We built a 12x16x8 Coop using the base plans from the book How To Build Chicken Coops on Amazon
From there we poured a concrete base to attach the coop to. We live in the middle of the prairie and corn fields so wind is a problem in the winter. The north, west, and east sides are insulated. All of the inside was painted with deck paint in ultra white. It is bedded in the deep litter method.
Because I'm an avid gardener and wannabe homesteader, we decided to make the first 1/3 of the coop a greenhouse of sorts. We added clear greenhouse roofing and one of the windows.
My husband built a floating wall inside the coop to separate the greenhouse and coop during the summer. In the winter, I plan to possibly let the girls use both sides so they get a lot of sun.
We used some recycled windows and old ladders for roosts. The nesting boxes are homemade from scrap materials found around our hobby farm.
There are two runs that we rotate the chickens to. We used Orchard Fencing from Red Brand Fencing. Another layer of netting fence was added to the inside of the runs as some of the holes of the wire is a bit big for chicks. Both runs are connected to our 5,000 sf garden that is fenced. They get to go out in the evening when I've hit the "enough picked" mark. A moveable fence will be added this fall so they can work and not eat my fall crop. Additional huts will also be added for hawk protection this winter. We will make those with dried corn stalks and leaf bags snagged from town.
We are really happy with our set up. It is easy for my boys to get in and out of and to keep clean and tidy. I love that they are connected to the garden so they can work for me yet can't come in when I've got tender plants.
