Looking for Advice: would you move the coop/run?

[Genipher]

I have a neighbor who, after some rough beginnings, has become a friend and a sort-of adopted grandma to my kids. She doesn't mind that we have chickens and goats but, on occasion, the smell wafts down to her house and she's quick to let me know about it. Thankfully, she isn't reporting me to the city but coming to me when there's an issue.

I recently cleaned out our coop and spread it in the run. Usually I cover it with dirt but I haven't had a chance. She's texted me twice this last week to ask me to fix it.

I'm on 1/3 an acre, on a hill, but our chicken run is right up against one of our 6' tall wooden fence that's closest to her house. Chose the spot because the chickens are able to use a section of our old garage as their "coop". It was a blessing to NOT have to build a coop but to have something ready-made and available. However...

I've been debating about moving the chickens to the other side of our yard, it's about 60' uphill, away from Grandma neighbor. That would put them closer to my Mini-Horse neighbor who also has chickens (which I can never smell) and she wouldn't care if ours gave off an odor on occasion. Grandma neighbor would still be downwind but the coop wouldn't be so close to her.

Do y'all think it would help to move the run and build a coop or would being on a hill cause just as much of an issue with wind carrying the smell? Would it make any difference at all to move everything? I really don't want to go through all the time and effort if I don't have to but I also want to be a good neighbor.


I've included a drawing which is probably all out of proportion. lol.
Gray are the fences (all 6' tall wood). Brown on the right is the current run, brown on the left is where I could move it.
N = neighbor's house (which is also across a short street), arrow represents the direction "uphill". Land basically slops gently from left to right. Oh, and a tree.

 

[perkolator]

It's your property and you can likely have it wherever you want....but think about being in your neighbors' position if it was you getting whiffs of the neighbors chicken poop

What is your bedding material and management for it in the coop and run? What are some approximate dimensions of the setup, number of chickens, etc?

Before relocating I'd be tempted to change or tinker with the bedding system to see if that does it

 

[Logar]

Before relocating I'd be tempted to change or tinker with the bedding system to see if that does it

2x

 

[aart]

No, I would not move the coop, I would improve your manure management as @perkolator suggests.

 

[Genipher]

I usually use pine shavings but this last clean out was hay, since the goats had been hanging with the chickens.

Generally doesn't smell unless I do a clean out. Suggestions on how to manage the smell when I clean things out? I've been covering everything with dirt but that's not a long term solution. Cover the run with fresh shavings after cleaning, maybe?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Do you have poop boards? Can you dispose of the leavings differently? Maybe throw them in the trash? Maybe clean out the coop once every two weeks as well as dispose of the leavings differently.

 

[Penpal]

You might as well move the coop. You don't say how many chickens you have or how much space they have. If you don't give the chickens any free range then all the manure is kept in one place. Ick. You can use electric netting and move your chickens around the coop & run. Rotational grazing. It's what I do.

 

[Paz]

I usually use pine shavings but this last clean out was hay, since the goats had been hanging with the chickens.

Generally doesn't smell unless I do a clean out. Suggestions on how to manage the smell when I clean things out? I've been covering everything with dirt but that's not a long term solution. Cover the run with fresh shavings after cleaning, maybe?

Well, the first suggestion would be not to throw all the freshly dug poop in the run right next to your naighbour, and rather scatter it all around the garden, under the trees or in a compost bin.
The second would be to use sand instead of shaving, and to just sweep/rake every week so nothing builds up.
I use sand in the closed and open parts of the coop, and dry leaves ounder their beds and in the nesting boxes.
Edit: many people are very against using sand in the coop, so I suggest you read and consider if it's right/ worth it for you.

 

[Genipher]

You might as well move the coop. You don't say how many chickens you have or how much space they have. If you don't give the chickens any free range then all the manure is kept in one place. Ick. You can use electric netting and move your chickens around the coop & run. Rotational grazing. It's what I do.

Oh, sorry. 10 hens with 10 extra chicks currently under a heat lamp. So eventually there will be 20.
The run is roughly 100' x 20' and i occasionally let them out to free range the 1/3 acre backyard.
I could do a more controlled rotational graze if I made another run on the other side of the yard.
In the coop I've been trying to do the layered bedding but recently cleaned out after we moved the goats, to get a "fresh" start.

 

[Genipher]

Well, the first suggestion would be not to throw all the freshly dug poop in the run right next to your naighbour, and rather scatter it all around the garden, under the trees or in a compost bin.
The second would be to use sand instead of shaving, and to just sweep/rake every week so nothing builds up.
I use sand in the closed and open parts of the coop, and dry leaves ounder their beds and in the nesting boxes.
Edit: many people are very against using sand in the coop, so I suggest you read and consider if it's right/ worth it for you.

I've thought about sand before. I'll have to think on it again.

Honestly, just raked everything out of the coop straight into the run because it was easy and the hens turn it over into compost pretty quickly.