Choosing the Right Site for Your Chicken Shed

How to Choose the Right Chicken Shed (Chicken Coop) Location

Before beginning construction on your poultry housing you need to put some thought into where it will be located. Picking out the correct site is one of those often overlooked, but very important tasks.

Without proper consideration it’s very easy to make a mistake when it comes to the location of your chicken shed. And choosing the wrong site can make all the difference between being a success or a failure as a small flock owner. Picking an inadequate site can lead to disease, diminished egg production, unclean eggs, and many other negative consequences.

There are several important items that must be considered before choosing a location. These aren’t the only factors, but they are certainly the most important. These include drainage, air movement, and water supply.

Good soil drainage is certainly one of the most important items because poor drainage will lead to wet litter, dirty eggs, and disease. Chickens roaming around in mud will result in decreased health for your birds and an increase in diseases. And washing the filth off of every egg to make it presentable will soon get tiresome.

Locate your poultry housing where the winds won’t blow the odor toward your home. When you’ve spent a full day cooking a fine meal for your family or special guests the last thing you want is an unwanted aroma spoiling the meal.

Always think with an eye to the future. Even if you’re not planning on expanding your operation in the future it’s always possible that you could change your mind at some point in time. Locate your housing in an area where there is room to expand if you should ever wish to do so. Having no room for expansion will limit your options in the future.

Access is also important. The site you choose should be easily accessible to you, but should also have other conveniences in the area. Being able to provide electricity so that lights and other electrical necessities can be used can be very helpful. The lights will help you keep production at a high level even when there isn’t enough sunlight in a day to keep your hens laying eggs regularly. And water is extremely important. Even small chicken growers can install automatic watering systems if a faucet is close. Plus, water will also aid in cleanup.

If the ground slopes be sure to build your chicken shed on the highest ground. Locating it at the bottom of a slope where seepage can occur is not a wise choice. If the housing is situated on sloping ground any water drainage should be away from and not toward the structure. If the water drains toward your structure you will have to dig some type of ditch to divert the water away from your housing.

In areas where the winters are severe the chicken house should be facing south for maximum sun exposure. This will help keep the shed warmer and the litter dryer which will also help everything stay cleaner.

Cleanup is also important. Maintaining a dry, clean, aerated environment for your birds will not only keep your chickens healthier and more productive, it will attract fewer mice, rats, and flies, and will reduce odors. And speaking of rodents, one good way to keep these pesky creatures out of the feed bags is to store the feed in large 5 or 6 gallon buckets. This will keep it dry, clean, and out of the reach of rodents that can eat it and produce droppings in it.