Recommendations for 5-chicken coop+run+nesting area?

[rosemarythyme]

Coop is way too small - around 43"x31" by my calculations, so room enough for 2 ADULT chickens - and lack of a roost and any space to build a nest box (you'd need to build it external, so as to not eat up the already limited space) makes it even more problematic.

Run can only hold about 2 adults as well.

For your 5 birds, at a minimum, you'd want 20 sq ft floor space in coop + 50 sq ft in the run - minimum is often not enough so even more would be better (personally I'd aim for no smaller than 100 sq ft in run even with a small flock).

If you don't want to build, a premade shed with additional ventilation cut in and a dog kennel with the addition of hardware cloth tacked on would be the "easiest" route. A cheaper option that's easier to build would be a hoop coop such as this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/

1 nesting box is enough.
I have 3 nesting boxes for 16 hens and they still only use 2 of them.

I'd have 2 at a minimum, just in case you get a broody. You don't need it with a smaller flock, but nice to have.

 

[CNJ]

You don't need a big coop if you have a fenced in yard. All they need is some place safe to sleep. My chickens never leave my yard. I open my coop in the am and close it at night fall.

 

[DobieLover]

Golf balls are pretty common--I think there's a typo in there

No it's not! I used to work as a Gold Plating Engineer... My chickens get the BEST!
just kidding... stupid phone!

 

[DobieLover]

You don't need a big coop if you have a fenced in yard. All they need is some place safe to sleep. My chickens never leave my yard. I open my coop in the am and close it at night fall.

This depends on where you live. If you are in snow country you had better have a plan.
This is the gate that leads into my chickens pen after the last snow fall. That's the coop in the distance. Needless to say, the chickens aren't going out in this and won't be for a very long time. If I only provided 1 or 2 sq feet per bird in a coop with no covered run, they'd kill each other.

And if you're not in snow country and your birds free range, you need a secure place to keep them when you get a predator attack or be prepared to lose the flock.

 

[DobieLover]

I discovered another problem tonight. You will probably run into this situation as your chickens mature. One of my hens was puffed up in one of the nest boxes. I went out to close the coop door for the night and found her. I took her out of the box and placed her on a perch next to another chicken. My roosters are not old enough to mate, they still make chirping sounds, so I don't need a broody hen. I hope I can break her broody mind set. I will take her out of the coop in the morning and lock her out with my rooster chicks. My rooster chicks are on the bottom of the pecking order, they get pecked on if I don't let them out of the coop.

The easiest way to break a broody is to crate her in an elevated small wire dog crate inside the coop with food and water and a piece of 2x4 to perch on. Leave her there for three days and two nights then let her out and monitor her to see that she doesn't go back to the nest.

You can try locking her out of the coop with the cockerels but she might just find a new place to nest or march straight back to her nest when she re-enters the coop for the night.

 

[CNJ]

The easiest way to break a broody is to crate her in an elevated small wire dog crate inside the coop with food and water and a piece of 2x4 to perch on. Leave her there for three days and two nights then let her out and monitor her to see that she doesn't go back to the nest.

You can try locking her out of the coop with the cockerels but she might just find a new place to nest or march straight back to her nest when she re-enters the coop for the night.

I think I caught her just in time, last night. She ran out of the coop with the rests of them when I opened the door this morning.

 

[CNJ]

This depends on where you live. If you are in snow country you had better have a plan.
This is the gate that leads into my chickens pen after the last snow fall. That's the coop in the distance. Needless to say, the chickens aren't going out in this and won't be for a very long time. If I only provided 1 or 2 sq feet per bird in a coop with no covered run, they'd kill each other.
View attachment 2463836

And if you're not in snow country and your birds free range, you need a secure place to keep them when you get a predator attack or be prepared to lose the flock.

We don't have snow in Hawaii, but we we we have Termites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

We don't have snow in Hawaii, but we we we have Termites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh. I'd take snow over termites any day of the week.