Mom raised chickens and sold eggs when I was a kid. It was my job weekends and summers to take are of the chickens. Horrible living conditions and we didn't keep them in cages. In summer mom would open the coops' doors and let the critters roam. They would go back in the coop to lay eggs. These were the best. the chickens got pretty and healthy and the nest stayed clean. I won't tell what you can find in a chicken's nest besides chicken sh**. Chickens can be nastier than hogs and they are cannibals. Not only are they cannibals. They eat each other a live which is probably why modern farmers put them in separate cages. On another note I once had an easter duck who liked to live with our rabbit. A lone duck latches onto whatever friend will have it as it thinks it has no other pals. the man who bought mom's eggs for the stores had someone on his route who wanted duck eggs for baking. Mom didn't like duck eggs, said they were too strong. So I got to sell my duck eggs to our egg guy. I made a little bit of spare change with that.