#1, Legality. Check your local laws in re: setbacks, distance from occupied structures, etc.
#2, Drainage. Don't put it anywhere that water pools during rainstorms or where water runs through it. Not only are dry chickens healthy chickens, but dampness fosters odor.
#3, Shade if available. If it's not available you'll need to supply it.
#4, Your convenience. The easier it is to tend your chickens the better.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/
P.S. Take good care of your foot injury. I can speak from experience that things which don't seem so bad when they happen can turn into a lingering problem.
Good post.
My main criteria is drainage. Some of that may depend in your soil type, sand drains better than clay. If water drains away from the area you should be OK. If water drains to the area and especially stands it will almost certainly stink at some point and can be unhealthy, let alone a wet muddy mess to work in.
I don't care how much people tell you that it won't stink, they are not the one that has to live with it if it does, you are. Some stink, some don't. Keeping it dry is your best defense against it stinking, that's not just drainage but drainage is a huge part. It involves keeping water out and getting moisture out if it does get in. It involves poop management, you don't want poop to build up. I'll include this link, the best time to fix a problem is before you have one.
How To Fix A Muddy Run Chicken Coop | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens
Why do you consider the south side the best place to put your window? When I was in Northwest Arkansas I had one regular window on my 8' x 12' coop. It was on the north side. I'm mainly interested in why you think the south side is a must.
To me drainage is the one issue that can be really hard to fix. Anything else can be managed. If drainage is equal, my next criteria in location is convenience to you. Where are you going to store feed and where will you get water? In Missouri you will have weather that the chickens can pretty much be outside every day of the year, very few exceptions. You will see some freezing weather and maybe some snow so think about the water issue. You will probably be going out there at least twice a day, sometimes in the dark to feed, water, and collect eggs, probably lock them up at night and let them out in the morning. Will you be wading through running water if it is raining. Do you plan to run electricity out there? If they are loud, would the noise bother you?
Anything beyond this is going to be contingent on how many chickens you will have, how you plan to manage them, what your coop looks like, and so forth.
