How big "Hoop Coop"?

[21hens-incharge]

Correct I had no ridge purlin and mine withstood several heavy wet deep spring snows.

That said mine was only 8x8.

 

[Molpet]

My hoop coops have a center 2x4 running down the middle. The largest is 8x24 with a center support at 12ft, the across middle, I had a door there so I can make it into 2 sections. They are covered with clearish tarps. The snow tends to slide off, especially with the turkeys jumping up there. The first year I would bang on the top from the inside to encourage the snow to slide off. But haven't been doing that the last couple years.
I have had 2ft snow storms. Usually about 3ft for the winter.

 

[raingarden]

A purlin at the peak is good. A purlin part way down the side wall will cause problems. A little bit of water or snow or leaf litter accumulting above the purlin causs the plastic cover to sag. This make a bowl that collects more and more weight causing more and more sagging until the whole structure collapses. I've seen it happen more than once.

Without a purlin on the side wall, the sagging cover will make the angle steeper instead of bowl-shaped.

 

[Blooie]

Our hoop run in summer. We did add one more panel the following spring, but that’s the only structural change we’ve ever made.

No supports except the steel fence posts driven into the ground. This was take a few years ago during a typical Wyoming winter.

I just now snapped this one. Yep, we’ve had an unusually mild winter here in the northern part of Wyoming. (Excuse the mess - we just built a new home on our property and stuff is still pretty scattered around)

We built this run over 7 years ago. It has never needed a single repair or modification (although we did enlarge it by one panel to accommodate a larger flock), despite wild Wyoming weather. A couple of Januarys ago we had an official National Weather Service report of a 90 mph gust during a wind event where sustained winds were 60mph.

We’ve found that our run flexes with the weather instead of being stiff and fighting it. Since the fence posts are on the outside of the structure, pressure is exerted outwards against them.

I no longer have chickens. But the area around the run, the fence we put up for them to free range without threat from our dogs, and the clutter surrounding it will be all be cleaned up and we’ll use the hoop run as a place to park the lawn mower and tiller as well as for a greenhouse. I mean, it’s still as sturdy and strong as it was 7 years ago, so why waste it?

 

[Molpet]

I no longer have chickens.

you need to get chickens again

 

[Blooie]

you need to get chickens again

Nope. “Awww done wif a chickins” as Kendra would say. Some 70+ year old folks have no problem wading through hiney-high snow in 30 below weather, or doing heavy work when it’s 100 degrees to take care of them. I freely and without shame admit that I ain’t one of them!

 

[Sueby]

I have 2 hoop houses, both covered with HD plastic. They have held up to over a foot of snow without blinking an eye. I have no supports at all, just a couple pieces of rebar holding them in. I would imagine they can support a lot more than that 14 inches of snow we got without any issues.

& I get them at Tractor Supply.

 

[aart]

Much of the strength depends on what livestock panel you use.
Cattle panels are much weaker than hog panels.
Any measure of snow supported is meaningless unless the panels are shown(or defined by gauge and spacing of rods.

 

[21hens-incharge]

These are what mine was built from.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h

 

[Blooie]

Shoot, @aart - I have no idea. We went to Linton’s Big R and bought what was on sale! I could go out and look - we built so long ago I don’t remember now - but it’s cold out there and I’m a wimp!