Anchoring a coop

[MiaS]

Hi all, total newbie here. I'm looking at building my first chicken coop this spring and I have a question about the base material. I see that many use concrete pavers, concrete block or footings but others do not. In Canada prudence would dictate that a foundation was poured to prevent warping over time with the frost heave that we get with winter. I'm not quite so worried about warping as I am the wind in my area. I'm at the top of a hill in the Alberta foothills and we can get some pretty tremendous wind up here. To the point where the occasional horse shelter goes for a little skip-to-my-lou across a field. So, I'm wondering if there are any suggestions for anchoring a coop? Any ideas?

 

[DobieLover]

Hi all, total newbie here. I'm looking at building my first chicken coop this spring and I have a question about the base material. I see that many use concrete pavers, concrete block or footings but others do not. In Canada prudence would dictate that a foundation was poured to prevent warping over time with the frost heave that we get with winter. I'm not quite so worried about warping as I am the wind in my area. I'm at the top of a hill in the Alberta foothills and we can get some pretty tremendous wind up here. To the point where the occasional horse shelter goes for a little skip-to-my-lou across a field. So, I'm wondering if there are any suggestions for anchoring a coop? Any ideas?

Welcome to BYC!
what is the square footage of the coop you want to build?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Welcome to byc!! So glad you could join the Flock! Let me know if you need anything! what dimensions?

 

[MiaS]

Welcome to BYC!
what is the square footage of the coop you want to build?

I'm looking at a 4' x 6' raised coop with a 16' - 18' (total) run.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I'm looking at a 4' x 6' raised coop with a 16' - 18' (total) run.

maybe @aart can help?

 

[DobieLover]

I'm looking at a 4' x 6' raised coop with a 16' - 18' (total) run.

If you are concerned with your coop going airborne, I would dig 4 holes down to the frost line in your area and pour piers with anchor bolts embedded in the concrete centered where your 4x4 posts will be for the coop legs. Then install 1" standoff post bases attached to the embedded bolt and start building off that. The coop won't go anywhere.

 

[MiaS]

If you are concerned with your coop going airborne, I would dig 4 holes down to the frost line in your area and pour piers with anchor bolts embedded in the concrete centered where your 4x4 posts will be for the coop legs. Then install 1" standoff post bases attached to the embedded bolt and start building off that. The coop won't go anywhere.

My other thought was to use screw piles, we did that with a large cedar pergola which so far (thank goodness!) has stayed put. I'm just wondering if it's overkill.

 

[DobieLover]

My other thought was to use screw piles, we did that with a large cedar pergola which so far (thank goodness!) has stayed put. I'm just wondering if it's overkill.

I tend to overbuild to ensure I won't have issues down the road. I do not think it's overkill.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I just did a check, the frost line in Calgary, Alberta was given as 6' to 10'. I was thinking more like 4 feet. Wow! Getting down to the frost line can be a challenge. And for a little 4' x 6' raised coop. I don't know what your standard practices are for piling or how much that would cost.

You say your concern is not with warping due to frost heave but from wind blowing it away. You could pour what I would call a gravity foundation. Basically a reinforced concrete pad heavy enough to withstand the wind. I don't know how thick it would have to be. I'd expect 90 mile per hour winds could happen.

Would the wind only come from one direction? You could put some type of anchor on the upwind side and run run cable to the coop to provide support. That cable would be in your way of mowing or just walking around the area. A definite downside. But guy lines are proven technology.

Since it is only a 4x6 coop I'd consider putting two piling down to the frost line to use as a foundation and build the coop on top of those. As long as you build it robustly it should be OK. Putting 4 piling down to the frost line would be better but two may be good enough. The cost difference may be less than I imagine.

I think your run will probably be something like 6' x 16'. I'd want the corner posts to also sink to the frost line. I don't now how you plan to build the run, how solid the sides will be or if you plan to put a top on it. A solid top would be more likely to go flying than your coop, more wind surface area. Even if everything is wire snow and ice can catch a lot of wind, let alone leaves or other trash that may blow against it and get stuck. Not knowing how you will build the run I'd think your intermediate posts probably don't have to go to the frost line, though it would not hurt.

 

[MiaS]

I think I've found my solution! These are similar to a screw pile but can be done by the home owner. To me another advantage is that if someone needed to remove the coop, say if I sell the house, these could be easily removed.



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