Hybrid Hoop Coop/DLM

[mraab]

I’ve been researching intensively for a month, trying to find a design that will meet the following criteria:

1. No digging required.
2. Predator proof.
3. Minimal cost.
4. Permeable foundation for drainage.
5. Open front for ventilation.

I’ve come up with a hoop coop on concrete deck footings.

What do you think? The drawing is rudimentary, I know, but I’d love to know your thoughts. It’s MUCH easier to adjust the plan before I start building than to reassemble the coop!

 

[123RedBeard]

I'd skip on the tarp ... and get some corrugated metal roofing ... not only will it last, it will help with structural strength ...

I haven't done a hoop coop, but my understanding is an 8' wide spacing, gives about 6' height ...

"Horse panels" are 5' X 16" ... with an even 4" X 4" wire mesh spacing ...

 

[kwhites634]

View attachment 1644570 I’ve been researching intensively for a month, trying to find a design that will meet the following criteria:

1. No digging required.
2. Predator proof.
3. Minimal cost.
4. Permeable foundation for drainage.
5. Open front for ventilation.

I’ve come up with a hoop coop on concrete deck footings.

What do you think? The drawing is rudimentary, I know, but I’d love to know your thoughts. It’s MUCH easier to adjust the plan before I start building than to reassemble the coop!

If the tarp doesn't go the full length, or all the way to the ground on both sides, I wouldn't think you'd need the vent.

 

[mraab]

I do plan to run the tarp all the way down the sides.

 

[mraab]

I'd skip on the tarp ... and get some corrugated metal roofing ... not only will it last, it will help with structural strength ...

I haven't done a hoop coop, but my understanding is an 8' wide spacing, gives about 6' height ...

"Horse panels" are 5' X 16" ... with an even 4" X 4" wire mesh spacing ...

This is my trial run coop. If I like it, I’ll do corrugated roofing in the future.

 

[aart]

I’ve come up with a hoop coop on concrete deck footings.

Why the concrete piers?
Gap at bottom could be predators in and chickens out.
Are both drawing yours?
What are your goals...laying chickens, meat birds?

Welcome to BYC!
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Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
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[mraab]

Good point about climate. I’m in southern NC. Lots of heat and humidity and periodic hurricane remnants.

The gap at the bottom is to make sure I can maintain good drainage. The meadow drains well but slowly, and we frequently get heavy rains or several days of rain in a row. The piers allow for drainage while also buying me a few extra inches for a deep litter system.

The pencil drawing is mine. I’m not great at it, but I tried to show an apron of hardware cloth that will surround the coop, run under the piers, double back on itself, and run up the sides/front/back of the coop.

The hoop coop diagram is from Karen Black and is available on Robert Plamondon’s website.

My chicken goals are pets that poop breakfast.

 

[aart]

Your drawing is fine, pretty good in fact.
I missed the note about HC apron.<blush>
....and I wondered about the 2 different configurations.

Not sure raising the coop will 'help' with drainage...is the idea that it will allow water to flow thru the coop? You want to avoid having any rain water at all in the coop.
Can be hard to assess just what needs to be done about water flow on a site.
Same goes for ventilation. Will it be in the shade?

I'd say go for it, build the hoop and see how it works out. It's a flexible design that can be moved if necessary.

 

[Maugwa]

View attachment 1644570 I’ve been researching intensively for a month, trying to find a design that will meet the following criteria:

1. No digging required.
2. Predator proof.
3. Minimal cost.
4. Permeable foundation for drainage.
5. Open front for ventilation.

I’ve come up with a hoop coop on concrete deck footings.

What do you think? The drawing is rudimentary, I know, but I’d love to know your thoughts. It’s MUCH easier to adjust the plan before I start building than to reassemble the coop!

I'm thinking of making one of these too. One thing I had considered that is a little different than what is in your drawing that I was thinking of was starting the back wall just the same as the front with what would look a lot like the same door frame, but not for a door. I like how the door frame header over the door can support the cattle panels at the end with the door and the header over the door can be shortened or lengthened, depending on how high or wide the top of the door is. I'd make both ends the same, but instead of another door on the other end, I'd use that second "door frame" in back to mount a double wide nesting box between, above ground level waist high, then I'd still have the area of the "not-really-a-door-frame", above the nesting box, to mount a window/ventilation screen in. I think it'd be handier than the diagonal supports in your drawing, and hardly use any more lumber. Also with the same door frame sides, front and back, it'd be pretty easy to attach a long roosting board(s) between them that would also add support between the end walls higher, other than just the lumber at the base.

 

[Maugwa]

BTW, I'm 6'3" tall and didn't want to be hunched over in a 6' tall run. I came up with the formula to figure out a width for mine. It's not exact unless you have a perfect half circle on top, but it is so close, within a half inch you can use it anyway.

If your coop were say 7' wide and the sides were perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other until the half circle began, 7' would be the diameter of that circle xPi (3.14) = 21.98'. Call that 22', but you are only using half the circle, 22' x 1/2 = 11'. If you take the 11' off of the 16' panel that you started with 16 ' - 11' = 5', you have five foot left, but you have two sides, 5' X 1/2 = 2.5', you have 2.5' feet left for each of parallel parts of the walls. So 2.5' up to the center of the circle plus the radius of a 7' diameter circle is 3.5' comes to 6'. But there is more. I used 2" x 6" skids on bottom, but temporarily tacked 2" x 4" (which are really 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" to them to rest the panels on before attaching to; 1. give me a level line that the panels could rest on while being stapled to the 2x6. 2. to get me above the 2x4s that I used for cross members, and 3. to give me that extra 3 1/2" in head room, or 6'3 1/2" total.

After rethinking it, I found that 8' wide came to 25.14, or a 12.57 circumference on my half circle (12.6' off of 16' leaves 3.4' and half of that is 1.7' or 1 3/4' = 21") The new radius, plus the 21", plus the 3 1/2" on the skids came to 6'1/2". I was still ducking when it was 6'3 1/2" unless I was smack dab dead center anyway, and after bumping my head enough when I wasn't, I found myself ducking out of habit anyway, so I took it all back to 8' in the end. If I'm going to duck anyway, why give up that foot of width, or in my 3 panel run, 12.5 '².

Maybe I wouldn't be ducking in a 6' wide run, that comes to 6'6 1/2", but only in the center, yet would cost me over 25'² of run. I'll duck.

For those of you that are not so tall, and or willing to duck even more, I get 9' wide = about 5'9 1/2 tall, and 10' wide = about 5'4" tall. These figures are all with the same 3 1/2" high starting point for the wire.

After a few inches beyond 10' wide you'll just come to a perfect half circle that's barely over 5', and from there on you'd need a new formula that considered slicing a circle. I haven't figured that one out yet. But I had considered side walls. 2' side walls ten feet apart with a half circle on top would get you back to 7' tall again. Something to think about, like a giant Suscovitch tractor with a cattle panel hoop coop on top. You'd have to beef it up and pull it with a tractor, but it'd work out in a field, and if you're going for the tractor anyway, you mind as well make it longer too.