Coop & flock
How big does my chicken coop need to be?
Roughly 4 sq ft in the coop and 10 in the run per standard bird, 8 to 12 inches of roost each, and a nest box per four hens.
How this works
Extension ranges: 3–4 sq ft per full-size bird inside, 8–10 in the run, 8–12 inches of roost, one nest box per 3–4 hens. Bantams need about half the floor. Mixed flock? Fill in both counts. More run space is never wasted — boredom is where pecking starts.
Questions people ask
How big a coop do I need for 6 chickens?
About 24 sq ft of coop and 60 of run for standard birds, so a 4x6 house with a 6x10 run. Tight coops are where feather-picking starts.
How many nest boxes for 10 hens?
Three is plenty. Hens queue for a favourite box regardless of how many you build, so more boxes rarely helps.
Does run size matter if they free-range?
Less, but size it for the worst week - a snowed-in or hawk-heavy stretch when they stay in. That is when crowding causes trouble.