Since my wife got into the chicken hobby, we've enjoyed the fresh eggs. Raising chickens has many benefits, but saving money, at least in our case, isn't one of them.

We've had chickens for over 15 years. We live in the sticks with wildlife around, yet have successfully free-ranged them with little loss! We've had some good dogs for helpers.

They have a roof on their outdoor yard (chicken wire with pole supports). Our coop is no bigger than your dimensions. We've had up to 20 hens. We also have a covered perch in their run.

The floor of the coop is concrete. An important feature has been burying the run fencing 15 inches. It's chicken wire. Prevents burrowing predators!

We are kind of at the tail end of our egg years. Down to 2 hens. We hope to add a few in the spring.

Will you have a rooster? I have thoughts! 😅

Does a 4’ height give you room to move around in there enough to be able to clean easily? I ask that because half of my coop has a slanted ceiling and it’s difficult for me to stand and clean…I’m not very tall but it’s still a pain.

Chickens are a joy to keep.

I'd be in there bent over. However, I thought if I placed the nesting boxes, waterer, and feed trough outside of the pen but the chickens could access that, I shouldn't have to go in the pen itself very often

6 foot would be better and I could still put a cover over the enclosure to store light stuff on .

I'll l have to do some more thinking about that .

an improvement in taste etc. in any cooking/baking recipes calling for eggs. I encourage people to always find fresh local eggs if possible. If you develop a nice relationship with your egg farmer you can also get some of those culled hens and reap the fabulous taste of slow cooked (days on simmer) soup/stew. Along with the fact the house will smell fantastic. My mom used to buy culled hens in quantity and make big batches of slow cooked soup and then freeze it in quart containers to last all winter long.

Garden wastes, the garden is right near the run area, would be given to the chickens to shred or eat .

and my Grandmother always tossed all kitchen/table scraps into their area.

anything close to inside of a chicken coop will get covered in dust - from general dirt, dander/feathers from birds themselves, dry fecal matter, and from feed and bedding.

when I'm around to help air out the building. . I'd have to really minimize what I keep in there. Anything I can keep in the basement entryway or the basement itself would be moved there.

shoveling snow off

on the outer walls) and fox.

But it has held study for four years She lost one hen to a hawk. Others have died from "old age."

Planning on getting 2 or 3 new chickens as 4 of mine are pretty old. I fenced in a really big run for my chickens that includes 2 trees they can climb into. I put wide netting over the whole top to keep out owls & hawks. Nothing like cooking an egg that is so fresh it’s still warm.