Backyard chickens in Oak Lawn, Illinois

Oak Lawn sits in USDA Hardiness Zone 6a, part of the Chicago metro area's humid continental climate. Winters are cold with regular snow and temperatures that can drop into the single digits °F, while summers are warm and humid with highs in the 80s°F. Coops need solid insulation, draft-free but ventilated design, and frost-proof waterers for the winter months, plus shade and good airflow for humid summer heat.

Suburban Cook County backyards near Oak Lawn's forest preserves and waterways can attract hawks, raccoons, opossums, and occasionally foxes or coyotes. A secure, roofed run with buried or apron hardware cloth is recommended to deter digging predators, and an enclosed coop helps protect against nighttime raccoon and opossum visits as well as daytime hawk activity.