Coop Location, Location, Location

Location of your chicken coop is important for a variety of reasons. Safety, accessibility, zoning laws…there’s a few things to think about.

Standing in your backyard, (or wherever you’re imagining feathers and eggs) visualize where you want to put your coop. Now consider the sun; is there good sunlight in the morning? How about shade for any time of the day?  Is your climate in the winter going to make for an icy mud puddle? Next, consider other natural elements common in your location; if you’re in a particularly windy area, will your coop be shielded? The coop location needs to be easily accessible in order for emergencies, and more commonly, mental sanity – it just makes life easier.

What’s the water access like in the area you are thinking of?  Will you be carrying heavy water buckets back and forth; or do you have a water spigot and/or hose nearby to do the job for you?  Imagine the different seasons in your climate and adjust your plan accordingly.

Every night you will need to secure your coop, and every morning they love to be let into the run/yard. Are you imagining your coop way over yonder under that beautiful tree high on the hill? Wow, wouldn’t that be extraordinary! You ready to hike it several times a day? Maybe in the summer, but, winter’s a whole different ball game. Keep YOU in mind too!

Along with the chickens and your own accessibility, there are coop needs for spatial considerations. Is there adequate room in the chosen location to not only house chickens and a coop, but to house some chicken paraphernalia?  Metal or plastic trash cans and sealed containers of feed, bags of scratch, straw, a bag of Diatomaceous Earth… These items can be tucked under the coop, on the side, in a stow-away compartment, or in a nearby shed.

Don’t forget to think about potential zoning issues outlining the exact parameters as to where you can place a coop in your yard so it’s not bothersome to your neighbors.  Cluck, cluck, cluck and the faint scent of manure might not be what your neighbor had in mind when they moved into your neck of the woods.  If close neighbors aren’t an issue, problem solved! 

Finally, whether building, buying, or recycling an object or structure into a chicken coop, be sure to make it larger than you initially think it should be.  It’s unlikely that you’ll have the restraint to resist ‘adding’ to the flock.  With so many varieties of chickens out there, it’s hard to resist!