Welcome to the forum, glad you found us. Never be hesitant to ask any question, even if it’s been asked many times before. This forum would dry up and die if people stop asking questions. I would not like that. Besides you don’t want your chickens to be hurt because you failed to ask a question.
If you are going to hang around, and I hope you do, it helps to modify your profile to show your general location. It doesn’t have to be too precise. Knowing which country you are in has some benefits, knowing your general climate is often quite helpful.
I’m not one that believes in square feet per chicken, there are just too many variables in our unique situations that no one number can cover us all. If you follow the link in my signature you can see what I mean. The 4 square feet per full sized chicken in the coop with 10 square feet in the run per chicken give you a decent starting point, but that’s only a starting point. Your flock make-up, how you manage them, your climate, and many other things have an impact. That 4 and 10 may be more than some people absolutely have to have but for some people it’s not enough.
It’s not just coop space in isolation either. If they have access to other space, a run or free range when they ae awake, coop size is a lot less important. If they stay in the coop a lot with no access to any other space, it becomes much more important. I’m always an advocate for as much space as you can reasonably give them. I find the less I crowd them the fewer behavioral problems I have to deal with, the more flexibility I have to deal with issues, and I just don’t have to work as hard. How much room you give them has a direct influence on your comfort and convenience, not just the chickens. That’s important to me.
If you stick with a small flock of all females all the same age, you don’t usually need a lot of room though the tighter you pack them the more poop you will have to manage. If you bring in any new chickens, especially if they are still immature, or if you let a broody hen hatch eggs, your need for room goes up, even if the total number of chickens remains steady.
I’m partial to walk-in coops on the ground, especially in colder climates, but that’s personal preference. To me, the additional height has benefits. Lots of people are happy with elevated coops. For six hens I’d suggest a 4 x 6 if elevated. You need to be able to reach everywhere inside so you need a couple of access doors. For a walk-in I’d go a minimum of 4x8 (and prefer larger) so you have a bit more room to work when you are in there. It helps if they can get outside most of most days. If your climate keeps them locked in the coop for long periods of time I’d go bigger. Or fix the run to protect them from snow and wind. Just a little outside space can help a lot.
For six hens I’d go with two nests. They like to lay in the same nest, sometimes they will even crowd in together to lay at the same time. On several occasions I’ve seen three hens crowded into the same nest at the same time.
Some hens lay at the crack of dawn. I’ve seen hens in the nest laying as the sun goes down. More tend to lay in the mornings, but even the same hen can and often does lay at different times during the day.
