Here is a list of Pros and Cons that perhaps you can add too or rearrange according to your needs.
Pros:
Provide Eggs/Meat usually at or slightly above store cost
Control over your food source and quality
Entertainment
Good pets
Can get AG tax break in some areas
Feed can be supplemented to reduce cost with less effect than larger animals
Cons:
Mercy of the market price of grain (can be cheap is managed or expensive)
Sanitation can be a pain
Sometimes noisy
Smell if due for a cleaning
Older hens stop producing, can become costly to feed at that stage
Its cheapest to buy from mills. Buy in bulk if possible, though with 6, its likely you can only buy 50lbs. in a bag and use it before it molds or spoils. Grain stored for long periods of time needs to have the vitamin/minerals replaced. Tiny squirt of Red Cell is cheap. lasts forever, and is chelated (urine will remove unwanted/extra vitamins/minerals). For a layer flock of 6 I buy about 50lbs at a time and go through that in about 2 months at $16.99 a bag. If I get my stuff from the mill I'd have about 150lbs for the same price including gas to get there and back.
For the enjoyment and production, its way worth it for me. If your social, the community is also generally very support and fun to be in.
