Toni, my best investment so far is the automatic chicken door which opens/closes at dawn/dusk. Battery operated although I think you can also hard wire it. There are several on the market, here's the one I bought and I've been extremely happy with it and the fellow who makes it. He is very accessible and helpful. It gives us much more flexibility to be away from the farm with less worries about predators and less imposing on friends to 'check the chickens.' I just have someone come by every 3-4 days to gather eggs.
http://adorstore.com/
My second best tip is to build the coop on stilts so the hens have an easy 'escape' under the coop from flying predators. I can't tell you how many times they've all been quivering under the coop, apparently after a hawk or eagle did a fly-by. It also gives them some place to be outside but out of the rain - much healthier than crowding inside the coop during inclement weather.
Go for it - nothing beats fresh eggs. And I love having hens scratching around the yard. I even liked the sound, but not the temperament, of our late rooster.
