well I just went back out here and measured and thee is overall about 16 sq ft roughly if you count the nesting box
but I'm going to try your 1st idea for now
Okay so I have a buff orpington and she was brooding so we got her 3 chicks (a white leghorn, a sliver laced Wyandotte and a black sexlink.) she was fine with the chicks for 2 months and the sexlink turned out be a rooster so we gave him away. we got a new hen we think she is a ameriauna barred...