Hiya,

I would like to raise my own chickens and need advice on the best  breeds for eggs, which breeds I can keep together as I would like a mix rather than just a single type (they will be pets as well as egg layers). Basically advice on everything that's related to raising chickens for eggs in a free range environment.

Here are some specific questions.

1) I prefer to avoid having chickens that only lay for the first few years of life as I do not intend on eating them so don't want the space taken up with chickens that don't lay eggs. Which breeds then can I choose from that lay for most of their lives and usually get on well with other breeds?

2) As the chickens will also be pets, I want breeds that are known for their temperament and that generally don't mind being around humans. Which breeds do you recommend?

3) I have a shed thats about 3x2m that I would like to convert into a chicken coop. I live in the Blue Mountains and it gets pretty cold and wet up here in winter, though it doesn't snow in my particular area. We do get gale force winds though which make it feel like its minus 20 outside sometimes. 

a) Are chickens ok in cold weather? What about hot weather?

b) Is a metal shed ok to convert into a chicken coop?

c) What is the easiest and cheapest way of insulating it so that it keeps them warm in winter and cool in summer?

d) Should I just buy one of those pre-made timber coops instead?

4) We easily go through 1, sometimes 2 dozen eggs a week. How many chickens will we need so that we can collect a couple dozen eggs per week?

5) Roosters look so awesome! But I don't want baby chickens, I only want eggs for eating. Can I get a desexed rooster?

6) If at some point I decided I wanted more chickens, is it as simple as just adding more to the group or do I have to create a new group separate from the other?

7) I want to bond with my chickens. What is the best age to buy them so that we have a better chance of bonding? 

8) Do different breeds require different diets?

9) If I want organic, free range eggs (which I do), what kind of food should I provide them, other than what they will have available in the form of fallen fruit, seeds, worms, grubs and insects etc? If I have enough excess I would like to sell my eggs at the local organic co-op shop so need to make sure my eggs are 100% organic. 

10) Can you recommend breeders in NSW? I only want free range chickens that are fed natural diets and spend most of their days outside in the sun, digging for grubs. =)