I have to keep reminding myself a) we know a whole bunch of people who keep chickens already and have expressed interest in taking some of them off our hands once they're older and b) THEY WERE ALL GOING TO DIE ANYWAY. At least this way the girls have a chance. (It's bad luck to be born a boy chicken, unless you win the lottery and get your own harem. But that's a reeeeeeally small chance.)
Part of what's making him doubtful is the start-up cost, I think. Well, I was planning to offer to pay for everything, anyway.
Augh. It's his fault for raising us on stories of his farmboy childhood and consistently bringing up the possibility of keeping our own chickens.