Debating if we have enough room for 8 chickens?

[Bear4boo]

We have 6 different breeds: Rhode Island Red, Black Australorp, Speckled Sussex, Light Brahma, Buff Orpington & a Wyandotte. They are never confined to the coop, even during our frigid below zero weather they chose to be in the run most of the time. If we got two more we are considering White Leghorns, Isa Browns, Golden Comets or Barred Rocks.

 

[aart]

We currently have 6 nine month old hens. We are debating whether or not we can fit 2 more without crowding? Our coop is 5x6 and we have an attached covered run that is 22x6. Would 8 chickens be too crowded?

I would say,.....Yes, it would be too crowded.
What you've got now is perfect, integrating birds takes extra space.

there is one roost the length of 6 feet. Right now they usually use barely half of the roost when sleeping.

Yeah, maybe, but a bit of space is needed for them to settle in.
Got pics of this?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Krugerrand]

What is your overall chicken plan? It sounds like you're going all hens, so you don't need space for a broody to raise chicks. Will you raise exclusively for eggs or will you raise for meat? What do you plan to do with aging hens? Will they get processed or live out a retirement in luxury?

Your hens will slow down in production after a year or two. Their production will continue to decline as they age. The age and rate varies by breed.

If you plan on process the older hens, it makes sense to keep your stock near your capacity. You can harvest/replace to maintain capacity. If you plan on letting them age out naturally, it may make sense to work your way up to capacity over many years so that you repeatedly add 2-4 hens as space permits.

Another consideration, if you are free-ranging the older hens can bring a wisdom and experience to the younger hens. They can have a value beyond their eggs. But, 80% of the flock with 'wisdom and experience' may not be so desirable.

 

[Wot The Flock]

not accounting for integration

Integration takes space, a lot of space. Some of the best coop and run designs include flexibility to open up or fence off areas - not just new flock members, but sick or injured birds, breaking broody birds, or a hen hatching chicks.

This chap has areas that can be opened up or fenced off, impressive:

Avoid potential over crowding, you have some big girls in the mix, and perceived over crowding makes everyone a bit cranky and pecky. In other words, it can be risky, even if your current lot are taking up what seems a small space - when the newbies arrive, suddenly (in their minds) it becomes "not enough space!! war!!"

For my integration, the run was big enough for old and new groups, and the integration happened in the (limited) free range area at 8 days, and shared run at about week and a half. But the integration still has not happened in the coop yet (injured bird in cage, taking up space in the roosting area). Had the alpha bird not been injured, I would have done the coop integration by now. But I don't want to start squabbles over space. A spacious flock is an harmonious flock.

Your run size sounds fine, but the coop may become an issue. Or you could be lucky, and they get on like gangbusters (I can dream...)

 

[Wot The Flock]

I will add to previous comment.

The integration overall is going fairly well. But, the kerfuffle is happening in the coop, at night between the #2 and #3 chickens, who previously co-existed in harmony. It is happening in the roosting area, where the three originals slept in close formation, but now that the cage is added due to broken #1, #2 is picking on #3 (who is a low confidence bird, previously being at the bottom of pecking order). This has only developed at the 2.5 week mark. Even though they previously slept together in less space than is available now.

That is what I meant by 'perceived' incursions. Stupid things set off the altercations.