Is traditional framing necessary?

[U_Stormcrow]

Stormcrow, you don't have snow to worry about, although you do have winds, at least. And of course a, 8'x 10' ft. structure, or smaller, isn't the same as something spanning 2x or 3x the distances when framing, and maybe 2' or 3' of snow.
But too flimsy is still not a good thing!
Mary

Even an 8x8 coop - bigger than many BYC'ers build - with my minimal framing will have at least 5 vertical 2x4s on any given wall. Under optimal conditions, a single 2x4 will support about 1,000# under vertical load.

A 2x6 roof rafter, 24" OC, southern pine, standard grade with a 10 psf dead load (the figure usually used for shingle roofs, not the much lighter "tin roof" construction I favor), with a 40 psf snow load is allowed a 9' span on the old tables (which I have handy). Snow, fwiw, is usually given an avg weight of 1.25# per square foot, so 40 PSF is about 3' of snow accumulation, or a bit more than 2' of "wet, heavy" snow (1.66psf per inch depth). Those tables are not to point of failure, merely to the point they exceed desired deflection (in this case, 0.3")

Using a gable, rather than shed-style (single slope) roof, allows 2x4 framing at similar spacing, and similar loads.

I'm confident in my numbers.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I

So I see lots of people with construction experience framing walls like they are building a house, with a sole plate and then studs perpendicular to create a space as if we were gonna be running plumbing and wiring and stuff through there. But then I see other coops on Youtube and also CarolinaCoops where they frame it not in a traditional way at all, more like run panels stuck together. Any reason I need to frame my 10ftx8ft coop like a house? attaching pics for interest and to show what I mean of the different types.
View attachment 2962256

Agree I have a 4x8 coop . It's raised with slanted roof and all walls were 16" studs. Never have to worry about person on roof, snow load, proper attachment of siding etc. Floor was 24" on center and used a thick piece of plywood for flooring . Always better to build beefed up in my opinion.

 

[RogerChicken]

Among many other options, one could consider a cast-in-place concrete building. Thomas Edison built some houses with the technique back in the day, and none of them collapsed, as far as I know. But I haven't tried this myself.

 

[Ted Brown]

I don't know but I suspect that the OP was interested in options that were more economical that post and beam or cast in place concrete.

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't know but I suspect that the OP was interested in options that were more economical that post and beam or cast in place concrete.

If I had to go economical with minimal use of lumber I'd go for a hoop coop and the inherent strength of the arch.

But I come from a family with a history of over-engineering. My Dad figured that anything not built to last 100 years was a temporary make-do.

Then I married into a family with members who were actual engineers -- my BIL worked at the Atlanta airport.

 

[Ted Brown]

If I had to go economical with minimal use of lumber I'd go for a hoop coop and the inherent strength of the arch.

The strength of a hoop comes from compressive pressures achieved through the curve and, usually, stone or masonry.

Most hoop coops are welded wire panels or pcv pipe. Neither of these have the strength to support snow loads.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

The strength of a hoop comes from compressive pressures achieved through the curve and, usually, stone or masonry.

Most hoop coops are welded wire panels or pcv pipe. Neither of these have the strength to support snow loads.

That's a strong statement to make, given the number of photos which exist of hoop coops buried in snow (ventilation, of course, a completely seperate issue).

Hoop scoops *may* support snow loads, depending upon a large number of factors, most of which can't be easily looked up on a span table - and contingent, of course, on the ability of whatever is securing them to the ground to keep their bottom edges from spreading apart, flattening the arch until failure.

It also depends on one's climate - the depth and nature of the snow it will be forced to carry until steps can be taken in mitigation.

Would not be my first choice, particularly given the lack of an easy engineering look up, but not an "always no".

 

[saysfaa]

I don't know but I suspect that the OP was interested in options that were more economical that post and beam or cast in place concrete.

Post and beam or modified timber frame can be economical. Quite a lot of people have trees or saplings to cut or access to decks being replaced or similar sources of posts or beams.

Round wood (as in neither sapwood or heartwood fibers of the tree are cut) is enough stronger that much smaller diameters are needed for the same load. Saplings will work for chicken coop sized buildings (6x10, 8x12, 8x16 woods coops, for example). True timber frame takes either/both a lot of time or a lot of skill but modifying with metal fasteners like how most decks are built doesn't.

 

[Ted Brown]

@U_Stormcrow @saysfaa I stand corrected.

I am in the middle of a 12" dump of snow, we typically get ice rain through the winters adding many pounds of weight to the snow load. It influences my opinions.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@U_Stormcrow @saysfaa I stand corrected.

I am in the middle of a 12" dump of snow, we typically get ice rain through the winters adding many pounds of weight to the snow load. It influences my opinions.

I don't know Quebec Canada at all (beyond the ability to find it on a map) - I'm perfectly willing to concede that a hoop coop may be an "always no" in your climate and location. But what is true for you, or for me, is rarely true for all.