So basically would a 5' 6" x 6' coop attached to a 6' x 14' run work well for 8 chickens? And with this size coop can the nest boxes be inside the coop or would they take away too much space?
I reckon a coop of this size will work well for 8 chickens. I'd build the lowest roost at about knee hight and if the nesting box(es) are the same hight as the lowest roost, the space underneath the nesting boxes is still useable for scratching etc. Have at least one roost higher than the top of the nesting boxes if it is an internal one to prevent the chickens from roosting in and on top of the nesting boxes.
For 8 chickens I would build 2 nesting boxes.
I agree that broodiness can become a problem when there is only one nesting box.
However, even if there are 6 nesting boxes only one or two will be used and if one is occupied by a broody I can almost give a written guarantee that she will be sitting in the one everyone else wants to lay in.
I use three methods to deal with this:
1 - the nesting box is removeable and I just take it out, broody hen and all, and replace it with a similar one.
2 - I remove the broody and put her into a fairly dark pen with only a nesting area, food, water and a small space to poo.
3 - I de-cluck the hen in a wire cage which I put onto 4 bricks so that she gets cooled from below. Food and water are in the cage and a plastic sheet on top to keep her dry. Place in shade. After 4 days she won't be broody anymore.
