Experiences With Hoop Coops?

[JCaseyHammond]

My hoop coop is two cattle panels, covered in chicken wire, and hardware cloth. It has worked beautifully for years, though I've added tarps on top of older tarps that have cracked in the Texas heat over the years (going on 5 years with the same coop.

A few things:

1. I cover the entire top of my coop and the sides with a heavy duty tarp during the winter and for rainy season - if not the shavings at the front get nasty and it spreads throughout the coop. The entire front is open for ventilation.

2. I had old pieces of plastic siding that I strapped to the bottoms for more permanent sides for 2 reasons, a) weather proofing as wind was blowing rain in the sides under the edges of the tarp and b) predator issues.

3. I've never had an issue with a chicken getting attacked in the hoop coop, but I lost ALL m my ducks to raccoons while they were in the coop. Coons will put their hands through the mesh and pull the heads of the ducks (probably chickens too if they weren't roosting) through....it was an AWFUL scene to walk into. So....if you have ducks or lower roosts make sure you have protection.

I’m sorry to hear about those racoons. Do you feel like posting a pic of your hoop coop? I’m playing with a bunch of 8 footer “handy panels” from TSC trying to decide 3, 4 or 5 panels per coop, whether low tractor or upright aviary, and tube, box vs. pyramid shape.

 

[HaywardHomestead]

I’m sorry to hear about those racoons. Do you feel like posting a pic of your hoop coop? I’m playing with a bunch of 8 footer “handy panels” from TSC trying to decide 3, 4 or 5 panels per coop, whether low tractor or upright aviary, and tube, box vs. pyramid shape.

I will try and remember to take a picture of the coop when I get home from work, but this video shows basically what I did.

 

[JCaseyHammond]

I will try and remember to take a picture of the coop when I get home from work, but this video shows basically what I did.

Beautiful video! Elegant solution, thanks for posting! Answered some questions about how to build the ends. I’m trying for a broody coop I can take apart and load in my truck. I’ve already clipped rabbit wire and half-inch hardware cloth to the sides. Hoping it’s predator-proof once the frame comes together.

 

[ms_aeb]

I have built a low hoop coop that’s lightweight and has wheels to easily move. It’s 8’x10’ using 10’ pvc arches. Full length roosts. Nest boxes, waterer, and hanging feeder are on wheeled end to put weight over the wheels. Has hardware cloth in lower sides, chicken wire on top. Electric fence all the way around the base. It’s worked great these past few months to keep them secure and regularly on new pasture. I’ll be building another or two soon for a breeding pen and grow out pen.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have built a low hoop coop that’s lightweight and has wheels to easily move. It’s 8’x10’ using 10’ pvc arches. Full length roosts. Nest boxes, waterer, and hanging feeder are on wheeled end to put weight over the wheels. Has hardware cloth in lower sides, chicken wire on top. Electric fence all the way around the base. It’s worked great these past few months to keep them secure and regularly on new pasture. I’ll be building another or two soon for a breeding pen and grow out pen.

View attachment 2554906

You should make a coop page article about your build.

How do you access the birds if you need to get in deeper than you can reach through the door? (I'm currently pondering meat bird options).

 

[JCaseyHammond]

I have built a low hoop coop that’s lightweight and has wheels to easily move. It’s 8’x10’ using 10’ pvc arches. Full length roosts. Nest boxes, waterer, and hanging feeder are on wheeled end to put weight over the wheels. Has hardware cloth in lower sides, chicken wire on top. Electric fence all the way around the base. It’s worked great these past few months to keep them secure and regularly on new pasture. I’ll be building another or two soon for a breeding pen and grow out pen.

View attachment 2554906

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing

 

[ms_aeb]

You should make a coop page article about your build.

How do you access the birds if you need to get in deeper than you can reach through the door? (I'm currently pondering meat bird options).

If an chicken was injured, I’d push the tractor to where I could reach. Building it and later modifying it, I simply picked up the light and propped it up so I could walk under it and work then. It’s 3’ off the ground at the center. For meat birds that dont need high roosts, the corner braces would function as roosts. Hang feed and water at the wheel end. Or use troughs and remove before rolling to new pasture.

@3KillerBs - *edit - I figure it out! Thank you for the suggestion* How do I make an article? I thought about doing step by step instructions when I make the second one and sharing those since it’ll included little details like drilling pockets into the wood to seat the pvc,

 

[3KillerBs]

@3KillerBs - *edit - I figure it out! Thank you for the suggestion* How do I make an article? I thought about doing step by step instructions when I make the second one and sharing those since it’ll included little details like drilling pockets into the wood to seat the pvc,

If you click the "Articles" tab there is a green button at the top that says "Add Article". Then when you're creating the article you can create in the "Small Coops" category.

I would love to have the step-by-step for a useful, small tractor like this.

 

[Sally PB]

Oh yeah, me too!

 

[ms_aeb]

If you click the "Articles" tab there is a green button at the top that says "Add Article". Then when you're creating the article you can create in the "Small Coops" category.

I would love to have the step-by-step for a useful, small tractor like this.

Article is created and located in the “tractor coop” section! Doesn’t have strep by step instructions but does have a bunch of photos! Maybe I can do the step by step instructions on the next one I build