Chickens don't need much. Definitely nothing fancy or elaborate. A good fence to protect against predators is more important than the coop. Also you may consider dividing a larger run into sections so you can rotate them every week to a new space and not rotate back to the first space until a month or more. This keeps them healthy and odors down. Also consider deep mulch bedding especially in the winter.My gf and I currently have 14 chicks. We are getting another 30 next week via delivery. We have probably 4 weeks before we have to move the chickens out. Due to the layout of my back yard I am wanting to have a 20x20x8 run/coop. We are utilizing our shed for this, but the materials to build a run is approximately the same as building one(including my time). I am here asking for tips to minimize my expense cause I am a frugal guy, and want to save my money for more chickens. I am also looking for affordable, pre-built options as well. Many thanks in advance.
We keep between 50-100 birds, one huge coop, and a few small ones. Half of our flock have decided to sleep in the trees. They have been doing this for a few years now. So much for the nice big coop.