Coop distance from the house?

[CptCluck]

I'm looking at building a coop, I'm thinking about making it moveable. will probably do a sand bottom. Do these tend to smell? I had chickens as a kid and I can't remember if they smelled or not... we're talking 6 hens max.

thank you

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Chicken poop doesn't really smell all that bad UNLESS it's wet. I know a lot of people use sand in the run, but not typically in the coop.

Check your town ordinances with regard to distance from house. Some have requirements that the coop be a certain distance from houses and property lines.

 

[allpeepedout]

Any smell at all is my signal it's time to scoop poop in the roost area for my small flock of 7 (poop boards TBD). But I can go several weeks between limited cleanings and there's no noticeable odor. I am lucky to have a fairly large size coop and run for the number of birds, concrete floor, great ventilation, and a covered run with a loose clay base they churn around daily to help keep things dry. Layering in bedding in spots periodically is helpful.

 

[Ole rooster]

I have sand in the coop and dirt in the run. The odor of chicken poop is worse when it's wet for sure, but it's rather pungent when it first exits. But to hold down any odor I clean the coop every morning. Once it's collected and buried in the garden everything's just as sweet and puppies breath.

 

[wekiva bird]

If the bedding get wet you will have a smell. Keep it dry and clean very little smell.

 

[CptCluck]

Thank you everyone!

 

[reksat]

Just to be on the safe side, If it does start to smell, I put my coop approx: 100ft from the house on the opposite side of prevailing winds.This way i wont get a wiff.

 

[Back on the Farm]

I have my coop downwind of my house. I also have it close enough so that I can go out in all kinds of weather to take care of the girls without too much difficulty, but far enough away so that I don't feel like I'm living in the barn. I use the deep litter method with wood shavings and haven't had too many issues with smell. The only time it smells is if the litter gets wet from rain, which is rare for me. Occasionally, I'll have a storm come in from a different direction and then the rain comes in through my pop-door and vent - when this happens, I have to do a total clean out of the wet shavings.