I think you can get solar powered coop doors, can’t you? The county co-op won’t run power out to my chicken house, so I hope that’s true.
The nice roosters are just SO neat. I didn’t expect or realize how much PERSONALITY they’d have. My main man is a blue birchen marans and he’s just so sweet. I was in the barn with my favorite hen teaching her to jump up in my lap (yeah, yeah, I know :lol:) He watched for a few minutes, wouldn’t take a treat, and left. Came back with his other ladies and made sure they all got a little something before he very politely took one. What a nice boy. Love him.
Another vote for NOT keeping the chickens in your barn. The dust, feathers, and poop really do go everywhere. I have two week old chicks in my house right now, and I am counting down the days until I can kick their filthy little butts outside! I’ve had chickens for almost two years now. As another poster mentioned, chickens don’t typically have long lifespans. Between death/predator losses and selling birds I didn’t particularly care for, I’ve gone through LOTS of birds/breeds, even though I only maintain a flock of about 6-8 birds most of the time. Here are the breeds I’ve had, from favorite to least favorite:
Speckled Sussex - beautiful, SWEET, charming, and full of character. I lost my hen this spring but plan to get more soon.
Salmon Faverolles - funny, odd, darling little bird. I lost her to a prolapse but hatched some of her last eggs to keep.
Rhode Island Red - not nearly as friendly, but easy to handle and prolific layers. My girls rarely miss a day. HUGE eggs.
Easter Eggers - love the colored eggs and variety of plumage. They fly/jump well and tend to escape regularly. Friendly.
Ameraucana - just picked up a rooster (blue wheaten) this spring. Very respectful of humans and a good flock guard.
Buff Orpington - bullied my other chickens and was terrified of me. Not what I expected; didn’t keep her long.
Silver Laced Wyandotte - same story as the Oprington.
Welsummer - pretty bird and laid lovely eggs, but she became very aggressive towards me and had to go.
Olive Egger (Legbar/Welsummer) - INSANE and terribly flighty. Died of Mareck’s; only bird I’ve had affected. 
I think that’s all of them. I’ve basically started creating my own breed with these first home-hatched chicks. The goal is to combine Speckled Sussex, Faverolles, Ameraucana, and Rhode Island Red genes to end up with a flock of fluffy faced, speckled, extra friendly chickens who lay a rainbow of egg colors. It’s going to be a slow project, but at least the generation interval with chickens is much shorter than with horses! :lol:
