I understand your not wanting to cull them, but do know sometimes a bachelor pad does not work, or works for a while, and then does not work. Sometimes it works just fine. Thing is roosters are a crap shoot, and they can be quite aggressive, to humans or to hens, or to other roosters.
Sometimes...
A trick I use when sending chicks to the big coop, is a box or small dog crate.
While in the brooder, I put them in the crate at night to sleep. Then when they are 3-4 weeks old, I put the crate in a safety zone in the run. The safety zone is a place where the big girls cannot fit. I have food...
Well, just as an FYI, I have a red production hen, classic markings for a red production hen - and she lays the prettiest green egg. Just saying I was surprised.
Really people have very limited effect on laying. If the rest of your girls are laying well, your diet is probably good. There is a lot of natural variance in all biological acts, of which laying is one. Check for a hidden nest, and make the decision whether or not to cull. If you have a cull...
I agree, she looks like a layer with that red comb, she has a hidden nest.
How long should you wait? Well there really isn't anything you can do. If she truly isn't laying, you can just keep her, or make soup. I would spend a day near the coop, and see if she sings and where. But there is...
Went down and mucked out the chicken coop, put a lot of fresh bedding in there. Sunday, is day 21, so peeping could be starting tomorrow - unfortunately, we have an out of town funeral. They are on their own.
I always let my hens brood where they want to. And once in a while, I will find her...
As for the original poster, I would clean that out and use mostly as is...probably raised a lot of chickens in there, and really chickens are not real picky about broken boards.
Predators are different in different places, and God knows, I have fed more than a few. However, the last time I went...
Well, I will throw my 10 cents in. haha
When people start talking heat, warm and insulation they are thinking of their own homes. Chickens need DRY! and out of a breeze. Ventilation is what keeps the coop dry, it lets out the warm moist air of chicken breath and manure. When you start thinking...
Beware of locking them up this time of year all day. Heat can build up quickly, and you can loose the works.
If you have an attached run to your coop, there is no need to lock them just in the coop. If you have a raised coop, which chicks sometimes struggle with learning how to get up there...
Really, I think you are worrying about nothing. 75 is not that hot. Yes, they are panting, and holding their wings out, but that is just how they regulate their temperature, like taking a sweater off.
I never worry about them at night. In the day - they need shade and water. Remember shade...
Silkies very often don't roost...I think.
That really is not a big age difference, and I don't think you will notice much in subgroups.
Be wary of chicken math - I would think you are about maxed out for full size birds. What seems like a lot of space now, rapidly becomes less space as they...
Really strongly consider selling them. Chickens hate change. This is going to be highly stressful no matter how you do it, and that will often bring out a disease. They are not going to be happy, and will probably quit laying and may go into an early molt. Let alone the environmental change...
Do not keep the cockerels you have now for this. Older hens will often do a great job keeping a cockerel in his place. These are not great cockerels that you have.
Sometimes an older rooster will work out educating younger birds, but most of the time it doesn't work, and they don't call it...
Do know, and tell your friend, that both of these boys may not turn out. IMO all cockerels are a crap shoot, and some can just be rotten. Sometimes when we give a bird, or get a bird from someone there is a guilty feeling if it does not work out.
Do know, that a lot of roosters, regardless how...