Hoop Houses -Plus and Minuses

[MontgomeryTX]

Looks good. That would be good for the winter here.

 

[3 NH reds]

I ended up using a "clear " plastic sheet. I have rhubarb and garlic planted right behind it and still wanted some light. I welded the sections together and I was wondering how others had joined the cattle panel together. The Cornish look happy in there and healthy, I give them ACV water to play it safe and Iran electric fence around them to keep them safe. Solar electric fence is great.

 

[Beekissed]

I just use some sturdy zip ties and they have held up in wind, rain, sun and snow for the past 3 years and STILL are giving me fits when I try to cut them off....wish I had invented zip ties. And cattle panels.

I'll tell you just how tough they are...I have a set of slender zip ties, one on each corner of my current tarp. I use the zips to hook to push in fencing stakes to keep my sides elevated for more shade and air. The plastic push in stakes are very sturdy but the plastic tabs on them have not outlasted those slender little zip ties and I've had to change out the stakes over the years due to those tabs breaking off, but still have the same zips on the grommets there. They are constantly being tugged about in the wind, when I readjust the stakes, when I raise or lower or move the tarp about....but they are still the original 3 yr old zip ties under constant stress as I pull those sides tight and push in those stakes.

 

[3 NH reds]

Guess I just can't help making things more than needed so welding it was. Cornish are growing already and they love the nipple waterer, I added a second 2 liter bottle and it was used in 10 seconds. Cattle panel rule but the looks we got taking it home in the truck bed were priceless.

 

[Beekissed]

Same here! Then someone here mentioned hauling them curled up on their sides and that sounds so much better than the hooped up version of the haul....gonna try that next time.

 

[ChcknNurse]

we thought that was the easiest part! (4 panels on the smaller coop and 5 on our turkey coop)


we used metal strapping (the strapping with all the holes in it used for hanging plumbing pipe) and made "hinges" to attach the panels to the 2X4's.. then just lifted up the other end and placed it inside the frame. When we build the next one I'll be sure to take pics !

Do you have a pic?

 

[PapaChaz]

glad to see this thread! I just built my run out of cattle panels.

Ok so this thread is a couple years old but was active for most of that. For those who were cutting the fence with a sawzall and having to deal with the vibrations, you can cut it with an average size bolt cutter and none of that shaking.

Also, I popped a chalk line down the two by's that I used for a frame, put a few screws per panel in and then stand the cattle panel up on one end of it, and bend it over and set it on the screws on the other side. One person can do this quite easily if you pick the panel up and get under it as you lay it flat on your head and you are somewhat in the middle.

Also, whatever you're wrapping it with, go ahead an cut it to fit the panel, a couple of zip ties on each end. Put the panel in place, cut the zip ties and slide your HC or chicken wire together and wire all of it together at the same time.







the 2x4 nailed across the end was temp until I got the posts set and attached another 2x from the edge to the post, then built the gate you see in the top pic. I do have some landscape cloth to put on instead of a tarp, I just haven't gotten to it yet

 

[cowchipss]

One more thing...when you wire the hardware cloth to the cattle panels, be sure you have the wire "tails" on the inside of the hoop coop. Otherwise, when you drag the tarp across the panels, the wire ends will either poke through the tarp (creating leaks) or even tear it is it gets windblown.

I spent hours today bending all the wires to the inside before putting on the new tarp....

. It was cold & drizzly and my fingers were numb.

This is great advice! I'm getting ready to put hardware cloth on my first hoop coop. I'm rereading this thread because it had so much great info when I was originally researching designs for cattle panel hoop coops. Now that I've built the main frame and am adding the finishing touches, this information has new meaning!

 

[azotter]

I am looking to expand my chicken breeds and need more coops this is an awesome idea cause I could hook misters to it in the summer to keep the girls cool