If you only check in on them every few days, don't worry about eggs.. those really need to be collected daily.
If unatended, Use chicken wire and wire thm in a LARGE area for them to forage and then put avairy netting over the top to keep owls and hawks out.
You can keep roosters in seperate pens or leave them in the coop.. if you leave them in the coop.. limit yourself to a couple roosters or there will be lots of fighting. Downside of the roosters inthe coop is fertalized eggs... not a big deal... upside is you will get more chickens.
make a place for them to get off the ground and roost.
I use cat litter pails turned ontheir side for laying boxes, and the hens take to it immediatly.
Get some 40 # hanging feeders and suspend an inch of fthe ground, and get a cover for it with an overhand to keep it dry.
make sure they have either a auto waterer hooked up to a hose, or a hanging 10-20g water ( moro for more chix ). If you get chix.. get the chix feeders and waterers... etc.
Layer pellets yeild less waste than crumbles.. though cost a few cents more. scratch grains are expensive.. though t he chix like it as a treat.. cracked corn is cheaper oyster shell needs to be available.. though you can also recycle your old egg shells. as you use an egg, wash the empty shell and let it dry... dump the egg shells inthe pen.. the chix will dive in.
I like rhode isle red for large chickens and brown eggs.. but sexlinks are more docile and nearly as big.
De-beak? not for a small time grower. if you got thousands.. yeah.. helps with canibilazation.. etc..
soundguy
