Before we built our coop we read a alot. I have 5 birds. We read anywhere between 2-3 foot per bird. They don't live in our coop, just sleep and lay their eggs. If your coop is too big then come winter it is hard for them to generate enough heat to keep warm. Hot weather (I'm in North Alabama) we have two doors on the coop we keep open. I have also read in numerous articles that you should not put food and water in a coop. When my chickens go to the coop at night it is to sleep. They have continual water and food available outside in the run. I have a poultry drinker that gives continual water. I clean it every other day. The most important thing in a run/coop is to keep it clean. I pick up poop every morning, turn the hay in the coop, rake the run and get rid of uneaten scraps. So far I've had no diseases, illnesses or varmit. It never smells and my eggs are always clean when I go each morning to get them.
Before we built our coop we read a alot. I have 5 birds. We read anywhere between 2-3 foot per bird. They don't live in our coop, just sleep and lay their eggs. If your coop is too big then come winter it is hard for them to generate enough heat to keep warm. Hot weather (I'm in North Alabama) we have two doors on the coop we keep open. I have also read in numerous articles that you should not put food and water in a coop. When my chickens go to the coop at night it is to sleep. They have continual water and food available outside in the run. I have a poultry drinker that gives continual water. I clean it every other day. The most important thing in a run/coop is to keep it clean. I pick up poop every morning, turn the hay in the coop, rake the run and get rid of uneaten scraps. So far I've had no diseases, illnesses or varmit. It never smells and my eggs are always clean when I go each morning to get them.