new chickens

Hi, I have a double house coupe, and my husband build a huge 8 ft. by 6 ft. shed over it with a door so we can go in and they have plenty of room. I got my chickens 6 months ago on a farm, and found out I have 2 roosters, I think, Alfafa makes his call and the other large bird that looks like a rooster doesn't make the rooster name strange? also the hens are doing well, but why? I have 2 heaters in the coop and plenty food, corn, and water, and the couple house coop inside has 2 areas where to lay eggs and we put fake eggs in there too, to help them to know where to lay the eggs in the quite dark area.
When do the hens start to lay eggs? I know it would be less in the winter but hoping with the 2 heaters they will lay eggs.
Also, like the other link someone said about the missing chicken. I had one missing while ago, I only let them out for 2 or 3 hrs a day to run and they migrate into there coop at night. I had one that was very small the grunt and unfortentaly I saw a hawk fly out from under a Christmas tree in the yard and got that small chicken, cried and was so upset, but now I make sure they only go out about 1:00 ish and they come back at 3:00 because gets dark so late now. BUT, also like this women said, Not Alfalfa my favorite rooster who keeps the hens together and safe, but the other rooster I have huge bird too, didn't so up yesterday and also today. Hoping same thing maybe out nesting somewhere? or hopefully will come home in couple of days? I had a hen before we left to Florida on a trip who got scared as my husband was finish building the large shed coop and was gone for 2 days but came back to her home and is safe now...... it's so weird how sometimes they disappear for couple days and come back home. Why do chicken's do this.. is when do chickens start laying eggs, and how do you tell between eggs you eat and the other eggs that are fertile? could you please let me know how? and when? thanks... getting there, chickens are real happy in a huge 2 acre yard and has stream in my back yard too, on a coldersac end of a street.

You don't need to heat your chickens, it's probably more stressful than helpful, correct feeding will help your hens grow and produce eggs, so a proper ration is important, corn should be only used as a treat. I would keep your chickens on a good quality non medicated grower for a few months yet, with a dish of oyster shells free choice.

Your chickens could be disappearing to go lay eggs somewhere else, so either confine them or go looking for a ground nest in the weeds. If your chickens are happy on your property more than likely a few predators are too, so be careful they aren't being eaten.

Hi, I now have a huge coop built over the double coop where they lay eggs and keep warm, my husband built 12 ft. By 14 ft. With 8 ft - 9ft. Roof. I put a filled heavy owl with head that spins around and also now have about 300 ft. Of wire messed electric solar fence that works out awsome they have a huge hill to roam on with lots of flowers and tall grass and stay hidden, and also have silver balls hung around, I havent' had any problems ... Very happy chickens, have 10 females now, and I now have Cochin that was replace by a mistake rooster from shop, she's 7 weeks old, and a new chicks that was just born from my silky who was laying on a few fertile eggs, and I now have a baby silky, but one foot has 5 toes and the other has 4 toes, why could that be, or will it grow later she's only 3 days old.

Happy to hear things are going better. Your chick won't grow a toe, just consider it a cute birth defect.