Newbie at 76

[N F C]

Hi, it's nice to have you here with us!

 

[sourland]

Good morning, and welcome to BYC.

It is at the lower end of what I read was adequate. How big a deal is it? The run is about 80 sq ft.

A lot depends on the temperament of the birds involved and the severity of your winters which may force them to stay in that small coop.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Welcome aboard

 

[karkauai]

Practically all pre-fab coop manufacturers will over-state the housing capacity of their coops.
Can you stuff 6 birds in there? Yes. Yes, you can.
Is it best for the birds? No. No, it's not.
The coop manufacturers base their numbers on the commercial practices of 1 sq ft per bird. What they don't tell you is that those birds are so stressed and cramped that they have to debeak them so they don't peck their flock mates to the point of cannibalism. It actually happens.

See above. When the girls hit point of lay (POL), they can get hormonal and roost time can get very nasty. Without room to retreat from higher ranking members, the lower ranking members can get pummeled.
If you ever want a broody hen to set, it will be impossible in such a small coop.
Integrating new or replacement birds in such a small setup will also be extremely difficult.

You don't really need a personal mentor. Post your questions in the appropriate forums and 9 times out of 10, you will get an answer from an 'educator' that specializes in the issue you are asking about.

Great info. Thank you so much for taking the time to help. Guess I need to start redesigning my coop. Ugh!

 

[karkauai]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Chickens do need a lot of personal space, they can turn cannibalistic if they feel cramped. You might want to stop by our Learning Center for all kinds of good reads on all the aspects of keeping chickens...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/learning-center.11/

And here is you state thread so you might chat with your neighbors.... https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/maryland-thread.63745/

Best wishes and welcome to our community!

Thanks, that's handy!