(Continuing the series from part 1, -- part 2, and part 3)
The Chicken Coop
Chickens are not known for their fastidious natures ,as such, don't require a lot of amenities. What they do require is, at minimum, a place to protect them from predators, from the elements, a place without drafts, a place to perch, a place to park an egg or two, plenty of food and clean water at least once a day. And, if you want some unique pets, it will require you to spend a little quality time with them, as you would with any pet.
the chicken coop on the flip side......
With those needs in mind the rest will depend on the number of birds you have, how much outside space they have, the weather conditions where you are and how much cash you want to part with. There is also the external aesthetics to be considered, but that is an issue between you and the neighbors.
"
This is a colored pencil drawing by my wife, Dorothy, of a bantam rooster we had named "Bippy". Stretched out like he's pictured, he was less than 12" tall. He was smaller than any of the bantam hens.
If the chickens have a small outside space the coop should be a little more roomy. For standard birds the coop should allow for 3 1/3 sq,ft./ bird and for bantams 2 sq.ft./bird. If they have an outside pen that provides at least 5 sq.ft. / bird, then the coop can be built calculating 2 1/2 sq.ft./ standard bird and 1 ½ sq.ft. for bantams.
You should provide 1 nest for every 4 hens and 10 inches of perch space for each bird. The coop must have a chicken door that can be closed and secured at night – with the exception of hawks and domestic pets, almost all preditor attacks are at night.
Depending on your local climate, adjustments to any coop design must take weather into consideration. More chickens die from excess heat than from cold. So, unless you live in Barrows Alaska, summer heat must be dealt with.
I use a 20" X 20 " box fan that fits in a window. I take the window out in the summer and replace it with the fan. The fan should exhaust the coop not blow air into the coop.
If power is not available, a water mister around the pen might be used. At a minimum, a sun shade made of a piece of masonite (or cardboard in a pinch) with aluminum foil glued on one side. With the foil facing up it will reflect the sun and keep it relatively cool underneath. Position the sun shade at an angle so the chickens don't perch on it.
Winter weather is not as dangerous as summer heat, chickens seem to fare pretty well in cold weather (not true of chicks). A couple of winters ago the power to my chicken coop was cut off by accident and, consequently, the heater shut off on a night when the temperature dropped to 14 below zero. The next morning when I checked on the birds they were all fine, pissed off, but OK. The only injury was a little frost bite on my rooster's comb (roosters don't sleep with their head under their wing so they are vulnerable to frostbite).
This is why a draft free coop is important. Chickens keep warm by fluffing out their feathers and trapping the warm air generated by body heat (chickens run around 104 degrees F). If there is a draft they can't maintain the heat trapped by their feathers and can freeze to death.
With an insulated, draft free coop, chickens can withstand some very cold temperatures without the need for added heat.
As far as the construction of a coop, that again depends on the number of birds you have and your reason for raising them – eggs/pets, meat or both.
The first thing to consider is any structure that already exists such as an old playhouse, tool shed or storage shed. The least desirable would be a metal shed unless it is insulated. For 2 or 3 chickens a large dog house would suffice.
A type of coop/pen that I have not used is the tractor coop.
This coop allows one to move it around the yard, so it has the advantage of free range feeding and the security of a closed pen
A more upscale coop/pen combination shown below can be purchased (at outrageous cost)or can be built with a modest bit of woodworking skills. A good source for information and plans for coops can usually be obtained from your state's Extension Poultry Specialist, Cooperative Extension Services - all found at a state university.
Open range chickens
The only real problem you will encounter will be from domestic dogs, hawks or eagles during the day as other potential predators are nocturnal hunters. Open range birds still require a secure coop that is closed at night but you might be able to dispense with a pen.
The chickens will not wander far from the coop but your property should be fenced - mostly to prevent dogs from getting in. I used open range for about 15 years (still do for an hour or two in the late afternoon) and although there was no fence between my back and front lawn my chickens rarely ventured into the front yard and never tried to jump the fence into neighbor's yards.
While chickens can fly they are pretty poor at the task. The record flight, by a bantam chicken, was a shade over 600 ft. starting from a 10 foot high perch. A standard size leghorn hen can barely get her ass off the ground.
If you garden (vegetable or flower) you don't want the birds out when the plants are just sprouts or are bearing fruit. Once your plants are more mature the chickens can be beneficial by gobbling up sprouting weeds, eating insect pest and aerating the soil with their scratching.
A real treat for your birds is to let them loose in a freshly tilled garden. To return the favor they will eat every bug and weed seed they can find - and they are very good at finding them.