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Q: How many should I get?
A: Chickens are sociable creatures. Never get just one chicken; it would be very lonely. Two is better so they can keep each other company. Three is a nice number for your small flock—and probably the legal limit in your city. If three is your goal, consider getting four chicks—there’s a fairly high attrition rate; chicks are remarkably creative at killing themselves off (by getting sick, drowning in the water dish, or piling up in a corner and suffocating). If all four survive, you run the risk of breaking the local law; so don’t say you heard it here.

Q: Do I need a rooster in order to get eggs?
A: No, city slicker, you don’t. Hens lay eggs whether there’s a rooster around or not. The eggs just won’t be fertilized without the rooster. Besides being illegal in most cities, roosters crow all day long (not just at dawn) and will make your neighbors murderously unhappy.

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