what breed is your rooster?!? hes SO pretty!!!! is he nice? would you recommend that as a good breed?
He is a mixed breed rooster, a mutt. His ancestry includes Speckled Sussex, Delaware, Buff Orpington, and Black Australorp. I personally don't believe the breed of a rooster says much about how will behave. You can find good and bad ones of any breed.
how big is your coop?
My main coop is 8' x 12' but I also have two different 4' x 8' shelters I use as a grow-out coop or to sleep some as needed. They are often needed in summer. My main laying/breeding flock is usually 6 to 8 hens and one rooster that I keep over winter but during the height of summer I may have over 50 chickens, most young ones growing to butcher size. My main run is 12' x 32' and I have an area about 45' x 60' inside electric netting. I also have a climate so mine can be outside practically every day of the year, especially in summer when the numbers go up.
and how big should my coop be?
That's a really hard question but a good one. I don't believe in magic numbers for stuff like that, there are too many variables. If you follow the link in my signature you can see some of the things I consider important. Some people on this forum think your chickens are doing really well if they have 4 square feet per chicken (and they often are) but yours have 5 and it's not enough. In my opinion, there are a lot of different variables.
One is the personality of the individual chickens. Some take confinement better than others, regardless of breed. Some of the same breed can be brutes and bullies, some moreso than others. Some are driven to be the dominant chicken, while others are OK in a subordinate role. Each flock is different and has its own flock dynamic.
Room doesn't just mean square feet of coop space. Do they also have access to outside space when they need it? They don't need a lot of room when they are asleep but the longer they are awake in a tight space the more they may need it. The longer they are cramped together the more irritated some become.
Then there is the quality of the space. One way chickens have learned to live in a flock is that when a stronger one threatens a weaker one the weaker runs away. They need to be able to get away. The weaker usually learn pretty quickly to avoid the stronger, especially when they are in "that" mood. This is not a matter of square feet, being able to break line of sight can really help. One of the words trending on this forum right now is "clutter". That means putting things in the coop or run that they can hide under, behind, or above. Your 4x10 coop may not give you enough room to add clutter and still be able to walk in there. One good way to provide quality space is to give them access to outside as well as inside. I integrate younger chickens all the time, some brooder raised, some raised by broody hens with the flock. When I go down to the coop in the morning to open the pop door it's normal to see some of the younger ones hiding under my pretty low nests while some a little older are on the roosts while the adults are on the coop floor. When I open the pop door they scatter and stay in their own groups.
I don't know what the right size or configuration is right for you now or, since you are talking about a rooster, in your future. I don't live in your climate and I don't share your goals. I hate to mention people because I'll leave someone out, but some people who share a climate more like yours and I trust are
@Mrs. K @oldhenlikesdogs and
@aart I can't remember where
@azygous is but she's worth mentioning.
Some people solve this problem by making their coops big enough that they can add clutter (either accidentally or on purpose) and still work in there. Another solution is to block off a section to the run to keep out snow and wind so they always have a place outside. If you do this, remember to make it strong enough for snow load. This might be your best solution. I don't think an outside area would need to be that big, especially if it allows access to under your coop. Probably just big enough that you can get to the pop door to open and close it. A door or gate probably needs to open inward so snow doesn't block it. This would be my solution if I could figure out how to do it.
I don't know how much help this really is. I don't like giving hard and fast numbers because what works for me might not work for you. Our climate, flock make-up, and management techniques are different. For instance if a chicken, male or female, creates behavioral problems I eat them. That problem is solved. A lot of people are more like you and don't want to do that.
