Hi from lexington nc!

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I'd like to eventually have 4-5 hens but I only plan on keeping them for eggs and as pets for my kids. No breeding or anything like that.
 
Then that gives you more options, not to mention cheaper ones. Like I said, each has their good and bad. Get what you think you'll like best. If you can't bend over to clean out the coop then a raised one would be best. If you need a low profile so neighbors don't see the chickens, the ground ones would be best. Get what fits you.
 
We only have one neighbor next to us and there are woods in between our houses so they can't see in my back yard. How much is too much when it comes to letting them roam? We've got a half acre that is fenced on three sides so I thought about putting the coop over there and just fencing off the third side. Is that too much land?
 
You can never have too much land for them to roam, in my opinion. The more they have, the less likely they will strip out the grass and over fertilize the ground. Back when I let mine free-range, they stayed within about 200 feet of their coop MOST of the time. A few of them would go a little further. I have five acres and I think they used just about one in total simply because they stayed where they could easily see their coop. For only four or five hens, a half acre will be perfect. Not too big and not too small. Fencing in the third side is a good idea since it will lower your risk of predators. You'll still have some but not as many. Mostly, I'd be concerned about hawks and owls. Both are bold and will attack even if you are nearby. On days that you see them out and about, I'd be extra watchful.
 
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Welcome to BYC and the coop! There's a lot of great peeps here! Feel free to ask lots of questions. But most of all, make yourself at home. I'm so glad you decided to joined the BYC family.
 
We've decided to go with just letting them roam out back yard. It's completely fenced off and they'll have one acre to run around on. Now were trying to figure out how big our coop should be and what were going to use for them to lay in.
 

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