I suggested the coop b/c the adult hens will generate more heat than being alone. Our 1st big run is like a thin walled coop. It's draft free with storm windows all around & doesn't get rain / snow. Often, about 1/2 the hens prefer to sleep out there. However, mine all crowd into the smaller interior coop area on those very cold nights. It's insulated & easily about 30'F warmer in there than outside in the yard.No garage, no basement. The coop is the back half of a large shed. Not insulated, but well built, and draft free. I do have a crate I can put the chicks into inside the coop. I was planning on giving them a couple weeks to acclimate and then move them. I was not expecting such extreme cold.