About a year ago I thought about getting some chicks from our local ACE hardware store but when they couldn't tell me what the breeds were, if they were male/female or if they had been vaccinated or not, I decided to go another route and got some from a hatchery. I used Murray McMurray but there are a lot of hatcheries out there. Maybe my ACE store was the exception to the rule and other stores have more knowledgeable sales people but wherever you get your birds, get them from someone that knows chickens. And do get at least 3, the chickens will be happier being in a flock.