Can you easily see your run/chicken activity from your house/backyard?

[Wink]

Because we are trying to be stealthy with our coop (playhouse design), we are putting it at the edge of the woods behind our house, with the run directly behind it. Our backyard slopes pretty decently. If you were a nosy neighbor (or member of the HOA), and you walked up to our fence and peeked over, you'd see the top part of the playhouse. You wouldn't even see (due to the slope) under the elevated part of the coop where part of the run is.

However, in my effort to be stealthy, with the run directly behind the coop, heading into the woods, I myself won't be able to watch many chicken antics and this bums me out. From my deck and my garden, I will only get a narrow view, which really bums me out.
Of course, I can visit with them everyday, but I guess when the kids and I were hanging out on the deck, it wouldve been nice to see them!

Does anyone else have a similar setup where they don't see their chickens very much (unless you go to the coop?)

 

[ranchhand]

I am sort of able to see what's going on from here at my desk, enough to see if a predator is running around. Unfortunately, I can't really see the antics well, which is something I want to change soon! I have been known to drag out the binoculars to check them sometimes......

Mine are also right on the edge of the woods. I suggest really going heavy on the defense on that side. Maybe soon you can "come out of the coop" and have them closer!

 

[AinaWGSD]

Yes and no. Ours is in the backyard (pretty level) in plain sight from any corner of our small yard and from both the street in front of the house and the next street over behind the house (if you know which houses to look between anyway). But because of the location of the coop, we can't really see much of what's going on in the run from anywhere inside the house or from our patio.

 

[wsmoak]

Yes. I can see the coop and run from the sun room (where the arc trainer is). And from the kitchen I often see them on the porch railing where they are not supposed to be!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Yes, I can. Specifically designed that way to see all activity.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I can't see them in the coop but can glimpse them in the chicken run. So, no I can't really see their antics. Whenever I am home though they free range and I keep a close eye so they don't roam out of the yard.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

It sounds like you need a chicken cam!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

We sorta have the opposite of that. We can't look out any window without seeing chickens.

 

[MamaChic21]

Quote:
It's always nice to see them, even at nights. Knowing where their run is out back at the edge of the woods, I would be worried about the predators. Right now, their coop/run can be seen from the Formal living room and up at the Master Bathroom. I was also considering on putting them further away right behind of the fence is like a mini forest. We have a lot of predators here. Either have it completely sealed like putting rocks or something agains their run floor so that nothing can dig in.

 

[TransitionArizona]

If you are not opposed to high tech, I agree, a chicken cam is exactly what you need. I used a Night Owl system from Tiger Direct. Pretty reasonable price. Includes 60' cable, but you can extend it with some adapters and standard coax. I have a camera on my run, and in the coop on the roosts. I can access it from any computer in the house, or on a dedicated monitor. The coop cam also has the automatic chicken door in view, so I can see that when the door closes on the the timer, that all the birds are on the roosts and not still out in the run. You will need 120v power at the coop for plug and play set-up, or you will need to rig a 12v battery and solar power if you don't have AC run to the coop. You will need to run cables from coop to house. I used some wire rope from Lowes, and then suspended the video cable (and electrical power) from the wire rope. As you might guess, the system can double has home security too. Prices depend on what version you get and how many cameras etc. The night vision is cool, too, because you can check in on the birds while they sleep, without disturbing them.