Help With Coop Design Please

[MamaChic21]

I have to relocated the chicken/duck run. Because it's in a bad place. It accumulates mud in and all around the chicken run.I'm only limited to certain area due to the wind and sun position. The ideal place for them, unfortunately has 2 huge trees and a hill, so It's very difficult and challenging to cover the top. They need a small roofed area and the rest covered with chicken wire. Since the run is kind of tilted due to the small hill, I've put sand, pine chips,hay, and covered one area where the rain comes from and even put stepping stones inside because when I go inside the run, I step on the mud knowing my foot won't come back easily.

My husband says wait until spring but he also said that this winter will be worst then last year (last year, we didn't have chickens). I don't know what to do anymore :-(

any suggestion will be greatly appriciated.

You can visit my BYC page for photo's

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
I took a look at your your BYC page, you got lots of options for relocation of the coop/run. Take a look at my BYC page. My Coop windows are facing South and West to get the Winter Sun in, during the summer the leaves shade the coop. I also have the Run and my Garden share a fence, so when I'm done with the garden in the fall, I let the chickens in the garden to clean it up for me. I don't have a cover over the run (too large), but I do recommend planting fruit trees in the run to assist feeding the chickens. As for predators------yes, you will always be battling them.

 

[True Grit]

Out coop is on a slope and DH dug a very casual sort of shallow trench on the uphill side to help direct the water around it. There is also a lot of vegetation, trees etc around the coop which absorbs surface water. I guess I'm not clear on why large trees are a problem...