You will find that a few hens will give you all you need, plus some to share with your parents. Practice deep litter, grass clippings, raked up leaves in the fall, garden trimmings, etc. The chickens will enjoy the variety and what they don’t eat, they will scratch to bits, poop on it and mix it all up. It creates great garden compost, they do all the work for you! Now if only they would learn how to shovel it out and push the wheelbarrow…………