Oh, god. Chickens. Really? Are you sure?
Fowl are hard. Because...well, because they're dinner.
And the chicks are cute and cuddly. And you could get attached to them, if you don't really, really watch out. And what's the point of a dinner that you can't stand to eat? That instead of eating, you actually have to keep feeding?
It happened to me when I was about 7. My gran raised chickens for eggs/meat, and rabbits for pelts/meat, and I happened, that summer, to get attached to one of the bunnies.
I will just say that I know what it feels like to throw up your toenails, and leave the traumatizing event at that.
I learned my lesson about DINNER, though, believe me.
If you're going to get them, you totally have to go in knowing that these chickens are NOT friends, they're NOT pets, and you can't spend time going, "oh, look what cute things the chicken is doing" and giving them names, or you're going to have trouble when it comes time to give them the chop. You have to just stuff them in the pen, throw food at them, steal their eggs, and ignore them.
PS: they don't run around if you tie their feet with twine before you chop them.