In need of help with run and coop litter help

[aart]

I might add...

Hurricane Sandy dropped a huge tree across my run, literally splintering the perimeter supports after bouncing off my indestructible previously reinforced 45+ year old shed/coop

. Thankfully no lives were lost, and the 2x3 fencing used for the run's roof remained intact, keeping everyone safe from predators during the time it took to remove the tree, rebuild, and reinforce.

That said, I tend to over engineer, as I despise having to do anything twice. I spend a lot more downtime thinking than doing, and my time is limited.

1x4 splintered boards were replaced with 2x6 planking recycled from a neighbor's deck replacement, same hurricane...different tree.

I do get snow, no where near as some, but it can stay on the ground for weeks at a time.

Seems my group will not step on anything white...they would rather stay "cooped up" for weeks then touch the white stuff.

The reinforced run perimeter now supports strips of landscape fabric during the snow months, keeping anything white off the ground, but allowing a natural melt on the flat run roof fencing. No issues with snow load, even if in excess of 12 feet... I had plenty of wood to work with

.

Point is, Landscape Fabric works wonderfully for an outdoor run roof when snow is an issue. Just calculate your snow load accordingly.

Hope this helps someone out there...

UmmErrrr.....Got a pics of landscape strips holding up 12 feet of snowload?

 

[RonP]

UmmErrrr.....Got a pics of landscape strips holding up 12 feet of snowload?

No I sure don't...thankfully.

Designed for the next tree fall, my run now could support over 700 pounds per square foot, ...

That is about the same dead weight of 12 feet of snow...

Reality, never had more than a foot or so. No issues at all with that.

 

[bigern26]

2 years ago in my area we had some of the worse snow fall in years. By Feb. I had 3.5' of snow on my roof and by the end of March I had 4 to 5 feet in the yard.
I know of about 30 shed, home, barn, and misc. roofs that collapsed. I dont think that could hold 12 feet of snow..... At least our WI snow. Your snow out there must be like
fairy dust

 

[RonP]

2 years ago in my area we had some of the worse snow fall in years. By Feb. I had 3.5' of snow on my roof and by the end of March I had 4 to 5 feet in the yard.
I know of about 30 shed, home, barn, and misc. roofs that collapsed. I dont think that could hold 12 feet of snow..... At least our WI snow. Your snow out there must be like
fairy dust

Sorry, I did not mean to imply we have ever had 12 feet of snow...not in my lifetime.

Just that my run could support over 700 pound per square foot dead load.

Most roofs are designed here for ~ 40 pounds per square.

As a rule of thumb, saturated snow weighs approximately 20 pounds per cubic foot. The moisture content of snow can range from approximately 1% to 33%, which relates to snow potentially weighing from 1 pound per cubic foot (fairy dust) to over 21 pounds per cubic foot. 2 feet of dense snow could potentially cause a collapse on some roofs here, especially if combined with some ice.

I designed for tree/branch falls, not snow falls.

Again, sorry if I misrepresented.

 

[bigern26]

Sorry, I did not mean to imply we have ever had 12 feet of snow...not in my lifetime.

Just that my run could support over 700 pound per square foot dead load.

Most roofs are designed here for ~ 40 pounds per square.

As a rule of thumb, saturated snow weighs approximately 20 pounds per cubic foot. The moisture content of snow can range from approximately 1% to 33%, which relates to snow potentially weighing from 1 pound per cubic foot (fairy dust) to over 21 pounds per cubic foot. 2 feet of dense snow could potentially cause a collapse on some roofs here, especially if combined with some ice.

I designed for tree/branch falls, not snow falls.

Again, sorry if I misrepresented.

I know what you were meaning.... I was just messing with you

But I do appreciate all your help!!!

 

[aart]

Quote: I was kinda pickin on ya too.

Would like to see how the landscape fabric is attached to, it makes sense that it would allow melting snow to leak thru......
......but the snow often doesn't melt around me and bigern26 before it is feet deep.....then it gets really heavy.

 

[RonP]

I kinda knew you all were ribbing me, but you never know who else reads this years from now, and might get a wrong idea.

I simply lay scrap 2x4 on top of the fabric to keep it in place.

As my run roof is flat, this works just fine.

End of season, take boards off and roll up fabric.

I use Scotts 25 year product.

2 seasons later, still looks new.

$19.99 for 150 feet. Will probably outlive me...

As snow compresses into ice, you must add 5.2 lbs for each 1-inch of ice depth!

Adds up quick...6 inches of ice weighs over 30 pounds...

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I'm in southern NY so we get to s of snow. This is our first year with chickens. We built our coop out of 2×6 lumber and our run out of saplings from our property. It saved a lot of money by using essentially free wood. Its not perfect yet but it's safe. We had an old trampoline mat in the barn so we threw it over 1/2 the run which is 16×20 . The girls LOVE our drizzly days. They spend hours catching bugs and dodging rain drops.

 

[aart]

I kinda knew you all were ribbing me, but you never know who else reads this years from now, and might get a wrong idea.

I simply lay scrap 2x4 on top of the fabric to keep it in place.

As my run roof is flat, this works just fine.

End of season, take boards off and roll up fabric.

I use Scotts 25 year product.

2 seasons later, still looks new.

$19.99 for 150 feet. Will probably outlive me...

As snow compresses into ice, you must add 5.2 lbs for each 1-inch of ice depth!

Adds up quick...6 inches of ice weighs over 30 pounds...

So what's the fabric laying on.... wire?
That must be well attached....somethings built like a brick $**** house to hold up much snow/ice without collapsing.

 

[RonP]

So what's the fabric laying on.... wire?
That must be well attached....somethings built like a brick $**** house to hold up much snow/ice without collapsing.

The sides and roof of my run have 2"x3" fencing as a primary barrier and 2' apron, all tied into as if 1 piece.

The bottom sides have 1/2" hardware cloth 2 feet up to stop prying little raccoon hands.

Run is by design 14Lx14Wx 4 feet high.

Horizontal supports are 2x6 spaced 18" on center.

Lateral supports also 2x6x4, all recycled decking destroyed by hurricane (neighbors loss).

Having 4 foot laterals increases load support substantially.

I have large trees waiting to fall on my run...

I did not want to cut the trees, so I built my run expecting to take another hit sometime, besides, I had plenty of free lumber.

My coop took a direct hit which bounced off, and destroyed the previous run... top 20 feet of a 60 foot oak, over 5 foot diameter base. The tree just snapped...so did my run.

Fortunately, I reinforced the coop prior to the hurricane and only lost some shingles.