Run touches house... bad idea?

[WYOwhy]

I'm planning my new permanent coop and run for my three truly urban chickens (still babies). I live in a residential neighborhood and my dream run uses my side yard next to the nice neighbors (which was my temporary run for the 18 chicks I raised this summer). I'm thinking if I use pretty green corrugated tin and continue my roof line out an extra 4 feet, then I can drop down hardware cloth or chicken wire and tie into the neighbor's fence so that my run is long and skinny and tall and covered. Two sides would be bordered by fence and wire, one side would be bordered by my house (right under both bedroom windows) and the last side would be the coop and human-size gate.

But when I look at pictures of all your runs and coops, nobody else seems to be touching their house - or even this close to their house. Did I miss the memo? Is it a bad idea to have your chickens so close to you? Is using my side yard going to negatively affect my neighbors?

I could use the corner of the yard between the garage and alley, but I don't know those neighbors as well and I don't want to risk angry calls to the city complaining about chickens in city limits. (Our laws are pretty vague on the subject; I'm confident I'm not breaking them, but I am certainly bending the norms.)

Location, location, location. What do you think?

All advice appreciated!

 

[welasharon]

Biggest issue I would think would be smell. You will have to be very deligent in cleaning after them.

 

[cjdmashley]

our run runs off the side or our coop. husband even put perches (big chunck of log skin) off the side of the coop. they have a hatch we open and close, which helps keep the early morning noise of our roosters quiet until we open them at 7

has worked great for us
good luck!!!

 

[PineappleMama]

I've seen pics of ones that folks have tacked onto their homes... donno if I can find them, they're usually called the same "our new coop" and "our new run" like any non-attached one is... but they do exist. Hopefully someone who recalls one, or has one will chime in.

Only thing I can think of is the smell factor, that's why many places have rules about pens being close to neighbor's homes... but if you're keeping yours clean then that shouldn't be an issue for you.

Hope that helped... and I'll try and see if maybe in my own posts there's one about an attached I can refer you to.

 

[carrlr]

Ok, I'm trying to picture this in my head. Would you be able to clean your windws? Smell could be an issue, even if you keep it clean. Like say on a rainy days. Are you planning to not open those windows? How close to the neightbors house. would you be violating any ordinance in regards to easements. One good thing is you won't have to weed up against your house.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
That bit is worrisome. Is it truly their fence? If it is, you may have a problem down the road.

 

[WYOwhy]

So, what I'm hearing is smell is my number one problem with this idea. Does a covered run for three hens really get that smelly? I'm in the high desert of Wyoming, it doesn't rain much here. Snow and wind and hot dry days with cold nights are more likely weather conditions. My neighbors and I, both, keep open our windows that face that side yard. Maybe behind the garage is better - lower profile and less likely to annoy... hmmmm.

Thanks! I'll head back to the drawing board and see what other ideas come to me.

 

[BWKatz]

I would think if u used sand and also covered the run it would eliminate odor I have seen coops & runs next to the house , under decks & off decks. I have my coop in my garage w/o odor . It is doable.

 

[WYOwhy]

Now as I'm thinking and planning, I'm wondering about height. Are chickens happier when they have taller runs with perches/roosts in them? I see some pre-fab runs that are only 36" tall. Is that really tall enough?

This really shouldn't be hard to figure out; I think I'm making it harder than necessary. I just want to spoil my chickens and keep them happy. Did anyone else have trouble picking location and design for their coop and run?

 

[jellybean]

I have my duck run built by the house, along our office. This was partly out of laziness, as our winters are very cold and very snowy, and we get major winds that drift us in. The benefit here is I place the heated water bucket and food dish under my office window, so I can lean out and dump in water and food when it's a very cold morning and I don't want to get all bundled up to go outside just yet. Or if I'm sick, etc. this works well. It's also the only spot on our place with a decent windbreak. This is important in winter, as otherwise the pen could be buried under 5 feet of snow overnight.