My friend and I just enjoyed brunch this morning at Masala, a local veggie co-op house in Boulder, Colorado. Our eggs were not only local—they were sourced 15 feet away from our big dining table.

Pretty pretty.

Want fresh eggs, mindfully and humanely sourced? There’s nothing better than starting your own chicken coop. Make sure it’s nice and big (Recommended chicken-raising guidelines advise giving each bird at least two square feet in the coop and four square feet in the run), well-cleaned, has ample heat in the winter, water, food and shelter from wind.

What other hard-won tips do you recommend?

I like.

Here’s a how-to site. Here’s another. There’s dozens.

Our friends at MNN have written about it. So has Inhabitat.

Here’s 10 cool coops I found online. Video at bottom. Email your photo of you coop and I’ll do a reader’s top 10 blog.

I like the wheels. Move it around from time to time, give ’em more to peck at!

10 Inspiring Coops:

Top 10 Videos (there’s 1,000 more on youtube).