I am about to be a new chicken keeper and I need advice (fyi, I have already surfed most of the chicken sites). I live in Columbia, SC; we have mild winters (occassional snow, low temps occassionally below 20 degrees) and long hot summers (over 95 degrees for weeks on end!). I have a fenced, partially wooded backyard in a suburban area. My basic plan was to get 10-15 chicks (probably Rhode Island Reds or Barred Rocks for egg production only) this spring, raise them inside for the first few weeks, then outside in a large covered cage, and then in a more or less moveable pen in the backyard.

My basic question is: Is a coop absolutely necessary? What purpose would a large, houselike structure serve for a flock of semi-free ranging birds?
Could they not manage as well with a number of small shelters within which they could lay their eggs and roost? One thought I had was to assemble a row of five gallon plastic pickle buckets on their sides with bedding inside the bucket; it would provide shelter from the rain and provide a place to lay and roost. Would this work or am I missing something obvious to an experienced keeper (besides nighttime protection from predators, which I don't think will be a problem in my neighborhood)?

You actually probably don't want them sleeping in the same place where they lay eggs. That can form some bad habits, such as egg eating, cracking the eggs...etc. They really need a shelter to get out of the rain and shade to get out of the heat. Also, I had some friends who's chickens got eatin by racoons in the very middle of the city. Also, cats, although I love them, can be a problem with chickens. I would highly recommend a coop that you could lock them up in every night. I also kept my chicks in the garage (or someplace not drafty) for 9 weeks. That's about the right length of time for them to get all of their ammunities, and they were ready for the outside world! Just a few weeks might not cut it, unless they had a mother hen to have shelter from. Good luck! I hope this helps!
Let us know what you end up doing.

~ Angela