2 Hoop coop cattle panel questions

[Krugerrand]

Sadly, no. We were planning on being mid-build right now but the price of materials skyrocketed. We simply don't have the budget... we are debating building a single coop/run following this design and keeping it modular (ie, add on at our leisure) but we have an existing (subpar) setup the previous owner built that is, well, free.

We are sick of the old setup though, and are discussing biting the bullet and building it next month. Assuming lumber doesn't go up even more.

Free is tough to beat ... but it's not always perfect. Good luck!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hmmm, a lot to process. Our plans were on hold due to budget/inflation (and more, below), but I appreciate some of your cost saving measures. I just need to do more research on materials before commenting.

Regarding tops/protection, our primary predator seems to be hawks. There are a pair that circle the general area daily. Coyote are also in the area (hear them at night, sometimes) so we need to protect against them. And we need to keep rats out.

That said, despite the hawks, we are rethinking our needs - in part because of budget, in part because all of our neighbors free range. As such, we've been free ranging our chickens across our property as well (over an acre). This has been going mostly well... we are down one chicken, but its possible the goofball just got lost and taken in by another neighbor. One of our neighbors have never lost a chicken to a hawk, but has a sizable contingent of roosters keeping watch.

All this to say, with the rising cost of materials, it's become hard to justify building them such a compound when free ranging seems viable.

I free range mine - many aerial predators, and some ground based I (largely) deter with an electric fence.

I have losses, yes. A couple so far. But my chicks were either TSC-purchased common hatchery birds, or birds I incubated from those birds.
Takes a lot of $5 losses (the value of one of my birds, generously) to add up to one nice coop.

Any luck exploring Craigslist of similar to source pallets or other building materials on the "free" nearby pages?

 

[3KillerBs]

but we have an existing (subpar) setup the previous owner built that is, well, free.

Free is good. Which is why, despite my vow to never build a chicken coop I can't walk into I'm planning on brooding my coming chicks in a structure I can't quite stand up in.

 

[affacat]

I free range mine - many aerial predators, and some ground based I (largely) deter with an electric fence.

I have losses, yes. A couple so far. But my chicks were either TSC-purchased common hatchery birds, or birds I incubated from those birds.
Takes a lot of $5 losses (the value of one of my birds, generously) to add up to one nice coop.

Any luck exploring Craigslist of similar to source pallets or other building materials on the "free" nearby pages?

That's my basic dilemma too, now. And beyond cost, the chickens are visibly happier now that they free range an acre. They had a huge run before (basically 400 sq ft) for 10 chickens, but it was hay/dirt. They were safer, but... now they are happier. And we save on feed (we feed them half as much, and probably don't need to feed them at all)

So if we lose a couple a year to hawks... I'm not sure that is a problem for anyone but that specific chicken. We are about to expand our flock and add roosters, so that should solve other issues.

The biggest issue I see is a change to plans... my build plan let us easily separate flocks and we wanted a heritage breed... if they free range we can't easily corral populations.

There are probably fixes to that, though... when we want hatching eggs, just keep the heritage together in a private coop/run. But even then, we don't need an extravagant setup.

Honestly, I'm kind of sad.. I really liked the overall concept and was looking forward to building it. But it seems pointless (and pricey) to build something we don't need.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That's my basic dilemma too, now. And beyond cost, the chickens are visibly happier now that they free range an acre. They had a huge run before (basically 400 sq ft) for 10 chickens, but it was hay/dirt. They were safer, but... now they are happier. And we save on feed (we feed them half as much, and probably don't need to feed them at all)

So if we lose a couple a year to hawks... I'm not sure that is a problem for anyone but that specific chicken. We are about to expand our flock and add roosters, so that should solve other issues.

The biggest issue I see is a change to plans... my build plan let us easily separate flocks and we wanted a heritage breed... if they free range we can't easily corral populations.

There are probably fixes to that, though... when we want hatching eggs, just keep the heritage together in a private coop/run. But even then, we don't need an extravagant setup.

Honestly, I'm kind of sad.. I really liked the overall concept and was looking forward to building it. But it seems pointless (and pricey) to build something we don't need.

I have separate fenced runs where I overnight them - something that could be expanded to subdivide an acre - and my chicks don't jump the 4' fence - but they do jump on top of the 4' gate, and from there, into the other run, so....

If you go that route, plan on something taller than 4'

 

[Krugerrand]

That's my basic dilemma too, now. And beyond cost, the chickens are visibly happier now that they free range an acre. They had a huge run before (basically 400 sq ft) for 10 chickens, but it was hay/dirt. They were safer, but... now they are happier. And we save on feed (we feed them half as much, and probably don't need to feed them at all)

So if we lose a couple a year to hawks... I'm not sure that is a problem for anyone but that specific chicken. We are about to expand our flock and add roosters, so that should solve other issues.

The biggest issue I see is a change to plans... my build plan let us easily separate flocks and we wanted a heritage breed... if they free range we can't easily corral populations.

There are probably fixes to that, though... when we want hatching eggs, just keep the heritage together in a private coop/run. But even then, we don't need an extravagant setup.

Honestly, I'm kind of sad.. I really liked the overall concept and was looking forward to building it. But it seems pointless (and pricey) to build something we don't need.

Were you also considering rabbits? Where does that stand?

 

[affacat]

Were you also considering rabbits? Where does that stand?

Yes, we still plan on rabbits. I am sidetracked leveling ground for a large above ground pool (we thought we had it level, built it, and were wrong) and tilling for another garden... and next up is the first coop.

I am trying to figure out the best plans for an 8x12 coop... I am thinking Woods.

Then we will branch out two hoop runs from that. And then we will use that to build a rabbit colony off of, though if we to that in 2021 I'd be amazed at this point, everything is taking 3x times longer than normal.

 

[affacat]

Looks like this idea is back on the table, will post more soon.

If I have 32 foot runs of cattle panel hoop, and use wood for the bottom frame...

1)what lumber dimension should I use? Can i go simple with 2x4 pr do I need the weight of 4x4? 2x6?

2) living in the pnw, and knowing some of these hoops might have shade tarps, do I need to stake these down in any way to prevent wind issues? They will be 'capped' on each end by structures.

For round 1, we are building an 8x12 coop connected by a hoop run to a 8x12 three sided alpaca lean to.

 

[aart]

1)what lumber dimension should I use? Can i go simple with 2x4 pr do I need the weight of 4x4? 2x6?

2) living in the pnw, and knowing some of these hoops might have shade tarps, do I need to stake these down in any way to prevent wind issues? They will be 'capped' on each end by structures.

Will they be stationary?
Probably good to plan on staking them down.

 

[Krugerrand]

Looks like this idea is back on the table, will post more soon.

If I have 32 foot runs of cattle panel hoop, and use wood for the bottom frame...

1)what lumber dimension should I use? Can i go simple with 2x4 pr do I need the weight of 4x4? 2x6?

2) living in the pnw, and knowing some of these hoops might have shade tarps, do I need to stake these down in any way to prevent wind issues? They will be 'capped' on each end by structures.

For round 1, we are building an 8x12 coop connected by a hoop run to a 8x12 three sided alpaca lean to.

I'd go without any bottom framing. Just some steel T-posts and it won't go anywhere.

This is how Blooie did hers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cattle-panel.1140564/page-4#post-17913008

Here is mine: