Best Chicken Coop for 6 Hens With a Run (Buying Guide)

By Gaurabh Patodia · Updated 16 October 2026

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Six standard hens need about 24 square feet of coop floor and 60 square feet of run. Plenty of kits sold “for 4 to 6 chickens” give them less than that. So the real job is finding a coop that’s honest about its size and then adding run space where it falls short.

The numbers for six hens

University of Missouri Extension publishes a handy chart for backyard flocks. Light breeds like Leghorns need 3 square feet each inside and 8 outside. Heavy breeds like Orpingtons and Plymouth Rocks need 4 inside and 10 outside. Multiply by six and you get this.

• Coop floor: 18 sq ft for light breeds or 24 sq ft for heavy breeds
• Run: 48 sq ft for light breeds or 60 sq ft for heavy breeds
• Roost bar: 48 inches for light breeds or 54 inches for heavy breeds
• Nest boxes: 2 for either

The roost figures come from 8 inches per light hen and 9 per heavy hen. Space parallel bars 12 to 14 inches apart. Missouri suggests one nest for every 4 to 5 hens. Two boxes is plenty. Our nesting box guide covers sizes and placement.

Some sources go lower. A Virginia Cooperative Extension fact sheet quoted by University of Maryland Extension lists 1.5 square feet inside and 8 outside per laying hen. That’s a bare minimum. It only works if the birds spend every daylight hour in a decent run. Treat it as the floor and not the goal. There’s more detail in how much space chickens need.

What to check on a prefab kit

Check the house floor. Not the overall footprint. The headline size on a listing usually includes the run and the roof overhang. Find the interior floor of the hen house and do the maths yourself.

Then look hard at the wire. Missouri Extension shows quarter-inch hardware cloth beside chicken wire for a reason. Chicken wire keeps hens in. It doesn’t keep raccoons out. Maryland Extension notes that raccoons reach through loose mesh and pull at birds roosting near it. Many budget kits ship with light mesh. Plan to wrap the run in galvanized hardware cloth and bury it. Missouri says 6 to 12 inches deep. Maryland goes further with a trench 12 inches to 1.5 feet deep around the whole coop.

Latches matter too. Swap flimsy twist catches for a sturdy slide bolt on the main door. Maryland also advises closing gaps bigger than a quarter inch where hens roost. Snakes slip through surprisingly small holes. Our predator-proofing guide goes through the rest.

Last thing: cleanout. A pull-out tray or a wide rear door saves a lot of crouching on cold mornings. Check that the roof lifts or the back opens fully. You’ll scrape that floor every week for years.

Five coops that fit six hens

These five cover the main styles. None of them is perfect out of the box. Most will need extra run space or better wire to meet the Missouri numbers.

A classic wooden coop with an attached run is the simplest place to start. It suits a fixed spot in the yard.

Mobile coops are what Missouri Extension calls chicken tractors. They’re easy to move and the hens eat insects as they go. The downside is honest too. The ground under them goes bare fast and moving them is regular work.

If you can spare the room then a walk-in coop is the most comfortable for six birds and for you. Missouri’s own definition of a true coop is one large enough for a human to enter.

Plastic coops trade the look of wood for low upkeep. Smooth walls give mites fewer places to hide.

The running costs of six hens

Missouri Extension did the sums for a flock of six layers. They eat about 2 pounds of feed a day. That’s roughly fifteen 50-pound bags a year. Store it in a lidded metal bin or the rats will find it first. A sack left open in the shed is an invitation.

Bedding is easy to estimate. Six cubic feet of shavings covers a 24 square foot floor 3 inches deep. Plain pine shavings work well. Skip cedar. Missouri says cedar shavings mat and make odors worse. Our coop bedding comparison has the full rundown.

Here’s a practical tip before you buy. Mark the house floor size on your lawn with string and four pegs. Then picture six grown hens in that rectangle on a wet day. If it looks cramped now it’ll feel worse in February.

FAQ

How big a coop do 6 hens need?

About 18 square feet of coop floor for light breeds and 24 for heavy breeds. Add 48 to 60 square feet of run. Try our coop size calculator for other flock sizes.

Is a coop sold for 4 to 6 chickens big enough for 6?

Often not. Many of those kits only have the floor for four. Measure the house floor and leave the run out of the sum. Then add run space if it falls short.

How many nest boxes do 6 hens need?

Two is plenty. Extension advice is one nest for every 4 to 5 hens.

Is a mobile coop a good idea for 6 hens?

It can be. Hens get fresh ground and eat insects as they go. The ground under the coop goes bare fast though. You need to move it often.

Keep reading

Once the coop is picked read our guides to roosting bars and coop cameras. Or browse every coop and run in the shop.

Sources

• Housing and Space Requirements: Chickens in the Backyard Workshop, University of Missouri Extension (via UT Extension McMinn County)
• Predator Control, University of Maryland Extension
• How many chickens fit in the Eglu Cube, Omlet help center