When I was a kid we had two classes of chickens. Layers and yard chickens. Eggs were a cash crop, they were kept in a barn with controlled lighting and heat (sort of). It wasn't like an egg operation today, they had quite a little space and structures. The yard chickens had their own coop that they really only used in the winter. Bantums, they kept the yard and garden and animal pens clean. And they always looked good...