Most coops have slant roof, and be sure to have a bank of windows facing south for maximum light. You're going to love having the concrete pad when it comes time to muck it out. I have a twenty by forty coop on a concrete pad, and I appreciate how much easier it makes to do the scraping and also it's easily hosed off afterward. The structure was built as a chicken shed so I didn't have much modifying to do when started our flock up. We have working windows and two sides with wire mesh to them when the windows are open. Ventilation is very important to poultry so all windows are operable. We have a small drop door to their exercise yard and that is completely enclosed with fencing, even overhead, for protection from predators. And also a human sized door for us. LOL. It should be large enough so you can easily move feed bags in and out and also wheel barrows for when you muck poop. All the walls where windows are located have roosts to them, and the other two walls have metal laying boxes twelve per unit. I had a hundred hens at one time and twenty four boxes were sufficient, so twelve should be for thirty hens. You may want to fence off a small section for quarantining injured fowl because there will be times when that happens and the other birds will attack an injured bird and peck at it until it dies. This could also be used as a safe spot for brooding hens.

Thanks for all the sweet comments Jane, Marlene, Jeanne and Nana. Jane and Jeanne, I hope both of you have some time to show your decor. Always love seeing what you share. Jane, have you put your home on the market? Don't remember where you plan to relocate? You have a beautiful home and it may be hard to find something as nice. The only nice thing about this is we wouldn't have to worry about you during the bad winter storms! Marlene, so glad you take the time to look and comment. Jeanne, believe me I thought of your beautiful 'American Heritage' dishes as I set this table. I have some old flour sacks of DGM that I need to get out and see if I can make a table runner or something with them to display. Nana, so glad your here and sharing all your wonderful scapes and decor. Punk

Good take-away info ... thank you both for replying to my request. I debated using a single GFI outlet, and running all outlets off of that outlet, but feel making the whole circuit GFI safer since it is an outdoor circuit. Should be a low ampergae circuit, running occasional fan in summer, and water heater in winter, lights on as needed...so not much power should be needed. All boxes are outdoors rated...!! THWN stranded will definitely be a better choice than UF...!!! Should I include a shut-off at the coop for this circuit...like a 20AMP switch, or is this overkill considering the entire circuit is GFI protected ? Cheers, Clem

Anyone in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne interested in swapping veggies or trading ideas or just having a yarn? I was thinking it would be good to start some sort of collective-like platform through our passion for growing veggies. Like a backyard garden co-op or something. Who knows....just putting it out there. We, as people are increasingly becoming autonomous to our fellow humans. I have 40 tomato plants fruiting (mostly cherries) and would be more than happy to get the ball rolling...........RESIST the 'NORMS'.......reach out, grow. Johnny