Help please. I'm new to chickens...

[ourcozycoop]

When we moved into our farm it came with Chickens. They had (have a coop) that is safe and very large with all the glories they could ask for. Yet they would roost outside the coop. A single man before us lived here, who allowed his animals friends to do their thing he just fed them all. My point is, theyll be fine in the mean time doing their thing until you appropriately house them. I don’t know to much about your climate but when we did take over here I provided a fan and more air circulation into their coop and slowly with time made it appealing and outwitted them into roosting in their coop. There is so much to learn and thanks to BYC you’ll def. learn what’s needed. But in the mean time I wouldn’t kill yourself with worry (like I did!) They are pretty clever animals, so long as they are not dangerously confined and youre providing water and food they’ll fair fine. I would have to agree though it does sound like you’ve got a friend taking slight advantage, pawning off their Roosters. Your rooster hen ratio is far from fair for the hens. I’d say pick your favorit roosters (as I’m sure you’ve grown keen to the look of a rooster) and get rid of the rest. Our current ratio is 3/13 with a broody hen, pullets and eggs in the incubator. So that will clearly change very soon. I will likely find myself having to home some roosters as I’m not at the point in chicken hood to cull any...

Anyways! I’ve only been keeping chickens for a year now. For the most part googling and winging it lol

I think it’s important to answer that question of ‘what is your chicken goal’ and go from there

Good luck and welcome!!

* edited to reflect what I meant to say.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Your hen has to be broody (want to hatch eggs and sits on them) to hatch some eggs... Otherwise, you could always get an incubator.

 

[Mesha12]

One hen is sitting on them now. But like I said we have 6 total. And so far 2 of them are hens. That you gus help me figure out lol. Our friend gave them to us because of the kids and also we had a lot of ticks. And the kids would get covered when we first moved in our new house.

 

[bobbi-j]

My point is, theyll be fine doing their thing until you are able to appropriately house them.

Or a predator finds them... It may not be this week or next week, or even months from now, but as long as they are unprotected at night, they are vulnerable to being killed and eaten by raccoons (who will just tear them up, eating them alive), Great Horned Owls (they'll decapitate the chickens while they're sleeping - leaving headless chicken bodies on the ground for you to find in the morning) or other night time predators.

 

[ourcozycoop]

One hen is sitting on them now. But like I said we have 6 total. And so far 2 of them are hens. That you gus help me figure out lol. Our friend gave them to us because of the kids and also we had a lot of ticks. And the kids would get covered when we first moved in our new house.

Guineas are GREAT for ticks!

 

[ourcozycoop]

Or a predator finds them... It may not be this week or next week, or even months from now, but as long as they are unprotected at night, they are vulnerable to being killed and eaten by raccoons (who will just tear them up, eating them alive), Great Horned Owls (they'll decapitate the chickens while they're sleeping - leaving headless chicken bodies on the ground for you to find in the morning) or other night time predators.

Yes that would be devastating for sure!

 

[Mesha12]

I haven't seen any raccoons where I'm at. I have heard an owl but not sure what kind. And have seen skunks and a possum. We have cameras around the house and watch them daily to see if anything is messing with them.

 

[Fishkeeper]

You need to start building a safe coop as soon as possible. If you have an enclosed garage, I'd shut them in there so nothing eats them in the meantime.