how much indoor space should chickens have

My 3 girls and 1 boy free range all day, never using the small run that they have, I have pots of food in the garden too, so they dont even go in there to eat!

Our sleeping/laying area is a plastic cushion box, which is great - easy to clean etc. But with the arrival of a new chick Im not sure if its too small? if you look at them during the evening they are really huddled together, (i know they do this to keep warm etc!) but they are almost laying on top of each other?? There is more room that they could spread out into, but it looks like they all like the corner!

is there a minimum for each bird?

I have 4 more new girls that have a bigger run and the same size cushion box, I plan to intergrate them shortly and move the old cushion box into the new run, or do you think its time I started to build something for them all to share? Again they all will free range in our garden during the day!

Thanks Joyful, thinkwe are well in there!! Just got to figure a way of introducing the nest box??? Thinking hats or another post at the ready :-) x

Our girls don't like the posh plastic 'chickbox'es that we got from BEC and as Brian got rid of some of our nest boxes last year, I told him to use a couple of crates for now, and the shaver blacks that had been used to free ranging at their last home and laying everywhere love them more than the 'proper' thing.

The brown girls have wooden nest boxes.

Someone on here used a new cat litter tray too!

Do that mean that your boxes/crate/cat carriers/litter trays etc that you are all using for nest boxes are outside the coop, but I am assuming inside the run??

being here Sw france - my neighbours use old wine crates filled with straw (yes I know you shouldnt but they do here!) but these ar enormally on a high shelf inside an old barn? Some sleep/rest on the perch some sit/sleep/rest in these boxes!

Thanks