Starting the prep

I have read books, starting with Living with Chickens by Rossier and finding some blogs that are about city people with chickens in their backyard.

My plan is to get three chicks for my birthday in February or March or 2008.  I need to get a setup for the chicks and a coop.

Why?

1. Free range eggs!
2. The kids are afraid of animals.  Starting with little fuzzy chicks and keeping hens will be a good way for them to have pets and become comfortable around animals.  DH is allergic to cats AND dogs.
3. They are neat little animals.

I will record my next 6 months of scrounging for a free cage for the chicks and my constant struggle -- Eglu or build my own?  If I build a coop I'll post about that process.