Housing, Protection, and Isolation Needs
Chickens will need some kind of shelter from the elements and space to move about - the more the better. The chicken world says that chickens need 10 square feet per chicken if they are confined or 3-5 square feet if they are left out to forage on a daily basis. Barns and other out-buildings are perfect. Housing needs to be dry, well ventilated, easy to clean, and not drafty over the roosting area. In cold climates you need to make sure that you have chickens that are cold hardy. Large combs on roosters are prone to frost bite if they are in a moist building. Manure and water sitting inside their housing can be problematic because they add moisture to the air. Using a deep litter method or sand is a good method for keeping their coop area just right for healthy chickens both summer and winter. Here are links to both methods for further research.
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Chickens don't need boxes to sleep in. In fact, if you make comfy boxes for their beds, you will come in to find them precariously perched on some obscure 2x4. Females will go in boxes to lay eggs, and a broody momma will sit on a clutch of eggs in a box. When it is time to sleep, they will want to perch on something up off the ground like a roosting bar. You can make these out of ladders, two by twos, or some solid, secure tree branches. Be creative - you probably have things lying around that will work. Check it out online; you will find many interesting and fun ideas. There is much chicken manure made each night, so keep that in mind when placing your bars. One chicken roosted directly above another - well, you probably get the idea. Bars should be at least a foot off the ground, and different levels will make your chickens happier, but they need to be able to get from one level to another. Wherever they roost at night needs to be enclosed to keep predators out (including owls). We lost about 15 chickens to owls until we figured out what was happening. They would swoop in and take them right off their roosting bars. We had them protected from below never thinking about threats from above. Here is a good site that will show endless cheap or free ideas.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452400725057312913/
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When and if your chickens are out roaming, and they do need space to roam, they need to have a safe environment. Your chickens need to be protected from coyotes, cats, your neighbor's dogs, your dogs, and the pig you may have in your barn. Their roaming yard needs to be fenced in or secured in some other way from the sides and above. We raise chickens that are big enough that by the age of 3-4 months hawks are no longer a threat. Our chickens will actively roam 2-3 acres, so we have LGDs (livestock guardian dogs) out with them to protect them from predators including hawks. A wandering, unprotected chicken makes a tasty treat, so great care needs to be taken.
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In the heat of the summer your chickens need to be able to stay cool. The coop area needs to be well ventilated, allowing good airflow and keeping temperatures down. There should be plenty of shaded areas outside to protect them from the hot sun. Having access to cool, fresh water is important. They will love playing with ice cubes in their water buckets or pecking at some ice cubes thrown out on the ground. Creating a watering hole or wading area will also help cool your chickens down. They will stand in the water to lower their body temperature on a hot day. Mine will stand in line waiting to dip their toes in the puddles I create under their waterers. You can fill a low spot with water or use large, low-sided pans, dishes, wading pools, or anything else you may find laying around. Be creative. Your chickens will love it.
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Isolation for New, Sick, Injured, or Broody Mommas
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When planning your chickens' surroundings, it is a good practice to have a small pen area (or several) set aside in case a bird needs to be protected for a time. We have a small pen about 4 feet by 4 feet that can be closed off from the rest of the flock. There is a box that the bird can sleep in or perch on. There is enough room for a waterer and a food dish. This is a place where they can be close to other birds, yet not touched or disturbed by inquiring onlookers. This can be used when a new chicken is added to your flock. When we have broody mommas, this is a place where they can have peace and quiet for the three weeks they sit on the eggs. They can also have a couple of days with their newly hatched chicks before leaving the protection of their little home. We then move them to a bigger pen that gives them room to move about, but is protected from above, so we don't lose chicks to hawks.
If you have an injured bird, you will want to keep them protected from the other birds until they are healed enough to get around, stand up for themselves, and have no blood or odd looking patches on them. Other chickens will peck at anything that looks different or out of place. If they are pecking at scabs or bare spots, it will cause more injury to the affected bird.
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If you have a sick chicken, you will want to isolate it from the flock all together, so if there is anything infectious, it will not be passed on to your other birds.
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If you are going to pen up your chickens to keep them away from each other, you will need multiple pens that are both set up with all the necessities we have listed above. We have two houses with multiple ways to fence in the areas to set up their outside accessibility. Remember that the more space the better.