[Eric in the Ozarks]

We've kicked around getting some chicks but that would mean a chicken house, chick grit, training our cat to leave them alone, etc.
Critters that can keep the wood ticks and other bugs down sounds attractive...

[Sarajevo]

We've been raising chickens for 4 years now and our insect load has diminished. We no longer have scorpions or many other insect pests invading the house. We also benefit from around a dozen eggs per day.
On the flip side, we free range our birds, so we tend to have a loss from predators, and the birds eat everything. If it's young and green, it's gone. If it's a leafy vegetable, it's gone.
Our cats don't bother the birds. In fact, the cats are afraid of the chickens.