EMT Run Design Questions

[shsesc]

Has anyone used EMT Electrical conduit for a run frame? I'm on a budget and will soon be walling in our prefab coop/run into a coop only, raising it off the ground and building a separate run.

I had seen PVC used, but I was wondering if EMT would be stronger and more durable in the long run.

I would be able to source 10ft sections of 1" or 1 1/4" and was thinking of using a hoop design.

I want to be able to walk into the run and clean it out.

Are there other considerations I'm not aware of?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Has anyone used EMT Electrical conduit for a run frame? I'm on a budget and will soon be walling in our prefab coop/run into a coop only, raising it off the ground and building a separate run.

I had seen PVC used, but I was wondering if EMT would be stronger and more durable in the long run.

I would be able to source 10ft sections of 1" or 1 1/4" and was thinking of using a hoop design.

I want to be able to walk into the run and clean it out.

Are there other considerations I'm not aware of?

1" or 1 1/4" emt will not be cheap. Grey electrical pipe in a hoop design should work great. Or Look/search for a 10x10ftx6ft chainlink dog kennel---I pick them up used for around $100 or less. They can be put up in 10 minutes, moved if wanted later in a few minutes, Very Strong and last maybe 30 years or more---with a little repair maybe 50 years??? Can be resold for all your money back in years to come. I bought my first 2 used in 1995 for $65 and $75----still using them and can sell either for $100 today if I wanted----but I do not want to sell---maybe buy a few more to go with the 70 plus pens I have already bought. They Make a Awesome chicken run----Pic of a few.

 

[aart]

I used 3/4 conduit for run 'rafters'.
Details on My Coop page.

 

[shsesc]

I decided for now to use 2 16ft cattle panels and some stakes I already had to make the run of at least 64sqft. I have 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth and 1/2"x 1" 16 guage wire mesh to put at the bottom to keep them safe.


I will keep my eye out for a dog kennel to use when I expand my flock.

 

[shsesc]

It came out only 6'x8' for now. 6 feet wide makes it tall enough to stand in. We have room to extend it and we will probably double it as soon as we have the money to do it right. Our girls are still small so I'd rather them be safe than have a little more room.

I'll need to figure out a door to the hoop run that is better than our current design of two Green T stakes facing away from each other and plywood between sliding up and down in the channel created.

What can I do for a door when I extend it? I'm looking for something easy to enter and secure but also simple and not too expensive.

 

[jolly wattles]

I would not use emt for a run. It's not outdoor rated. You would need to use galvanized (rigid) conduit which is pretty expensive.

 

[aart]

I would not use emt for a run. It's not outdoor rated. You would need to use galvanized (rigid) conduit which is pretty expensive.

The EMT I used for my run rafters is galvanized and holding up great after 4 years...
......you can't bend the rigid conduit.

 

[jolly wattles]

The EMT I used for my run rafters is galvanized and holding up great after 4 years...
......you can't bend the rigid conduit.

I can bend up to 3/4. Have a coworker that can do 1 in. But thankfully our shop has hydraulic benders.