Solar features of a Solar Tempered Chicken Coup included south facing windows(of course if your on the other side of the equator it is a different story), thermal mass to store heat, and outside insulation and insulated window panels to keep heat in.
The chicken coups need to be dry inside, so the site you choose needs to be high and dry….Dig several test holes, a foot or more deep. Leave them for a time to make sure no water seeps in. If you holes have no water seeping then continue if they have water you may need to reposition you site.
Next…check for morning or afternoon shading problems for maximum solar efficiency. You could have some shade for the summer only from trees like maples, birch or basswood because they would shed leaves in winter.
Work out the dimensions of your coup – 4 square foot per bird.If you foundation logs are 12 inches in diameter you may want to stake out the site a couple of feet larger than the interior dimensions. When excavation, cut the edges of the pit as vertically as possible 3 feet deep and pile most of the dirt on the north side.
Now you can lay the foundation log walls. Cut and peel you logs and sort by size if you can. The largest diameter poles for the bottom tier. You can mark them with a notch from the chain saw so you know to put them on the bottom. Any irregularites in the logs can be removed with an axe or adz then sealed with black waterproof sealer. If you use, cedar or cypress then this step can be missed.
Of course you can build a chicken coup without having to dig a pit see chicken coups
