Good for you.  I am a chicken lover.  We use to have several. But when I was a kid we had chickens, I learned that when they quit laying it was time for the stew pot.  I did not have the heart for that so I ended up feeding several old retired laying hens.  Not too practical.  But one time when away from home a raccoon or something got into the pen and slaughtered  all the chickens.  Not for food just killed all and left.