I was surprised to see this topic when I logged on. My husband recently decided he'd like a few chickens again so he could have fresh eggs. He takes care of them and although it isn't very time consuming, it would definitely be cheaper to buy eggs. Having said that though, if you read, the very fresh eggs are far more nutritious than those from the store.
If you go to the McMurray website, and maybe even request a catalog, you can read all about the various types of chickens so you can get the one suited for you. We got ones that do well in cold climates since we have very cold winters. He also bought the book, Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, which is said is excellent and supposed to be the best book on the subject.
We got our chickens through the mail from McMurray. We got the minimum order of 15 and all arrived safe and well. Good luck!