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saysfaa said:
Welcome!

This is my favorite style of coop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/8-x-12-woods-coop-design-plan.1221551/

More about it but doesn't have the detailed plans:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-house-in-the-winter.445004/

A portable (on skids) version:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-colony-house-portable.1104954/

A portable (knock-down) version:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...portable-woods-kd-coop.1379150/#post-22660040

That style is suitable far north into Canada and better than most designs for warm climates but if you are in a really hot climate then screen walls on more than one side is better (like one or two solid or partially solid walls).

As for breeds.
"Flighty" means they are alert and startle easily. That is good if you expect them to have to escape predators; not so good if you want them to be easy to tame if you don't have much experience with prey animals. "Docile" means not flighty; it doesn't necessarily mean more likely to get along with the other chickens or to like people.

I figure my eggs aren't going to be anywhere close to economical compared to the grocery store or buying fresh eggs from one of the "end of the driveway" stands that are all around here. So I didn't try to maximize production.

My friends think Isa Browns are wonderful! They also raise chicks as replacements every year. They can be counted on to lay a big egg every day, starting early.

I like Austrlorps for their mellowness; that they lay so well isn't important to me but they started sooner, stopped for the winter later (Christmas) started again in the spring (actually, about the end of January) sooner, and lay much bigger eggs, and lay more eggs per week than my brown leghorns.

I think most of the non-rare heritage breeds (rocks, rhode island reds, orpington, javas, buckeyes, australorps) lay about the same as my australorps. Funny-feathered except polish, big breeds (cochins, brahmas, jersey giants), and heritage Mediterranean breeds (all except production white leghorns and their derivatives like California Gray) lay somewhat less but still enough for to be reasonable for your own eating. Polish and most "rare breeds" lay a lot less.
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Thanks for all the information.
 

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