Pretty much the best solution I have seen for those of us harboring illegals is the use of a playhouse or tool shed converted into a coop with a run out to the side(best if you have two runs so you can alternate them every 3-4 weeks) and the run surrounded by some sort of natural growth that looks pretty, as if you were hiding a compost pile behind some rose bushes, just like a restaurant hides a dumpster with a wooden privacy fence style gate.
I am sure many others have some suggestions for what to grow, I'd consider some of those cedar trees in the mix, they don't lose their leaves in the winter.
Something I wish I had considered before I got mine, is there such a thing as a quieter breed? As younger chicks I couldn't really tell their noises apart from the wild birds, but now that they cluck and such, things are a bit different. Atleast look at breeds known to be docile, this way they will make less noise when you check on them.
I would suggest 3. This way if you suffer a loss there is a chance you will still have 2 left so that they can still have some social structure. Besides, you can always cook up excess eggs and give them back to them.
Also, hens like to lay where it's darker, so you'd probably end up crawling under there daily to retrieve eggs.
