A story of two coops... advice needed.

[Malthus]

I live just north of Chicago and I recently adopted two silkies from a friend who was (irresponsibly) gifted them for easter. Her town doesn't allow chickens and mine does. She knew I had planned to get chickens sometime in the next few months so she asked if I would take hers in. I agreed but now I am scrambling to get a coop together. I have two options and thought I it best to ask the folks here which they thought was best.

Option 1: The Hot House!
When we bought our house 2+ years ago we "inherited" a sauna and hot tub. The hot tube was in a terrible state of disrepair but the sauna is made of solid cedar and has been sitting in the garage untouched for years. It's 4ft wide x 7ft long x 7 ft tall. It's insulated and in excellent shape for something 20+ years old. I know I could easily add a good bit of ventilation, throw on a sloped roof, change out the door, and add an egg box and be good to go. See picture...

Pros:
-It's already 90% assembled.
-It's solidly built and wont rot.
-I can walk in it for cleaning.

Cons:
-It's taller than my 6ft fence and I had hoped to keep a lower profile.
-Seems really big for two tiny chickens.
-The garage was literally built around the sauna so getting it out will be a pain.
-It would sit on or near the ground.

Option #2: Raised coop
I was planing of building a smaller 4x4 raised coop. See picture.
I was going to go with ply wood construction and make it with my kids. But I hadn't done all the research and am not sure if a single sheet of 1/2 or 3/4 inch ply wood is enough insulation or should I beef it up a bit. I am basing it on a design I found online and i just liked the way it looked. However, I am always open to suggestions.

Pros:
-It's shorter and less likely to anger neighbors.
-I know exactly how to fix any issues because I made it.
-My kids were super excited to help me build it.

Cons:
-Smaller than "the Hot house".
-Could just be creating more work than needed.
-I am not sure how much if any insulation would be needed to handle Chicago winters.

Other important info.
-A lifetime ago I worked as a carpenter apprentice so I know I can build either one I am just not sure I should as I want to do what is best for my ladies.
-My backyard can be a very wet place after a rain.
-We have all sorts of predators. Foxes, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, hawks, and even a family of bald eagles.

 

[DobieLover]

I would absolutely go with option #1: The Hothouse.

1 - Your kids can still work with you on the modification of it.
2 - Silkies go broody a lot. If you want your kids to experience that (which I feel every chicken owner should... it's amazing), you will want the mother in a ground nest that she can easily walk in and out of with the chicks.
3- You don't have to put it directly on the ground. You can put it on PT skids and install a 1/2" hardware cloth predator apron around it to keep critters from living under it.
4 - The neighbors won't complain if you make the exterior cute!

It's not too big. Chickens are addictive. See point two above.. you will end up with more than two Silkies. Trust me.

 

[pozees2]

Quite a dilemma. Two Silkies won't need much room if they are the only birds to occupy the structure. Could be the solution is the smaller coop, built in such a way that if necessary it could be moved to the garage for winters if needed, with reduced run if necessary? If you are thinking of combining the Silkies with other chickens, you may already know this, but in case not, they don't always do well with non-Silkie coop mates, especially large fowl. The crests limit their ability to see overhead threats, and they can be pecked on the head which can be bloody and sometimes deadly, and that would be awful for them, you, and everyone else in the family. Maybe a small coop just for them and see how you like living with Silkies?
Edited to add - @DobieLover is 100% right that closer to the ground is much better for Silkies and that you do want to take care to prevent incursion of predators. I had Silkies for a long time, and my husband built them roosts that are 6 inches above the floor - which most of them used quite reliably, but that was really about as high as I could reasonably expect them to roost on a nightly basis. Some never did, they slept in the shavings in summer/straw in winter on the floor. My shed coop is on skids as suggested above for the sauna, and while the floor is 3/4 inches thick, I kept a nice several-inch layer of bedding in winter. You can also set them up with a Sweeter Heater or similar for winter, put it on a temperature sensor so it only comes on below a certain temperature, hang it so it's about a foot or so above the roost, and then they have a heat source in case it gets really super duper cold. I've never been a big proponent of this, but smaller and older birds do seem to appreciate them.

 

[Malthus]

I would absolutely go with option #1: The Hothouse.

2 - Silkies go broody a lot. If you want your kids to experience that (which I feel every chicken owner should... it's amazing), you will want the mother in a ground nest that she can easily walk in and out of with the chicks.

So I should keep the nesting box on the ground? I was told you needed to elevate them a ~6-12 inches off the ground. Is that not the case with Silkies? They are so stinking little I don't want to make their lives difficult. LOL..

 

[Malthus]

Quite a dilemma. Two Silkies won't need much room if they are the only birds to occupy the structure. Could be the solution is the smaller coop, built in such a way that if necessary it could be moved to the garage for winters if needed, with reduced run if necessary? If you are thinking of combining the Silkies with other chickens, you may already know this, but in case not, they don't always do well with non-Silkie coop mates, especially large fowl. The crests limit their ability to see overhead threats, and they can be pecked on the head which can be bloody and sometimes deadly, and that would be awful for them, you, and everyone else in the family. Maybe a small coop just for them and see how you like living with Silkies?

While I am most likely going to go with the Sauna. If I did build the coop would i need to use more than 1/2 inch plywood or is that enough. I am worried about winter temperatures.

 

[neo71665]

My grandma's silkies would jump on her porch railing and strut around, it was 4 or 5 foot off the ground. Those 2 little birds were the only ones she would let on the porch and they would live it up. Almost look like they would look down their beaks at the other birds below them while prancing back and forth on the rail.

 

[pozees2]

While I am most likely going to go with the Sauna. If I did build the coop would i need to use more than 1/2 inch plywood or is that enough. I am worried about winter temperatures.

Mine lived in a shed that isn't insulated, and the walls are 2x4s with HardiePanel siding. For only two I would be inclined to insulate or get a Sweeter Heater for them, I never had fewer than 5 in a pen, and they could huddle for warmth at night. I mean, I don't generally worry about cold as much as heat, and truthfully they will probably be fine as long as they are protected from wet and wind. Their feathers cannot shed water like regular chickens,

 

[Malthus]

Mine lived in a shed that isn't insulated, and the walls are 2x4s with HardiePanel siding. For only two I would be inclined to insulate or get a Sweeter Heater for them, I never had fewer than 5 in a pen, and they could huddle for warmth at night. I mean, I don't generally worry about cold as much as heat, and truthfully they will probably be fine as long as they are protected from wet and wind. Their feathers cannot shed water like regular chickens,

Thanks!