A Flock of Baby Chicks: $25
These are one-day old chicks, shipped overnight to the family.

A Flock of Mature Hens, already laying eggs: $100
These are mature hens, already laying eggs. They are at least six months old, but not older than one year.

Give a family a flock of chicks that will each eventually produce 200 eggs a year! Baby hens start laying eggs as young as six months, giving the family regular nourishment and a steady stream of income from the sale of eggs. 

Why Eggs?  Eggs, by the very fact that they are the matter from which a new life is created, are a powerhouse of all the nutrients needed for children to grow and adults to be sustained.   Eggs  are also extremely easy to cook and can be used in many ways: They can be boiled, scrambled, poached, made into an omelet, or they can be incorporated into breads, puddings, and other dishes to add flavor and substance. 

Should you give baby chicks or mature chickens?While baby chicks are fun to raise and will eventually bear many protein packed eggs, they are not suitable for the most indigent families because of the six months of feed costs before they are mature enough to produce eggs.  In time, they will more than make up for that outlay, many times over, but some families who can't even afford to buy food to eat in the present certainly cannot afford to buy feed for their baby chicks for six months

Chickens' role in a sustainable farm operation: Chickens scratch the ground for grubs, most of which are destructive to crops, and they eliminate small rodents, mainly mice.  Therefore, they are especially good for orchards: They eat the boring insects that kill fruit trees from the inside out, and they kill the mice that kill fruit trees by eating the bark.  They will mow grass that is no taller than two inches, and they are great for preparing planting beds through their grub control and fertilization.