If you're trying to breed chickens for meat, you should keep one rooster for every four to five hens, and they should stay together in the coop. When the hens lay eggs, check a few of them for a small white splotch in the yolk - that's the best sign of a fertilized egg. From there, you'll have to move eggs into an incubator to help them hatch into chicks. Typically, one hen can raise 12 chicks, but it depends on the bird.