Cattle Panel Roof Coop Plans

[Redhead Rae]

When I first saw the idea, I fell in love with the idea of a cattle panel coop as winter shelter for the chickens However, there are two problems with the mobile model of the coop that I have seen replicated so many times.

1. I'm a tall person (6'1"). In order to make a coop big enough to house all our birds We would either need to make it 50ft long, do 3-4 of them or have the span so wide that I can't get in easily. This is shown well in this diagram.
   
2. In the late winter, early spring we have some real wagon tipper winds whip through our hollow (valley). And I would be afraid that one of these coops would go flying in that sort of gale.

So I started thinking about more permanent versions of a cattle panel coop and came up with this idea.

It is a cinder block foundation (mortared together) on concrete footers. On top of the cinderblock will be wood nesting boxes and feeding areas that we can access outside the coop. NOTE, the top of the outside half of the nest box/feeding areas that is overhanging the block foundation is supposed to be sloped down and will have roofing material on it (the free CAD software I found didn't do any lines other than horizontal and vertical). The roof will be cattle panels over a 14 ft span covered with greenhouse plastic over the winter. The reason for this is because I want my chickens to be able to get natural sunlight if we need to leave them in during particularly bad weather. I also want to make half of the coop into 4 breeder pens. This way my breeder birds will stay warm, dry and most of all CLEAN. The cinder block foundation will have 3 interior walls that work to divide the coop as well as anchor points for the roof support trusses and ridgepole. The support posts will be cemented into the cinder block so they can't blow away. Is there anything in this design that I am not considering? Are the designs clear enough? Thanks in advance!

 

[Redhead Rae]

@Smuvers Farm @Molpet

You guys requested that I tag you when I created this thread.

 

[CapricornFarm]

People told me that the roof will be much stronger to bear snow load if you put a beam lengthwise down the center inside the cattle panels and attach to the ends. Or brace the outside. Like flying buttresses.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

 

[Redhead Rae]

People told me that the roof will be much stronger to bear snow load if you put a beam lengthwise down the center inside the cattle panels and attach to the ends. Or brace the outside. Like flying buttresses.

You can see I do have a ridgepole running down the center to brace against the snow. Are you talking about something different?

 

[CapricornFarm]

You can see I do have a ridgepole running down the center to brace against the snow. Are you talking about something different?

Nope, you got it covered. I did not know that was what was indicated. You got it, carry on !

 

[rjohns39]

 

[Molpet]

Looking good

@aart will like to see this

 

[aart]

Pretty thorough layout, nice!

Don't think that the catenary curve illustration is quite accurate when applied to livestock panels. It was shared on another thread yesterday, I didn't get a chance to fully lay it out to see how accurate it is, maybe later today, but have serious doubts.

Will look closer later but....
.... first thing that struck me why are the feed and nests up so high?
....and where are the roosts?
Major 'rule of thumb' is roosts are best ~12" above nests, and chickens like to eat off the ground, or close to it.

What about ventilation?
Will greenhouse plastic be sheeting or panels?
Will you cover with shade cloth in summer to avoid 'oven syndrome'?

Breeders don't get run access?

I assume your block will be open at all doorways?
Or are your legs long enough to step over 2'8"?

Maybe I'm not thinking far enough outside of the box.

 

[staceyj]