DO you want to keep the hens. It sounds like you want to breed them. So if you just want them to get busy and get eggs from them to hatch whats the big deal? They get to keep the hens you use them for a few weeks to get good eggs. But...
Good for you. I recently learned how to crochet too. But I was doing it wrong and found a really neat way to do it. If you change yarn every row your blanket, scarf, rag, can be one color one one side and another color on the back. I...