I really enjoy our chickens and I've set it up so they're not such a chore. A water feeder that replenishes itself, an automated little door to the chicken run that opens at 5am and closes at 9pm and a feeder i only fill once a month. I set a water heater pan on bricks in the chicken run for a plastic garbage can to sit in. I cut a 1¼" hole at the bottom for the pellets to dribble out. It can easily hold a 50lb bag of layer pellets.
Kids in the neighborhood just love our chickens. Something primordial? One 9 year old girl asked if they had names. No but you can name them if you want. She points to one of the black hens and says I'm naming this one mother clucker. I spit out a little beer when she said that