Space required for raising chickens in pens

[Ray987]

Hello everyone

After my horrible experience with diseases wiping out half my flock I decided to start over but this time I'm wanting to try to raise chickens on wire (pens, cages) I have a 3.5m x 8m (28 square meters or 300~ square foot) (concrete floor and roof) got 4 windows and 2 doors, I'm planning to start with 2 pens each would be 4 square meters (4x1) and for height it would be 50-70cm
I plan to add more pens later on but for now just 2 to start with, I'm gonna be starting with Egyptian fayoumi breed, it's currently winter and it's around 10c inside the room and it's a bit humid (60 to 80% can be lowered by adding some bedding I assume)
I plan to keep them indoors their whole life probably maybe let them free range in spring and summer only because when winter starts backyard flocks starts dying here with respiratory symptoms, always this time of the year people start losing their flocks over here and I can't figure out why, anyways please share your thoughts about raising chickens on wire in an enclosure, I know it's better to let them free range in a big run but my goal is to avoid this year end massacre that happens every year...how many chickens i can fit in this barn comfortably? And thanks

 

[NewcoopNewpoop]

I had read winter respiratory issues were usually due to being in humid coops during the winter.
Chickens dont mind cold if they are cold hardy, what makes them ill is being cold AND damp.
Breathing cold damp air in a poorly ventilated coop with the fumes from their excrement being more concentrated inside during the winters... because they spend less time outside. Recipe for illness.

 

[Ray987]

I had read winter respiratory issues were usually due to being in humid coops during the winter.
Chickens dont mind cold if they are cold hardy, what makes them ill is being cold AND damp.
Breathing cold damp air in a poorly ventilated coop with the fumes from their excrement being more concentrated inside during the winters... because they spend less time outside. Recipe for illness.

Yep it's very humid over here during winter, not just inside the coop but outside too, what do you recommend? What's some methods to reduce humidity inside the coop

It make sense what you said, during spring and summer chickens thrive over here, once winter starts (high humidity kicks in due to rain) also we live close to the beach, also I want to mention that adult chickens are doing fine it seems it's chicks under 6~ months old that gets effected the most