Finding the perfect spot for your chicken coop can make or break your backyard chicken experience. Trust me, I’ve made some pretty terrible chicken coop location choices in my time! Each mistake taught me something new about what works and what definitely doesn’t.
Whether you’re a first-time chicken keeper or looking to relocate your existing coop I’m going to share everything I’ve learned about where to place a chicken coop for happy chickens and an easy chicken-keeping life.
Why Chicken Coop Placement Matters
Before we dive into the specifics, let’s talk about why location is so important The right placement can
- Make daily care much easier for you
- Keep your chickens healthier and happier
- Prevent conflicts with neighbors
- Protect your flock from predators
- Help manage seasonal weather challenges
I once placed a coop too close to my house and regretted it when summer came around. The smell and flies were… well let’s just say it wasn’t ideal! Another time I blocked off access to part of my yard by poor coop placement. These mistakes are easily avoidable with some planning.
12 Essential Tips for Placing Your Chicken Coop
1. Follow Local Regulations First
Before you do anything else, check your local laws and HOA regulations. Some areas require chicken coops to be a specific distance from property lines or dwellings. These requirements can range from 10 feet to 100 feet!
You should also find out if you need a building permit for your coop. Nothing’s worse than building the perfect coop only to discover it’s a bit too big to be legal in your area.
2. Find the Sweet Spot Distance from Your House
I recommend placing your coop about 25-30 feet from your house. This distance is close enough to make daily care convenient but far enough to avoid some common issues.
Too close to your house and you’ll have to deal with:
- Farm-y smells wafting into your home
- Flies hanging around your patio
- The enthusiastic “egg song” right outside your bedroom window
Too far from your house and:
- Daily chores become a hassle
- You can’t easily check on your flock
- You might not hear predator problems at night
One night, I heard a commotion from my coop and was able to run off a raccoon that had arrived before I locked the hens up. If my coop had been too far away, I wouldn’t have heard it!
3. Consider Your Neighbors
Be considerate when choosing your coop location. Your neighbors might not share your enthusiasm for backyard chickens, especially if the coop blocks their view or the chickens are too noisy.
If possible, place your coop away from shared property lines and try to position it where it won’t be an eyesore for neighbors.
4. Plan for Sun and Shade
Chickens need both sun and shade, depending on the season and time of day. A deciduous tree can be the perfect spot for your coop because it:
- Provides cooling shade during hot summer afternoons
- Allows warming sunlight during winter when leaves are gone
- Offers some protection from hawks
In the northern hemisphere, placing windows on the south-facing side of your coop will allow more warming sunlight during cold winter days.
5. Consider Drainage and Ground Conditions
I’ve made the mistake of placing a coop in a low spot that turned into a mud pit every spring. Don’t repeat my error!
Good drainage is essential for chicken health. Parasites like coccidiosis thrive in damp conditions, so a well-drained area is crucial.
The ground should also be level, especially if you’re putting in a concrete base. A good option is to place concrete just around the perimeter where the walls sit, giving your birds the benefits of being on the ground while making your coop more secure and longer-lasting.
6. Think About Wind Patterns
In most of the United States, winds generally blow west to east. You can use this to your advantage by:
- Placing ventilation on east and west walls for cooling summer breezes
- Blocking northern winds during winter
- Creating a windbreak with strategic landscaping or structures
Your property might have unique wind patterns due to topography, so observe your yard’s specific conditions before deciding.
7. Consider Access to Utilities
Think about practical matters like:
- How far you’ll need to carry water to fill waterers
- Access to electricity if you want to use automatic doors, heating, or lighting
- Where you’ll store feed and bedding
Making these tasks easier will make you a happier chicken keeper!
8. Create an Entertainment Zone
One of the joys of keeping chickens is watching their entertaining antics. Place your coop where you can see it from a favorite window or create a seating area nearby. I love sipping my morning coffee while watching my chickens scratch and peck around their run. It’s surprisingly relaxing!
9. Check for Toxic Plants and Hazards
If your chickens will have a foraging area or day pen, make sure there are no toxic plants within reach. Some common garden plants can be harmful to chickens.
Also, keep your coop away from:
- Compost piles (they attract rats)
- Natural water features (can increase risk of bird flu from wild birds)
- Areas with poor predator protection
10. Consider Microclimates in Your Yard
Your yard likely has several microclimates – areas with slightly different temperature, sun exposure, and wind conditions. For example:
- Low spots tend to be colder, foggier, and muddier
- Higher spots may be windier but get more sun
- South-facing slopes warm quickly in winter
- North-facing slopes stay cooler in summer
Take time to observe these patterns in your yard before choosing your coop location.
