Question about raising baby chicks

[Iansmommy]

We are new to raising chickens. We bought 16 Buff Orp hens this spring. It's clear now that 2 are roosters. If we decide to keep a rooster and want to raise chicks, do we need to have a separate area for the hen and her chicks or do you just leave them in the coop with the rest of the chickens?

Also, do we need to get rid of one of the roosters or can they both stay?

They are currently 9 weeks old.

Thanks

 

[dacjohns]

This is what I am doing (and I'm not real experienced).
I have 7 standard hens and one standard rooster. I am chicken sitting 8 banty hens and one banty rooster. The broilers and 54 chicks don't count right now. Oh yeah, two ducks.

One standard and one banty just hatched a clutch of eggs each. They are in a separate part of the coop. All the rest of the birds free range during the day and come home at night.

The standard has chicks that are a week old. Yesterday I started letting them wander around for part of the day. No problems so far. Momma hen takes care of her chicks. They go back into the separate part of the coop for the evening where they have a nest box, food, and water.

The banty has chicks that are two days old. I put her and the chicks in a brooder box this morning because the big hen took a pretty big peck at one of the new chicks. It hurt to do it but I wasn't going to be home for a good part of the day.

So right now the hens with chicks are separated from the rest of the flock for the evening and part of the day. Big hen gets to range with her chicks for part of the day, they stay close to the coop. Banty hen is in a brooder box for her chicks' protection from big hen. Tomorrow I might give them another trial run at freedom.

If your roosters get along you could keep both of them but they probably will end up fighting. Banty rooster hides all day because he has been beat up so much. I want to give him back to his owner along with the banty hens.

 

[coffeemama]

Yeah, it may be that 2 roos will fight, you'll just have to wait and see. I made my broody her own section of the coop, and she's getting her own run. When the chicks get big enough, I'll integrate them into the flock.

 

[birdlover]

In my opinion, 2 roosters would be okay with 16 hens but don't get anymore!! They will probably live together amicably as soon as they establish who will be the head roo.

When I have a broody hen, I cordon off a section just for her and her chicks but I let them out after about a week, keeping a close watch at first to make sure the others aren't going to try and hurt the babies. Also, to make sure mom is going to protect her offspring. Once I see all is okay (and it always has been), I let them go about their business. Usually, the mother won't let any other chickens near except for, maybe, the dad.

I did have a small problem one time when a second broody got off her nest (she didn't have any eggs to hatch) and tried to steal the baby from the other broody. Things were tense for a while but, eventually, the "real" mom just threw up her wings and let the other hen hang with them. When the mom decided she'd had enough mothering (that will happen so take note!), the surrogate was free to dote all she wanted. Wasn't too long before she didn't want to be tied down with babies either!!!