We've raised chickens from babies and what a hassle it is! They are so delicate and messy. And very vulnerable to cats. But there's a feed store nearby that does that part and then sells them when they are a month or so old. They charge $7 each for the young ladies, which is about 2x the price of babies. But it's sure worth it for us. When we get them they are ready to be put outside in the chicken house. If it's winter I do provide a light for them for a week or two, but after that they are ok without it. Another good thing about this is that you get to see them well before you buy them, and reject any that don't look good, or have a bad foot or something. This feed store must do everything right because we've never had a sick chicken or brought home any parasites. It's called JD's Feed in Silver City, NM.
