When placing a chicken coop, a little pre-planning will definitely help to prevent problems later on. In addition to how the coop will look in your yard, think about what will keep your chickens happy.
In the heat of summer, a cool shady spot for your birds is ideal. If you have a nice shade tree under which you can place the chicken coop, then take advantage of it.
Another thing you will want to think about is the placement of the pophole (the bird entrance). Where I am at in Indiana, the bad weather always seems to blow in from the west or the north. For this reason, I would avoid placing the pophole in either of these directions, to prevent rain from directly blowing inside the coop.
For the same reason, I would also avoid facing any of the windows toward these directions. Ideally, the windows should be be located so that they coop is warmed by the afternoon sun. This will help keep it warmer when cooler weather comes.
You will also want to put it in a location that is easy for you to maintain. You will be at the coop daily, refilling feed and water, so you want to make sure that it is not situated too far out.
As you can see, placing a chicken coop is not difficult, but a little forethought does go a long way. A good set of chicken coop plans also helps!
photo credit: bucklava
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