No matter the climate, I would not have a plastic coop. Plastic does not breathe the way wood does.
Things to keep in mind:
Birds need enough room: plan on a minimum of 4 s.f./bird in the coop and a minimum of 10 s.f. in the run per bird.
Ventilation: minimum of 1 s.f./bird or 10% of floor space.
Roosts: need to be minimum of 15" away from back wall, minimum of 18" head room above roost. 1 linear ft. of perch space per bird. Birds need enough room to be able to fly up to the perch and back down again without doing a face plant on the wall in front of them. Birds like to roost high, as it makes them feel safe. Roosts need to be above the level of the nest boxes.
Nest boxes: minimum size 12 x 12 x 15" high. 1 box per 4 birds. You might consider a community nest.
Bedding: There needs to be room in the coop for a nice layer of bedding. IMO 3 - 4" is a minimum. If you do deep litter bedding, plan on at least 12" of bedding.
Natural lighting: Use windows to make the coop inviting. Placing windows on opposing walls creates good ventilation. Tip out windows hinged at the top are helpful for keeping the rain out while allowing ventilation.
Roof: big overhangs help keep rain out of the coop.
All of these needs make the typical prefab coop totally impractical.
No matter what you use for a coop, it needs to be predator proof. Cover any opening that you could push a quarter through with 1/2" hardware cloth. Don't trust construction staples. Use poultry staples or screws and fender washers, or sandwich the hdw. cloth between layers of wood, and use wood screws to secure it.
Things to keep in mind:
Birds need enough room: plan on a minimum of 4 s.f./bird in the coop and a minimum of 10 s.f. in the run per bird.
Ventilation: minimum of 1 s.f./bird or 10% of floor space.
Roosts: need to be minimum of 15" away from back wall, minimum of 18" head room above roost. 1 linear ft. of perch space per bird. Birds need enough room to be able to fly up to the perch and back down again without doing a face plant on the wall in front of them. Birds like to roost high, as it makes them feel safe. Roosts need to be above the level of the nest boxes.
Nest boxes: minimum size 12 x 12 x 15" high. 1 box per 4 birds. You might consider a community nest.
Bedding: There needs to be room in the coop for a nice layer of bedding. IMO 3 - 4" is a minimum. If you do deep litter bedding, plan on at least 12" of bedding.
Natural lighting: Use windows to make the coop inviting. Placing windows on opposing walls creates good ventilation. Tip out windows hinged at the top are helpful for keeping the rain out while allowing ventilation.
Roof: big overhangs help keep rain out of the coop.
All of these needs make the typical prefab coop totally impractical.
No matter what you use for a coop, it needs to be predator proof. Cover any opening that you could push a quarter through with 1/2" hardware cloth. Don't trust construction staples. Use poultry staples or screws and fender washers, or sandwich the hdw. cloth between layers of wood, and use wood screws to secure it.
