Let me just tell you that I just love chickens! Let me offer you a bit of advice since I had almost 70 chickens at one time 
I loved the sound of the clucking and always knew when one of the girls was laying an egg. I however never felt as if they were too noisy. They can indeed be quite messy so it is imperative to keep a clean living area. I highly encourage cleaning the coop every other day if you plan to have just a few hens, obviously more often for more hens. Be certain that you are not just cleaning the perches but also the nesting boxes and the ground. Keeping an immaculate homestead for your feathered friends cuts down on overall care. A dirty coop can lead to scaly mites, flaky feet and much more. Having seen toes fall off due to improper cleaning is a terrible sight. The maintenance isn't as much as it seems but the cleaning also promotes more egg production.
I prefer straw to use as bedding. The hens will compact the straw as they nest in their boxes. This allows you to lift the soiled bedding out in one fail sweep. Straw is also a wonderful insulator on frigid nights and highly economical. If you are practicing self sufficiency, the straw and manure mix composts very well together making it great for your gardens after a few seasons.
Safety is important too. Ensure that your coop is animal proof. Opossum will attack every chicken you have in a matter of hours. They can slip into unheard of spaces and are night predators. Your chickens will not even see them coming. Other animals are of course a risk as well. Regular inspection of your coop is essential.
Feeding can be tricky! Pellets are great along with a good quality bag of scratch grains. The pellets should always be the primary food source. I like to add ground oyster shell as it helps to grind up course food then a bit of commercial calcium for a harder shell. A wonderful treat for my hens was a head or two of cabbage, strategically hung from the coop. You must remember though...an overweight chicken will lay fewer eggs.
These are only a few tips..definitely do some research on the subject. Talk to local farmers and others who have had great success.
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