Need input on expansion idea.

[sukr4chkns]

Hi all. I'm a rather new member here and could use some input. My wife and I recently built our first chicken coop and run. We have 7 chickens, all hens (had 8 but lost one to an illness). They mostly free range in my yard all day. I have 3 Buffs, 2 RIR and 2 silkie mix. So far all of them get along famously.

What we would like to do is build another, smaller coop, and fence in a section of our yard to devote to a rooster and 3-4 hens. My question is, if I go this route, would it be possible to eventually let all the chickens free range together in the same section of the yard or would it be best to keep the new chickens in their own area.

We would really like to keep one coop for eggs only and then the coop with the rooster for eggs and for hatching new chicks. This is all pretty new to us, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Roosterlover5]

WELCOME TO BYC!!!

 

[karlamaria]

Your answer is yes and no, you cN let the females all roam together, but of you want future chicks with those 4 you plan to put in with a rooster you will have to keep him from the other 6 you have now. Or they will all be fertilized. Look up on here how to introduce your new stock with your current stock for more info.

 

[Mrs. K]

Actually I think you can keep them all together, just hatch the eggs of the hens x roo that you want. It won't matter if the other eggs are fertilized. You can eat fertilized eggs, there is no difference, and there is no chick inside, until they have been warmed for about 24 hours at near 100 degrees F. He could easily manage that many hens. It would be very easy if the eggs you want to hatch are a different color than the ones you don't want to hatch.

I am currently praying for a broody hen, so have been keeping the eggs of one hen that I especially like, on the counter. I pencil the date on them, so as to keep them from getting too old. So as to be ready to slip under any hen that gets the notion.

MrsK