Part III of How.......

So 17 chicks. Then I started thinking about how many eggs I would get. If I had 17 layers then I conservatively would get 9 or 10 per day. Well that is more than we needed yet really not enough to sell. Our coop was big 7 1/2 by 9 with a 71/2 ceiling. Would hens generate enough heat to keep themselves warm? Maybe I should not have agreed to give any away. I should have kept them all! Can't go back on my deal. What to do? Back to the web.
Turns out that Ideal does not have a minimum order of 25. Perfect. "I will just order another 12 to replace the ones I am giving away." This time 5 Golden Lace Wyandottes, 4 Australorps, and 4 more Easter Eggers. Oh, thats 13. 12, 13, what's an extra chick at this point?
I placed my order. They would arrive 1 month after the first batch. Okay.
So while I was waiting for the newbies I went back to Ideal's website to check on a few things and noticed something that I had missed. You can order fewer than 25, but they will put as many male chicks in as they think necessary to keep the others warm. This is not good. I decided that I would just add more pullets to the order instead of the roosters.
"Hello, this is Lucy. How can I help you?"
"Hi Lucy. I have an order coming in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you could tell me how many roos you would be adding for warmth?"
"Let me see. Going to Vermont in September....probably about 10."
"TEN? Ten roosters?(OMG 10 roosters) I don't want ten roosters. Can I order some pullets instead?"
" Well, let me see what we have. Well, the only thing I have are ducks or a bantam assortment."
"I don't want ducks, so it looks like bantams. They are straight run, aren't they?"
"Yes Mam. Just the way nature makes them."
"Well at least some of them will be pullets so I am better off. So please add 10 bantams to my order."
So now I am up to 30 standards and 10 bantams. Maybe I'll get 20 eggs a day that I can sell and we'll keep the bantam eggs for us. And 40 total will keep the coop warm. All is well.