Dear Aurora,
I am a white female guinea hen named Ridges. Mom loves me the most- She says so every day. I want to hatch her out some of my keets.
She has gotten to hatch out some of my keets herself, don't ask me how, I highly doubt she went broody because she came out every day, and there were no keets.
I have a wonderful nest that I share with my awesome big Pearl sister. Her name is Madame Pearl, but she pecks me unless I call her Madame, or Maddie.
A few days ago I realized that she started hanging out with MY boyfriend. They started trying to stay out at night together, but luckily Mom put them both away in the coop.
I always like to perch next to my boyfriend, but Maddie has started shoving me out of the way. When I puff my feathers up, she pecks me. I end up sleeping as far away from her as possible.
I feel like I should stand up to her, but I am tiny. I also really want to go broody, but Mom says no. She says that since I am such a vibrant white color, something will pick me off and she would cry for days.
She tells me that if lay eggs in the coop and go broody there, she will be fine with it. It is so annoying, being shoved around by my awesom-awful sister, and wanting to go broody, but not wanting Mom to pick me up off of the nest.
Oh, yesterday Mom thought that I was broody because I was on the nest for a while, and I was hissing at my boyfri- Ex-boyfriend.
I am sure you have dealt with questions like this, but guineas are so much different then tame chickens.
Guineas will headbutt preadators. I do it to Mom all the time.
We will also make awful noises to make Mom think we are being killed.
It is so much fun. We do kill snakes and eat bugs though, so we are worth tons.
We don't eat gardens, unlike you rude chickens.
I am talking about everyone but you, Queen Aurora.
I doubt you have ever dealt with a guinea problem before, but I would greatly appreciate it. Oh, I may not have a beard, but I am very sassy and I have pearly white plumage.
Yours truly,
Princess Ridges.
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Depending on your keeping arrangements, there are LOTS of options. I would read lots:
General info on needed coop size (Note, this is a general recommendation - again, your keeping arrangement will GREATLY influence this. For example, if this is the only protected space, and you have either really hot weather, and/or really cold weather, you will want more space as they will be confined to it at times during weather extremes - if not by you, by the weather itself. If they have a huge run with some protected spaces and/or free range a lot - with some protected spaces like carports, etc...then you could maybe get away with a bit less.)

45 free coop plans Most of these are too small for your needs, but they can certainly be scaled up - and some of these are great food for though.

This is another set of coop ideas. Numbers 2, 5, and 12 would be easy to modify to have more of the 'run' enclosed to make the coop space larger. Numbers 8 & 9 would probably be fine as they are for your numbers.

That said, look at as many coops as you can, think about what would work for your space (both how it would fit and aesthetically), then, if you are able...see if there are any current chicken owners near you that would allow you to view their coop, and answer questions about what they like about their coop, what they hate about it (if anything), and what they might 'tweak'. Also make SURE you design it for ease of access (to nab a 'hiding chicken' if needed) AND ease fo cleaning. You are MUCH more likely to clean it regularly and more thoroughly if it is easy as opposed to difficult. Finally, keep safety in mind. Some people/places will suggest using chicken wire. Chicken wire is really only good for keeping chickens in/separated, not keeping predators out. (i.e. you might, inside an already secure coop or run, decide to section off an area to separate out an injured bird, or to separate out a mating pair/trio, and/or to introduce safely new flock members (juveniles and/or adults) after quarantine in a slow/safe manner.

Finally, there are LOTS of knowledgeable people on this thread who will chime in as well. Think seriously about what will work for you, what will work for and be in the best interest of the birds, and, finally, I encourage you to plan for chicken math. It seems it is already gotten ahold of you once! [remember, happy birds are healthy birds. plenty of space and 'enrichments' in the run, places to 'hide'. So, either build a bit more than you need, or build with a plan for how/where you can easily expand if needed in the future - and still work for both you and the birds.

Sorry, I know this is a LOT of generalities but so much depends on your situation, that this is the best I can do - point you in the right direction, and let you do research into what will work for you personally.
Thanks for that.
 

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