You may want your pet chicken to roam around the house, even sleep in the bedroom but the chicken would pretty much prefer its own coop to roost and its own nest box to lay eggs on. You can always build one using the materials that you already have or are readily available at a local farmers market or hardware. In the country, they attract a lot, in the city they attract rats let alone cats. The hen house then is a good area to shelter and raise them. There are fanciful chicken pen designs that are available everywhere if you do not want to go through the trouble of building them. Fancy chicken pens are good and attractive accessory to your backyard. One effective way at preventing this from happening is insuring that the feeds used are free from pathogens. Regular vaccinations are conducted to assure that the flocks are healthy and the observance of proper sanitation, eggs washing and refrigeration is observed from the farm to the market. Producing high quality chicken eggs is straightforward. A roof not angled steeply will invite chickens to roost there and when that happens expect where the eggs will be. Inside the nest box, keep at least two inches of straw but if you could have wood shavings (pine is preferable) that is even better. If you could provide a chute where the eggs will roll after being laid, and collected at a separate place, the added cost of the chute will be paid for in terms of more eggs that could be used. Hens are the ultimate feminists, since they are very much comfortable without their male counterparts. As for breed selection, the "bantam" is more popular for their docile nature and gorgeous plumage. Their small size also makes them easier to handle. You also have to consider the size of a chicken's comb and wattle since these extra appendages are prone to frostbites during winter, which can cause health complications if not treated properly. The chicks will outgrow the box and you will need additional accommodation for them. Even so, provide a lamp where they could huddle together and get heat especially in the coldest hours of the morning or and when they need it, otherwise turn the lamp off to get them acclimatized to normal temperatures.