Chicken run location

[B-Sfam]

Hey everyone,

My name is Bryan, and my wife is Samantha. We are planning on building a coop either next spring or summer. Our local by-law allows 6 hens, a coop that has to be 4 sq ft per hen and a run that can be no larger than 90 sq ft total for Coop/run. It will also have to be in the back corner of the lot according to the by-law.

I have been trying to research online and even browsed in this forum but have not been able to find my answer to this question: our lot has quite the slope near the back where we’re expected to build the coop/run. I could easily level the coop, but do I have to level the whole run as well? It seems like all coop/run designs are on quite level ground. If I level just the coop and leave the run follow the natural slope of the yard, will that cause any issues? It’s not a massive drop from one side to the other, the run will be 6’ wide. I don’t have exact measurements of how much of a slope there is, but I could measure that and post here if need be.

Thanks for any advice and sorry if this seems like a foolish question! Just couldn’t find any answers online at all haha

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Hi Brian, welcome. A level run is not necessary, but I would interrupt the flow of water across the run from the up-slope side with some kind of drainage to divert water away from the run. Level coop ground isn't even necessary; just use blocks or posts to level the coop.

 

[aart]

Could cause a few issues, or not.
My mesh roofed run is on a slight slope, guessing maybe 8-12" over 30'.
Hard rains can push bedding down slope, but so can just the birds scratching around.
Whether you have a solid roof on run and/or run-off patterns around coop can make a difference.
Not a foolish question at all.
It's good to think about this stuff before you build, lots of ways to deal with it.

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @B-Sfam .
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[B-Sfam]

We are up in The Canadian prairies. I was planning on a solid roof over the run too so we can collect rain water. Thanks for the info! I was kind of worried when I saw everyone else having a level coop and then I would look at my yard and see the amount of extra work that would add

 

[aart]

We are up in The Canadian prairies. I was planning on a solid roof over the run too so we can collect rain water. Thanks for the info! I was kind of worried when I saw everyone else having a level coop and the. I would look at my yard and see the amount of extra work that would add

Having a roof should help with run off, and snow(build it strong!).
But also look around the run location, might need some trenches or berms to keep it out of run. Some of this is hard to predict, often the best way to find and fix is in the pouring rain.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Most coops/runs you see are on level ground simply because it's an easier built with fewer issues, so for those of us who have the option, it's just a better choice. But there's a few runs I've seen on here that are built on a slope, so not an impossible task.

The main thing you want to look at is drainage in the site. Optimally the spot you're looking at is sloped in a way that water would drain away from the site. Coops can be elevated to help with that, but water sitting in a run is problematic, so if there are drainage issues you want to find a solution for that before you begin any build.

 

[B-Sfam]

It should in theory all run away from the run. The coop I was planning on building raised up so the chickens would get more running room under as well. I will for sure have to watch how it drains over time and maybe look at adding drainage. Thanks for the info everyone! I’ll post pics when I complete the build which will be in quite a few months yet.

 

[Henry&Friends]

You can build it there, but you’ll want your coop on the upper end of the slope, facing down the slope. My coop’s on the lower end facing up, and water pools there. The mud stays no matter how dry it is, and I almost fall every morning when I let my chickens out. The top crust freezes, but if you step in the wrong spot you’ll sink right down into the mud.