and durable henhouse, which as a rule is not cheap. Also, your chickens might contract a disease for which they must see a veterinarian, and although this could be expensive, your animals should not go without because of the costs. As chickens can live ten or even fifteen years (and sometimes even more), it is sensible to carefully up all the pros and cons beforehand. You should realize that your chickens cannot choose whether to live with you or not, and that they depend entirely upon you for their well-being. There are a few examples of municipalities prohibiting chickens within a residential area, or of fanciers having to get rid of their chickens because neighbours complain about the noise. So, before acquiring chickens, it is wise to inquire about such matters. (The Complete Encyclopedia Of Chickens, by Esther Verhoef & Aad Rijs)