Hello, we are looking to purchase or build our first coop and I am trying to figure out how big of a space, how many nests, and how much living space with roosting bars is ideal for 5-6 large hens. Do I need one nest per bird?
Bare basics...cause there a lot more to consider but: For 6 large fowl hens I would recommend a minimum coop size of 4' x 8' x 8' tall. 8' x 12' mesh covered run for predator proof confinement if necessary. 8' feet of roost(2x4 wide side up). More space is always better especially if you live in a cold climate and if you may enlarge your flock at some point 2 or 3 nests about 14" x 14" x 14".
I've read that one nesting box for every 4 birds is adequate enough. I have 12 chickens in a coop that is 4'x7'x 6'tall, with the bottom part fenced in with wire hardware cloth. They get to free range all day so they really only pop in there at night and to eat and get a drink and lay some eggs. Make sure to provide a run or somewhere they can get out and run around.
roughly 3sq ft room per bird in coop and 7sq ft in the run, 1 nest box for every 3-5 hens, 8" of roost space per bird. dont forget they need 12-14 hours of day light all year round if you want them to lay all year round
