Moving the coop

[tsuya]

So with the rain season pretty much right upon us I was thinking of moving my coop so my hens have some dry places to hang out when it rains and they are not stuck in the coop in all day. The only thing is, the best place to move them is right next to the house! I don't mind them being there and they would have plenty of grass to feed on (actually they'd clear a garden bed for me) and they would be protected from the wind/rain. Is there anything I should be worried about, besides the smell, if I wanted to have the coop/run right behind my house for the winter? Their current spot is completely drenched and covered in mud and two of my poor chickens looked like wet sponges after the last downpour!

 

[sumi]

If you keep the coop clean and as dry as possible the smell wouldn't be an issue. They may be a bit noisy though, so if there are bedrooms in the part of the house next to which you are planning to place the coop you'll need to keep that in mind. What you can do to control the mud and water in the run is to throw a thick layer of sand it. That may be a better solution for you. Some more on that here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/823587/muddy-run-prevention-sand-gravel-advice

 

[tsuya]

Thanks! I will definitely ready up on that. We do keep the coop clean but sometimes we just can't get out there due to work schedules and the days getting shorter. I think my only problem would be getting out of the shower and seeing a chicken staring at me through the window!