Yeah, you want some separation from the house to the coop. Granma just picked em up by the neck and cracked the whip. Did it two handed on holidays. She knew which were sick, old, or just not laying. The feet did keep going for a while, and granpa did have to cut the heads and feet off. Removing the feathers after par-boiling was our (kids) job. That sucked.

My experience is that without at least one rooster the hens won't lay well, you won't have chicks, and frankly the hens aren't safe from predators. But, nobody likes roosters, especially other roosters and neighbors. That's what kills chickens in the city for me.