Bantams vs. Regular for eggs

"Better" has no answer--it is relavant. How do you get 8' roosts in a 5x4 coop? Minimum suggested space requirements for a heavy-hen breed is 4 square feet where birds are not confined, except at night. If kept in the coop, then 10 square feet per bird is recommended. This does not account for use of floor space by feeders and waterers. And you wil need a droppings board under the roost or the floor and possibly feeders, will be full of poop. So--room in a 5x4 pen would be, for health and management, only 2 large hens, or 3 Light weight hens. And when they begin to lay (at 5 or 6 months of age) large hens may be selected by breed for laying eggs, almost every day until moult. They produce nice large eggs--you choose the breed that lays the colorof egg shell you want. (2 hens will keep a family of 2 persons, with up to a dozen eggs a week.) With Bantams, your coop might hold 4 safely, if confined, or 6 hens of a small bantam breed (they vary in size by breed)if they have an open run situation and just mainly roost, in the coop. Bantams laying varies considerably, but most lay a "clutch" of 10-40 eggs over a period of 6 weeks or so, then either "set", as if to hatch chicks, or just take a rest for some weeks to "regenerate", then lay another cycle of eggs. You can expect them all to be laying at about the same time, stopping for a rest at about the same time also, so could be without eggs during some times. (but they keep well, and can be carried over in some cases, until some begin to lay again. Their eggs are small. But an egg is an egg, and a fresh egg from any hen is similar in quality and goodness.

In any case only one or two nest boxes are necessary, as no matter if you have two or 4 hens, they will use the same box--any others will be left empty!

Sounds like you are embarking on a nice activity! Good luck, sorry that such short questions took such long answers. CJR