sloped coop?

[sashurlow]

The piece of land that we hope to build the coop on is sloped. Not overly steep but definitely on an angle. The coop will end up being 16x4 with the long sides going uphill.
I've never seen a coop on sloped land. Is there a reason for this? I can't imagine any problems, but I don't own any chickens yet...
Thanks,
Scott

 

[only one lay]

are you sloping the inside? (Just to be sure on the right track)
sloped dirt is fine as they will dig at their at will anyway.

 

[patandchickens]

You don't want the indoor floor seriously sloped, if you can possibly avoid it. However you can easily build a raised coop (up on posts or blocks) on uneven ground.

And it is ok to have the run sloped if you must, although you will need it sloped AWAY from the coop [really truly] and the less slope the better, unless you have so much run area per chicken that few bare areas will form.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[cmom]

I agree. Maybe you can build a raised coop. Possibly incorporate the area under the coop into the birds run.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Do you have any pictures of the plot you want to put it on. I think I saw pictures a while back on here of someone having theirs on a slope. You can use 4x4's or 6x6's as stilts for the down sloped side.

 

[sashurlow]

Sorry... I did not mean sloped coop, I meant sloped run.
The coop will have to be raised off the ground and will be level but the run will be uphill. The reason for putting the coop downhill would be convenience for us.
Here are some pics...
This gives you an idea of the slope, it would be uphill from the barn to the far left.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/tbdesigns/house/house18_2_1.jpg
this is the actual plot. The plot is about 8ft wide but only 4ft of usable space. The brook is a non issue as the run will be on solid ground and not in the brook.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/tbdesigns/house/house2_2_1.jpg
I've simply never seen anybody use the sloped corner of their property for a coop/run and was wondering if there was a reason. On our property, this is the absolutely best spot for it (for us).
Thanks,
Scott

 

[Kansaseq]

As long as the coop/house is uphill of the run, I don't think it's a problem. If the coop is at the bottom of the hill below the run, you may end up with a muddy, poopy mess every time it rains.

 

[kipper]

Our land is ALL sloped, the assessors description was something like "rolling hills, slopes, and swails", so I understand your dilemma. We raised our chicken house on 4X4 posts sunk into the ground and designed it so the chickens can go under it to escape the rain and heat.

Our chicken yard is uphill from it, and this is fine for us. We live SW of Seattle in a rural area and get plenty of rain. Our soil is clay. Nice combo if you like muck and run off. We have a roofed "fortified" run for when we want them really safe (when they are out after dark) and other runs that connect to that one. All are covered in wire fencing due to eagles and climbing preditors. Our runs get wet, but everything does here. If your house is raised, it shouldn't be problem. The chickens avoid the rain like the plague.

I think you work with the best area you have. For you, it may be the area you have chosen. It is a little more complicated to build a sloped run, but not too bad. Your house is raised, so that damp shouldn't be an issue. Although we have some envy for those who get to build on flat land, we love where we live and would hate living on flat land. There is always a trade off. Good luck and enjoy your unique creation

 

[BroomFarm]

I'm not sure if you'll be able to see it well from the pictures on our homepage, but our coop is built on a slope, with the run(s) being downhill from the coop.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=30118

We raised the coop about 2' off the ground on concrete blocks and then ran sacrificial strips of wood to the ground, on the uphill side, so water does not run under the coop, even when it rains heavily. This wood was installed so that it can be easily replaced every year or two, when it rots out.

You'll notice their is a small run attached to the front of the coop and a larger one that connects to it. This was done so the nice artwork my DW painted on the front of the coop is viewable. Very pretty to look at, but it has made cleaning out beneath the coop and in that small run a real chore. If we did it over again, (or, added on, which is quite likely!

) we would rotate the coop 90 degrees and have a taller run that is easier to clean out.

Hope that helps as you make your decision and start building, but remember...it's really just a chicken coop! If there is any way you can buy a used mini-barn and level it out with 4X4's set in concrete, I would highly recommend doing so. That will save you time and money, plus get the whole project done a lot sooner.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I see your problem. I'd suggest trenching around the coop/run to keep water from flowing through and eroding the run. Or maybe building a dike/levee to deflect the water. I don't think it would have to be very high and you may have plenty of cheap building materials (rocks) laying around. You are not necessarily looking to completely stop the water going across but deflect what you can and take the energy out of what goes across (just slow it down so it does not erode the run). I think you will find that with a little time, enough dirt and debis will get caught in the rocks to keep practically all the water from flowing across. And I'm sure you plan to slope your coop roof so it drains to the brook, not through your run.