Is ur coop close or far away from your house ?

[MamaChic21]

I've got myself in problem I don't know how to come out of it. We've converted dog kennel for a chicken run and covered the top and put a shed and a chicken coop to accommodate 3 ducks and 21 chickens. The problem is we couldn't have put it in the worse spot possible. It's right in bewteen 2 small hills, so when it rains, it's pouring inside the coop. I've tried sand, pine chips and hay but last time it rained, it looked like a river inside the coop and about 2-3 inched of water gushing right thru it.

I've got the option of re-locating their coop/run. But, I've got a huge yard, if I put it closer to the house, some say, it's too close and it ruins how your house looks. If I put it futher away, then it's too far and when it snows, it's very difficult to get around it for me to feed them. If I put it up in that hill, the only trees in the backyard is there and it's a problem to cover them up with chicken wire. If I do portable, their all too small for 3 ducks and 21 chickens. What shall I do ? Now, if you can look at my BYC page, I've got some pic's there so you'll know what I'm talking about. I've posted similiar topics for this and I haven't found a solution yet !!! Keep in mind, I'm the only one in this new development that is raising ducks and chickens. By law, I'm allowed to have them. The rest of the neighbors ALL have dogs (we do too ) Our house use to be a model house of the development and it's the 2nd house they'll see from the street, so I want it to be in a place that is closer to me but also not too close that it won't be eye soaring.

I really appriciate any feedbacks, Thanks

http://www.arcondevelopmentllc.com/

 

[bburn]

I would make it look as much like your house as possible...siding, color...even type of window. And then I would call it good and put it where you want it. LOL....mine is less than 20 feet from my bedroom window....the other just past that one and the other just past that one. Rooster in each one! SOMEONE starts crowing at 4am.....and it is never the same one!

I say as long as it looks nice in a neighborhood they need to be proud you cared enough to make it look good. Plant flowers and shrubs around it in the spring. I live in the country and mine looks just like I live in the country and a barn fell down and we salvaged what we could to build it. And I love it!!

 

[MamaChic21]

the front of my house are stones and siding on the sides and back. How do I do stones ? I did check on the internet if they have coops or even sheds that have a stone look and couldn't find any. If one to build, god knows how much it will cost. The current coop area, I can look at it from my bedroom bathroom. If I put it on the other side closer to home and visible from the driveway, then I must go to the guest room to see them. But there are advantaged and disadvantes of all the places I've considered. You would think with all the big yard I would have the perfect spot for them, not true

. This has affected my dailey routine I call it my life. Hubby is complaing that I care more about the chicks then I do of him. Not true

I just can't find the solution, that's why I'm constantly at war with myself to come up with a place to put them, so everybody is happy (chicks, ducks, hubby, kids and me oh yeah, the neighbors too)

 

[MamaChic21]

how many coops do you have ?? LOL

 

[chkn]

I like mine close enough so I can hear them if there's a problem, especially at night. Also, figure you'll be going out there all the time so it might as well be convenient.

 

[MamaChic21]

I agree and it makes sense. I love to sit next in or outside of the run and just watch them for hours. It's a great method to relieve some stress.

 

[MamaChic21]

How about putting wheels under the shed and the chicken coop ? Putting it in different places for the season ?

 

[joebryant]

Have you considered hiring a couple of teenage boys to dig channels to carry the water away from the location; maybe they could build a slight ridge to direct the water away with what they dig out of the channels. High school boys make great cheap slaves, especially if they have a date coming up that they have to pay for.

 

[MamaChic21]

you know I thought I've figure it all out, up until I've checked you BYC page and I just fell in love

and made me think how I could do that

your chicken coop/run is very beautiful

 

[patandchickens]

The best two options I can see are either:

a) wait til a drier season when you can get a dump truck in there and then buy a great big dumpload of roadbase or some other cheap aggregate like that -- like, a coupla hundred dollars worth -- move the coop temporarily, deposit the aggregate and spread it out into a raised pad a yard or two larger on each side than the coop and run, and then site the coop and run on that, to keep the birds up out of floodwaters and runoff;

or

b) move the coop closer to the house and tart it up real good in a Martha Stewart-y way, so it looks all yuppie and nice

If you cruise peoples' coop pages you will find a wonderful array of really spiff upscale looking setups, some of them based on fairly utilitarian and humble "bones", so it can most certainly be done. Planting some ornamental shrubs/vines/flowers around it will also help.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat