coop and pen location/concerns about odor.

[lastjuly]

hi friends,
i have a good back yard and several several location options for the coop. i'll have 4 hens.
• i have a large area behind an old carriage house that's already partially fenced but it's close to the neighbors' deck and i worry that there will be an odor that might bother them. there is no water or electricity back there either.
• the yard itself has several clear areas where i could build but i'm not sure if i want to take up such a large chunk of my lawn with a structure right out there in the middle of it.
• i have a huge deck that is 9 feet off the ground. this, i think would be ideal, as i could use the posts as framing and the bottom of the deck to pin some corrugated roof panels to. it's right outside the kitchen and has immediate access to water and electricity. but again, i worry about the odor. i'd hate to have folks over this summer for noodle salad and mai tais only to have the aroma of hen poop wafting about.
can you please advise me? perhaps assuage my concerns about the smell?
(i can't figure out how to easily access my thread, so i welcome direct email: [email protected])
thank you!

 

[chfite]

Using the deep litter method, keeping it turned, and plenty of ventilation will keep the odor to a minimum. My coop doesn't smell unless you open the door and stick your head down to the level of the litter.

Chris

 

[Rich386]

I would ck with my neighbor nothing worse than making an enemy out of them. They are chickens and if you don't stay on top of they stink same as a dog kennel.

 

[jobouss]

If you are in the city, you need to check the laws about chickens. My town has a rule about how far the chickens should be situated away from the neighbors. My neighbor beside us were more excited about our chickens than we were. They are an older couple and her husband is wheelchair bound. He can see the chickens from his back porch and he loves to sit out there and watch them. I said something about re-homing the 2 month old rooster ( I was concerned it would disturb them) and she was like "WHY?" lol. I have great neighbors!

 

[4 the Birds]

Odors are rarely the concern... More often than not it is the clucking and crowing that neighbors have a problem with. Keep the coop dry and well ventilated and you will not have any odor problems. I can barely smell my coop and it houses a couple dozen chickens! The location on or near your porch sounds ok since it has water and elec access but I am not sure about the 9ft above the ground.

Oh... and yes be sure that you can HAVE chickens in your area/neighborhood.

 

[lastjuly]

thanks you guys...as my chicks are growing, i'm still deciding. i checked with the city before i got them and thankfully there's no issue. i just have to make sure they aren't a nuisance, noise and odor-wise.

 

[CrazyPetunias]

When our chicks were small - oh so cute! But now, just 2 months later, they poo alot and smell alot.

My DH wanted to put our chicks right next to the house to help protect them from predators but now we decided next to the garden (200ft from house) was best spot. You don't want to be downwind of the coop if possible. Also, keep in mind how bad your winters/spring may be. You don't want to put your coop in a place that will get flooded or large snow drifts. Close enough for an extension cord if needed would be good too.