New to raising chickens. Need tips and ideas

[unknownskies]

Well like I said this will be my first year ever raising chickens. My neighbor is giving me 2 of his hens, and I am picking up another 4 hens and 1 rooster on thursday. Okay so here are some of my questions.

#1 I am drawing up plans right now for my chicken coops. My plan with the chickens is I want 3 hens laying eggs for now, and the other 3 hens making new chicks. So I figured that I would make two coops with runs. Put the 3 hens in one and the other with the rooster and other 3 hens. Does this sound like a good idea?

#2 I know that you lock your chicks in the coop at night to keep predators out, but I am confused on the eggs. I know that if my egg laying eggs I take them out after they lay the eggs, but now in the other coop, do I let the chickens lay on those eggs all night to keep warm, or do I lock them up for the night? May be a dumb question but I dont know.

#3 Since I am having 6 hens, should I build 3 and 3 nestings in the coops?

That's all I have right now. If there are some things I missed maybe toss in a few pointers on raising them.

Thanks A LOT

 

[hcppam]

Hum, you can build 2 coops that's great if you can. You need to lock all your chickens up at night (or you wont have chickens) just because the chickens with the rooster will lay eggs that doesn't mean they will sit on them, so you will have to incubate them in an incubator. I suggest you read up on raising chickens and read everything you can here BYC. Get one coop built since you have chickens before the coop...it should be the other way around LOL good luck.

Hi, from big bear, you'll love all the info you get here!

 

[nanawendy]

Start slow. maybe one coop @ a time . But first and foremost ... ENJOY. This is so much fun

you'll

it and

 

[annep]

Welcome, and you might try this in the forum about coop design..

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Why separate them? You can eat fertile eggs, they won't develope until the hen actually starts to set on them, so just mark the eggs you think will be fertile (you see the hen and rooster together and know where she lays)and take what you want. Once she goes broody leave that nest alone, let them hatch - but you'll have to keep the hen and chicks away from all the others or they'll kill them and quick.

 

[Mrs.Carron]

I agree, to read as much as you can. This is my first year also and my pullets are right around egg laying age. With that said, look up pecking order. Are you mixing flocks? If so, that may be an issue at first. Chickens are so much fun but they can be very mean to one another. Get a coop built asap and get some extra chicken wire to separate if necessary. If you are only going to have three hens sharing the nesting boxes you wouldn't need three, two would work. This is a great community forum for advice and help. If you google a question, more than likely this site will pop up and you can go straight to the post. It does take some time to educate yourself and work on a coop at the same time. The eggs will be a blessing and you will have fun getting it all worked out. You have a great plan and I will pray it all goes well.