Your favorite coop design?!

We are in the process of building a new coop now - it is going to be a 4x 8, walk-in coop -- my husband and father-in-law currently have it figured at about $200 for the materials and labor is going to cost me lunches and beer, lol. *Some* of the cost being this low is that we have access to a discount at the lumber yard due to that being where both DH and FIL are employed, but even without that discount they have said it would run $250-300.
We are using this as a basis for the design with some modifications because that is what DH/FIL like to do, lol -- https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/jonny-anvils-chicken-coop -- I actually have several that I have found that I like and we are taking bits and pieces from each to build our final product - -this is the basic starting point for us -- the man door will be narrower, the nest boxes (3) will be external off one side, the roost will be oriented across the back with a poop board, pvc tube feeders will be oriented so that the openings are beneath the poop board and the water station will also be under the poop board -- my goal is to maximize the space I have so that it is comfortable for people to be in and, most importantly, that the birds have as much room as possible. The ventilation will be increased and there will be windows in both sides (picked those up at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store).
There are tons of ways you can save money and maximize the "bang for your buck" when it comes to building a coop.

 

Hmmm, not sure why it did that -- maybe try this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/jonny-anvils-chicken-coop

 

Cheap, easy, can still walk into it and will not have a bit of trouble providing adequate ventilation....plenty of attachments for hanging waterers and feeders, plenty of light and air, easy to clean out, easy to move. Post # 257 of this page....could be you could contact this BYC member and get details on price: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/172799/our-hoop-house-chicken-tractor/270

 

The above coop is very cute and it would be easy to build. Depending on your climate it could work well with a few little adjustments as to where the nesting boxes are and the roost.
I chose to do a raised coop. My friend built it. All the materials were new except the windows. We got those add Habitat for Humanity store. It cost about $500 but you could definitely do it cheaper. It is 4 x 8. You could very easily get 10 Bantam chickens in there.
I like the raised coop because it's easier for me to reach in and clean it etc. without having to bend down, my knees aren't as young as they used to be
This is not the best picture but you get the general idea.

 

My favorite coop design? Mine, of course . We've had it about 2 years now, and had to change almost nothing. Cost me less than $400. Good for warmer climates...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/958595/construction-of-our-coop#post_14915475

 

I couldn’t find where you told us where you are located. Your climate could make a big difference in what I’d suggest. I don’t know if you will get more bantams or want full sized chickens. Since your Silkie can’t fly, you have a few restrictions to accommodate her. Since you are in suburbia, appearance is probably important.

I like that 18’ x 21’ area. It gives you some options. I’d keep that old crappy coop in there. A separate place to house a chicken if you need to can come in really handy sometimes. Integration can be one of those times.

I like walk-in coops but that’s more of a personal preference. Plenty of people are happy with those elevated coops, but with 8 chickens I think you are getting near the limit for one of those you cannot walk into. You need to be able to access every part of your coop. The more chickens you have the more room you need so that becomes more difficult. Hat’s off to OGM for figuring out how to do that with a 4’ x 8’ coop. She’s put some thought into it.

You might follow the link in my signature to get my thoughts on space requirements. I don’t put much faith into looking at the coop in isolation when it comes to room. It’s going to depend on your climate, predator protection, and management practices but that big area may give you some options. I do believe that bigger is better, but stay reasonable.

I do believe you can build yourself and get something better for less money but that can take work. If you have one of those “habitat” stores nearby, check to see what you can get. It’s usually well priced. Windows, doors, and hardware would be the main things I’d look for. Maybe used paint. Craigslist is another option since I think you are in the USA. You might find building materials or maybe even a building you can relocate or tear down for building materials. Sometimes you can scrounge up waste materials from building sites such as wood used for concrete forms or for temporary construction aids. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

To reduce costs and work, look at the size of your construction materials. If you are buying new, the cheapest versions of construction materials normally come in 4’ and 8’ dimensions. You can usually save waste and cutting if you plan around those dimensions. 6’ doesn’t have to be bad, you can maybe use that cut-off for nests or other things. One thing that makes this a bit harder is that the roof needs to slope so water runs off it. An overhang to make ventilation easier can be a good thing. So the roof materials will probably be longer than others. That’s where the 6’ width can come in handy. If you are using materials with different than normal dimensions, of course take that into effect.

You might look through the coops section at the top of this page to get some ideas. Many of those come with plans.

One of the main things is to make it convenient for you. You don’t need to make taking care of the chickens hard. If you make it where you can work in there without suffering and pain, it will probably work out pretty well for the chickens too.

Good luck!