It can be stand alone or backed against an outside wall, you will need to let them out early so they can go to the nest to lay, they may lay right after daylight or any time after, i have some that lay before 7 am and some that lay thorugh day middle of the day and one or two that lay about 2 hrs before dark.Does my nesting box have to be inside of the coop? Is it ok as long as it is in the run? It would probably be easier for us if we didn't have to build the additional traditional nesting box onto the regular square coop that we will be making.