Hi Godiva - I would say location depends on your temps. Here in South Louisiana we have 100 degree temps with 100% humidity for most of year. Even our winters rarely have a soft-freeze day. I put my coop/pen at the edge of our woods and under several large oaks and pines. The spot was always an open area but the ground was covered in a thick layer of natural mulch of leaves and pine straw. It has been literally a life saver for the chickens because it stays much cooler under the trees and in the woods than it does in the open scorching sunshine. The natural woodland floor is great because they can scratch and dig all they want and they will never have a just dirt floor which would reflect heat and heat the place up. I can wet the ground down if by some chance it hasn't rained in a day or two but usually we have a thunder storm every day of summer but it dries out instantly as soon as the 100 degree sun comes out. We have our chairs out there to watch "chicken t.v." as well and you wouldn't believe the temperature difference. I, nor the chickens, could sit in our sunshine for more than 5 minutes but we can sit in the woods for hours and not feel overly hot. In winter I don't find that the woods are any colder than the rest of the property and I can always put in a heat lamp if we get a "cold" night or two.
I'm the different egg on this forum because my chickens free range in the woods all day long and put themselves to bed at night, my pen is completely open top, and my coop door is left open at night. We have every predator known to man, including a fox that lives on our property and so far (5 months) we've never lost a bird, to predators or illness. May help that my German Shepherd has guarded the chicks since they were babies in a box in our bathroom and he slept with them. He now stays outside with them and I do hear him barking several times a night. Could I lose one to a hawk or coon, yes, but they love free ranging and I love watching them be free and following me around the property and walking in the woods with them. If I don't open that pen gate each morning they squawk, and honk until I do.
