GAH!!! or the Evolution of a Hoop Tractor. pix inside

[slystr]

Quote:
no. I live in the city and I had to go buy all the materials. I sure would have liked to recycled stuff but honestly I don't have the carpentry skills to build anything more elaborate than this.
Oh, I did use my camping tarps. that counts, right?

 

[edbama2]

I started building one yesterday and taking pictures as I go. I decided to try 1x4 for the frame. When doing this, I will have to add an extra cross beam on the floor half way down the hoop tractor. How it turns out will determine if the next one is 2x4s.

 

[slystr]

edbama2 I'd LOVE to see your work. Here is the final pix of my coop in it's "Final" resting place. I have to get the dog ties today and then eventually long screws to tie the spines to the frame. I live in the city and have a privacy fenced yard but I do anticipate visitors so I bought some cayote urine and DH has peed along the perimiter( I heard male urine works better than female. it's also easier to apply)
If the admin would like to use these pix on the main site that's cool with me, just let me know how you would like this written/cleaned up.

 

[slystr]

here is the latest tweek. I added hardware cloth at 2' all around the base of the tractor, put a second tarp over the top for more shade & rain protection and added the coup de grasse, the Delaware State flag for my Delaware birds( I'm a Delaware expat). Inside I set up a heat lamp and a wind break where they hunker down for the night. I'm pretty pleased so far.

this truly is an evolution!

 

[edbama2]

Very nice Slyster, excellent job. I have been busy cleaning house since the chics are outside now. I still have to finish the hoop tractor but time is on my side now. I have to find what breed will be happier in it.

 

[mudhen]

Hey, slystr, I've been following this and other posts about this great design of yours.
How did you finally resolve the door issue? I seem to have missed that..

 

[Wes in Tx]

Sly super nice job on the hoop house.

For those considering building one of these style coops there are eaiser things to use than PVC. You can use polyethylene pipe which comes in different colors and sizes. It is a type of water pipe which is normally black and also yellow which is used for gas pipe. There is also PEX pipe which is a newer type of polyethylene that is being put in most new houses these day. Both of the above are much eaiser to bend and will last longer in the sun that PVC. PVC after sometime in heat will become quite brittle and can be broken very easily.

Just some thoughts.

 

[slystr]

mudhen,
I made a door by fitting 2 elbow joints onto a 4'PVC pipe then taking a 10' pipe and bending it into a hoop shape then covering that with chix wire & hardware cloth. It is latched at the top with an elboe joint that turns up & down and at the bottom with a bungee cord.

 

[mudhen]

Thanks,slystr! Really a terrific design. I am definately going to copy your coop and make a couple that I can drag around my backyard this summer.
My only mod will be to add a hook at each end so I can attach to a chain on my garden mower to pull it around every few days.

 

[slystr]

I still need to make a nest box design for this. Perhaps you can think of a way to do that? I still have a few months to work on that though.