Coop size for 12 chickens??

Does it matter how many square feet the henhouse is, since they only roost there? As long as they have 12' per hen roost space, isn't that what's important?
Depending on location/the set up/other factors birds may not only use the coop for roosting though. I've had to lock my flock inside twice due to flooding, since the coop is elevated, and during snowy weather some birds don't want to come out.

For integration, having at least 4 sq ft per bird also helps provide extra buffer space during the days/weeks it takes to get the adults to learn to share the space with the chicks, and vice versa.

And overall, a coop that's smaller is also going to be harder to properly ventilate and may be harder to clean (depending on size of tools you're using) or layout (i.e. roosts, because birds need landing space in front of the roosts).
 
Does it matter how many square feet the henhouse is, since they only roost there? As long as they have 12' per hen roost space, isn't that what's important?

Here's a quote from an article I'm writing:

But I free range/have a huge run and my chickens only use the coop to sleep and lay eggs! Why do I need all that space inside?

You might not. As I've said, these are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.

If you never close the pop door so that your coop and run function together as a fully integrated system that is the equivalent of a huge, open-air coop, then your flock might be just fine for years, even decades.

If you are always out there to open the pop door at the crack of dawn or you have an ultra-reliable automatic door so that your chickens never lack access to their free range territory during the daylight hours, then your flock might be just fine for years, even decades.

If you live in a mild climate where chickens can always go out into their run/range and are never kept in by snow or storms, then your flock might be just fine for decades. People who keep chickens in places with tropical and subtropical climates do successfully go without a coop at all, just offering a covered roost and some nestboxes.

But when something happens ...

When a determined predator moves in and breaks through the fencing so that you have to confine the flock to the coop itself so that you can fix the run,

When an extreme weather event prevents your chickens from leaving shelter for days,

When an emergency calls you out of town and you can't find someone willing to be there at the crack of dawn to open the pop door,

Then you could have a mess on your hands.

Which brings us back to the issue of flexibility and options. Any time you push a system hard against it's limits you have to count on everything remaining stable -- exactly as it is without any changes. How well that's likely to work depends on your specific circumstances. You may never encounter an unfortunate circumstance -- some people DO hit the lottery, after all. :)
 
Here's a quote from an article I'm writing:

But I free range/have a huge run and my chickens only use the coop to sleep and lay eggs! Why do I need all that space inside?

You might not. As I've said, these are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.

If you never close the pop door so that your coop and run function together as a fully integrated system that is the equivalent of a huge, open-air coop, then your flock might be just fine for years, even decades.

If you are always out there to open the pop door at the crack of dawn or you have an ultra-reliable automatic door so that your chickens never lack access to their free range territory during the daylight hours, then your flock might be just fine for years, even decades.

If you live in a mild climate where chickens can always go out into their run/range and are never kept in by snow or storms, then your flock might be just fine for decades. People who keep chickens in places with tropical and subtropical climates do successfully go without a coop at all, just offering a covered roost and some nestboxes.

But when something happens ...

When a determined predator moves in and breaks through the fencing so that you have to confine the flock to the coop itself so that you can fix the run,

When an extreme weather event prevents your chickens from leaving shelter for days,

When an emergency calls you out of town and you can't find someone willing to be there at the crack of dawn to open the pop door,

Then you could have a mess on your hands.

Which brings us back to the issue of flexibility and options. Any time you push a system hard against it's limits you have to count on everything remaining stable -- exactly as it is without any changes. How well that's likely to work depends on your specific circumstances. You may never encounter an unfortunate circumstance -- some people DO hit the lottery, after all. :)
This was such a well thought out great answer !
 

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