My beloved husband of two years wanted some chickens because he, "had always wanted to chickens" but he did't know why and didn't know anything about chickens???  That should have been a clue!

We researched on the types of chickens, many brands or types are available - rhode island red, whites, boilers ???, golden laced wyondette, etc etc.  Then the order form wanted to know did we want a straight run or hens - we didn't know so we ordered a straight run - it was cheaper.  Oh boy....  later on that one.  Well, the chicks arrived one cold December day and we were excited to th hilt!!  They stayed in my son's bedroom - he wasn't in there - and our lives forever changed!!

Beloved hubby got up in the middle of the night to check on them to make sure they were warm - temperature is VERY important.  Novice that he was, some died because we had the temperature wrong - too hot or too cold - even though he followed the instructions.  (Yes, I'm deliberately saying he/him at this point).  We started off with 26 (ordered 25 but we got a "free" one, oh boy....) and ended up with, gulp... 13.... not sure what happened but they went onto wherever baby chicks go - chicky heaven maybe!!

Anyway, so we (yes, it's we again) build a chicken coop and when it's warmer take the little darlings outside - meantime we had ordered more of the luvverlys.....  the first batch wasn't growing, why? what did we do wrong? did we forget to feed them?  Nope, they were bantams - a smaller breed of chick - ha ha ha no, we didn't think that.  THEN, on top of that, get this, TEN of them there bantams were not hens but ROOSTERS.....  See, know we know what a straight run is - a mixture of male and female chicks.... boy oh boy.