We spent a considerable amount of time researching coops on BYC...and came up with this. We were looking to manage the hot Oklahoma summers and the freakishly cold snaps we have in the winter months. We built small, for 4 chickens, as that is all our city codes will allow. We have no idea how much we ended up spending, as it was built over a period of a few months, and when we got a new idea- we just went and got what we needed to make it happen...So we now say that each egg from our hens will be worth their weight in gold!