11. Think About Mobility
If you’re not sure about committing to one location, consider a chicken tractor! These portable coops let you move your chickens around your yard, which has several benefits:
- Chickens get access to fresh vegetation and bugs
- You can place them in shade during summer and sun during winter
- They fertilize different areas of your yard
- You can test different locations before building a permanent coop
12. Plan for Beauty and Integration
Your chicken coop doesn’t have to be an eyesore! Consider how to integrate it into your landscape design:
- Use attractive landscaping around the coop
- Create nice paths to and from the coop
- Consider how the coop looks from different viewpoints in your yard
- Plant beneficial plants nearby that chickens enjoy
Real-World Examples: Location Successes and Failures
My Worst Coop Location Mistake
I once placed a coop in what seemed like the perfect spot – under a beautiful shade tree with good protection from predators. What I didn’t realize was that this spot turned into a swamp every spring when the snow melted! My poor chickens were wading through mud for weeks, and I had to completely relocate the coop.
My Best Coop Location Success
My current coop is about 30 feet from my back door, slightly elevated on a gentle slope for good drainage, with a deciduous tree providing perfect seasonal shade. I can see it from my kitchen window, it’s close enough for easy chores, but far enough that I don’t smell it or have flies near the house. The run extends into an area with good natural foraging, and I’ve created a little seating area where I can enjoy watching the chickens.
Final Thoughts on Coop Placement
Choosing where to put your chicken coop might seem overwhelming with so many factors to consider, but it’s worth taking the time to find the right spot. A well-placed coop makes chicken keeping more enjoyable for you and creates a better environment for your flock.
Remember that chickens are pretty adaptable creatures, so don’t stress too much if you can’t find the absolutely perfect spot. Use these guidelines to find the best location for your specific property and situation.
Have you placed a chicken coop in your yard? Where did you put it, and how has that worked out for you? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
Looking for more backyard chicken advice? Check out my other articles on chicken coops, predator protection, and raising healthy chickens. Happy chicken keeping!
Part 2: Things to avoid with your chicken coop
In a lot of suburban yards, you won’t have a lot of options for where to put your chicken coop. This is especially the case if you need a large coop and run.
But it is still worth considering the things you need to avoid when situating your chicken coop
Some local councils have laws about how close a chicken coop can be to your boundary or house. Some areas also have different laws depending on if you are near a school or other public space, so check with your council first.
Even if your council doesn’t specify, keeping chickens away from your neighbours is the considerate thing to do!
Chickens can be noisy, especially if you have a rooster. You dont want the coop right next to the house, and neither do your neighbours. Nobody wants someone elses chickens messing up their garden, either!
Here are a few things that should not be inside the coop or run:
- Gardens, including the veggie patch, flowers and herbs
- Children’s play areas (cubbies, lawns, sandpits etc.)
- Fruiting plants where chickens can reach the fruit, e.g. blueberries, or where you don’t want chickens to eat fallen fruit, e.g. passionfruit
- Compost bins
- Outdoor entertainment areas and verandas
- Steep slopes or any other area where erosion is an issue
- Damp areas such as drainage ditches
- Young trees or those with delicate root systems (without protection, anyway)
Although watching your chickens forage from the veranda is lovely, most people dont appreciate their chickens pooing on the veranda!
There are other reasons why the chicken coop should be at least a few metres from the house: while unlikely, parasites like bird mites and lice, can spread a couple of metres if left untreated; plus chickens can be noisy!
Ideally, you want the coop just close enough to benefit from your protection in the case of a predator, and so it is easy to visit a couple times a day.
Where to put your chicken coop
The best place for a chicken coop in your backyard will be different from the best place in my yard, or even in your neighbours yard. This is because every backyard is different and you will have different things to work around, like trees and buildings. Even the type of coop you choose will influence where you should put it.
In order to help you choose the best place for your chicken coop, we have broken down the planning into 3 sections. Work through the sections in order to choose the best place for a chicken coop in your yard.
In short, you want a sunny, sheltered, well-drained spot that isnt too far from the house and that avoids gardens and play areas. Read on to learn more.
Chicken Coop Placement & Exterior Set-up | Williams-Sonoma
FAQ
How far away should a chicken coop be from a house?
A chicken coop should be placed far enough from your house to avoid noise, odor, and pest issues, but close enough for easy daily care and cleaning. Local ordinances often require a specific distance, such as 25-50 feet, so always check your local city and county regulations before deciding on a location. Consider factors like accessibility for chores, visibility for entertainment and safety, potential predator access, and the location of your neighbors’ property lines.
Should a chicken coop be in the sun or shade?
Chickens get very uncomfortable in warm and hot weather
The reason most chicken coops should be built in the shade, if possible, is because chickens tend to really struggle with the heat. A cool coop in the summer is, in most cases, more important than a warm coop in the winter.
Where is the best place to keep a chicken coop?
Chicken coops should be on high ground so they don’t flood, get mired in mud or suffer too much moisture.Feb 15, 2023
Which direction should my chicken coop face?