Coop in a rented house?

[mliston15]

Anyone have experience building a coop and raising chickens in a rented home/backyard?

Obviously we will get the landlords permission first but any other helpful thoughts, information, etc. Lay it on me!!

Thanks in advance!

 

[OkChickens]

I would find a used shed or build something that is portable to take with you when you move again! How many chickens are you wanting? What breeds? Large fowl or Bantams? Many choices! Don't forget about chicken math!

-Nate

 

[gryeyes]

I am a renter. My landlady has an acre, she lives in the front house and I rent the back house with a fenced back yard. She keeps 3 Barbados sheep which have free access to all of the acre with the exception of my fenced back yard.

She gave me permission to keep "a few chickens." This has snowballed over the past year into LOTS of chickens and several coops of different sizes. The chickens range freely over the entire acre (the landlady loves to watch 'em) but pretty much stay close to my house. The young ones are happy in the back yard and when I see them sneak around the house into the "front yard" area, I know they're getting comfortable.

I provide free eggs to my landlady. She also likes the duck eggs I add to the cartons sometimes. Yup, added two Cayuga ducks, and now have four call ducks in with the flock.

My suspicion is that I have a VERY special arrangement with my land-lady.... who also happens to work for the same agency as do I, and her cubicle is just across the aisle from mine.

 

[sheps4her]

I rent as well, and my landlord is very easy to work with. He has goats and chickens himself, so he feels that as long as we are taking care of the animals he is fine with what we have.

Just make sure you hold up your end and keep everything as you should, otherwise you will ruin the chance of the next person should you move.

 

[mliston15]

Quote:
Good idea. We are definitely looking towards the cheaper coop

I am thinking 3-5 chickens...?? No idea on the breed yet - there are so many choices. We are in a residential neighborhood but huge backyards (well huge in California standards!). I believe I read 2 sq ft per chicken for coop space and 10 sq ft per chicken for run area. Is that what you mean?

@gryeyes - lucky! Sounds like you do have quite a special situation!

@sheps4her - we definitely will not ruin any chances for anyone else. We try our best to be very respectful renters and neighbors!

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

We also are renters. Our poor poor landlord.

We never asked, or told him we planned on having chickens
we just built the coop, got the chickens, and one day SURPRISE! He walked around back and couldnt figure out how the coop got there. Didnt understand that we built it. That was about 3 or 4 yrs ago, and since we have added a chicken nursery, another coop, a coop in the driveway that is for sale, and a 20 foot shark in the yard.
He even asked us if we wanted some peacocks....so I dont think he really cares, as long as he doesnt have a empty house sitting.....because I dont think anyone else would ever live here.

 

[OkChickens]

Quote:
Good idea. We are definitely looking towards the cheaper coop

I am thinking 3-5 chickens...?? No idea on the breed yet - there are so many choices. We are in a residential neighborhood but huge backyards (well huge in California standards!). I believe I read 2 sq ft per chicken for coop space and 10 sq ft per chicken for run area. Is that what you mean?

@gryeyes - lucky! Sounds like you do have quite a special situation!

@sheps4her - we definitely will not ruin any chances for anyone else. We try our best to be very respectful renters and neighbors!

I would do atleast. 4 sq ft per bird in the coop and 10 or so in the run.

-Nate

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I rent and my landlady was actually the first to get chickens. She said we could get some too but I think she assumed we would house them with her birds. She lives next door, but I didn't want to go that route so I said I changed my mind and didn't want any chickens. Then, her husband showed up with two chicks for my kids and we were sold on the idea! Within a month we had built our own coop in our backyard and are now up to two coops with runs, various other "structures" (hutches, crates for youngsters, etc) and more brooders than I care to admit. Honestly, it looks pretty rustic out back...and not in a good way, but our neighbor/land "people" don't seem to care...and when we FINALLY get our tax money, we are going to redo everything with ideas from BYC!


I know our landlord/lady are okay with our chickens because they have us incubating eggs for them...heck, they bought me the incubator! Also, my landlord just told me about an hour ago that he had a huge plywood brooder to give me when I could come down to pick it up, lol

 

[jlgoinggreen]

Quote:
Hmmm.... I wish you luck on the only having 3-5 chickens. That was our original plan, but they become quite addicting. LOL Especially when you become part of this forum.

We are also live in a residential neighborhood with a big back yard and are renters. Our landlord has given us permission on keeping chickens as long as our neighbors don't complain. We just moved and haven't brought our chickens over yet as we still need to build their coop. My biggest fear is that we also like breeding so keep roosters. So far we have 2.

Have you checked on your county codes/laws pertaining to chickens?