Anchors for Prefab Coops

[llombardo]

What can be used to anchor these things? I'm not super handy, so pictures can be very helpful. Thanks.

 

[Dayrel]

A link to the specific model coop might be helpful. In my limited (1 coop) experience, I didn't need any form of anchor.

 

[llombardo]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...se-chicken-coop-up-to-8-chickens?cm_vc=-10005

 

[llombardo]

Im not sure I do either, but I see people recommend it. Every now and then we get high wind. I have had rabbit hutches out there for a year without issue. I want to cover all my bases.

 

[Dayrel]

OK. I have that exact coop. I turned mine into a chicken tractor and the underframe that I added is heavy enough that I've never been worried about wind. If you want to anchor it, it certainly wouldn't hurt anything. Any good garden store should have garden spikes which should be usable for ground anchors.

FYI- *All* commercial coops lie about capacity. I consider this one tight for three full sized chickens. 8 is an absolute joke. There is room to cram six on the two roosts in the main coop at night, but it doesn't have nearly enough coop/run space for 8. You might want to look at the following thread with an extensive discussion of this coop: TSC Coop/run modifications/design thoughts?

 

[llombardo]

I'm building an enclosure. Half way done with it. The coop will be for sleeping only.

 

[Toothpick]

I’ve got that exact coop myself. You’ll want to paint it to weather seal it. Any outdoor paint should be fine. I did nothing to mine and after 2 seasons it’s basically falling apart. I’m afraid to even move it.

I dug about 6 inches all around the coop and attached hardware cloth 6” up the coop and 6” in the ground. That is all that is anchoring it and it hasn’t blown over yet.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

How high of winds do you get?
We had that one and didn't anchor it. It is like 200 lbs or something like that. I would recommend either building a platform to keep it off of the ground or place it on landscape blocks (like the squares) to keep it off of the ground to prevent premature deterioration.
As well, a coat or two of Thompson's water seal will help. The maximum amount of chickens would be 4 and you might want to alter the roosts so they are up higher than the nest boxes.

 

[Dayrel]

We had that one and didn't anchor it. It is like 200 lbs or something like that. I would recommend either building a platform to keep it off of the ground or place it on landscape blocks (like the squares) to keep it off of the ground to prevent premature deterioration.

@Soon2BChixMom- In thinking about it further, I think a simpler solution would be just a simple rectangle of 2x4s (flat side on the ground) underneath the coop and attached with screws to the coop base would get if off the ground, protecting the coop base and helping to weigh it down. Sound reasonable?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@Soon2BChixMom- In thinking about it further, I think a simpler solution would be just a simple rectangle of 2x4s (flat side on the ground) underneath the coop and attached with screws to the coop base would get if off the ground, protecting the coop base and helping to weigh it down. Sound reasonable?

Sounds good to me. I had put mine up on landscape stepping stones that we weren't using. Then, added an apron and weighted down the apron with more stepping stones and rocks. Mine were circle in shape, but I was thinking the squares would work better. Of course to do it right, might want to prepare it with paver sand.
I know on the tsc site, the reviewers add pics and some of them show good bases - like the one you describe.