Legs to support a 6x4x5 coop?

[tacothechicken]

Hey guys I'm starting on the adult coop for our silkies as they are currently in our old duck coop. I need it 20" off the ground so the birds can shelter under it and to stay above flood water here in Texas. Are pine 2x4s suitable or will I need to do full 4x4s to get proper support? It's being built out of fence boards so the wieght shouldn't be horrible but it will have a plywood floor and support up to 8 birds and roosts etc. Can I just do 4 legs as normal or should I have a center support on bottom to prevent bowing?

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is my 4' x 8' Grow-out coop, supported by treated 2x4 posts. Untreated wood will rot pretty quickly. My concern was not about the posts being able to support the weight but to make sure it was fastened to the posts so wind could not blow it off.

I attached 2x4's on edge at the top sides of the posts to level it and to provide support form bending.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Are you going to be putting it on dirt or on concrete? If it's going to be on dirt/grass ect I suggest not going with wood. We have our lifted about 14inches off of the ground with concrete bricks. I think the wood would rot quickly, especially if you have any flooding (which if you do tou dont want to put your coop and run there anyways)

 

[tacothechicken]

@Mamatomany123 on concrete blocks where we are in texas everything floods...unless you want to pay for a million dollar property you can either risk flooding or get a house that doesn't flood but a yard that does. We're in a area most resistant to flooding and still get 6 inches in 3 days easy. They're still gonna have a week or two a year where they'll have at least 2 inches in at least some of their run. I plan to layer whith mulch to absorb most of it but they'll still be dealing with some wetness. There is no way to avoid it. We have our pigeon loft on concrete blocks but they won't be tall enough for our chickens coop I don't think, if I want them to be able to hang out underneath.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

@Mamatomany123 on concrete blocks where we are in texas everything floods...unless you want to pay for a million dollar property you can either risk flooding or get a house that doesn't flood but a yard that does. We're in a area most resistant to flooding and still get 6 inches in 3 days easy. They're still gonna have a week or two a year where they'll have at least 2 inches in at least some of their run. I plan to layer whith mulch to absorb most of it but they'll still be dealing with some wetness. There is no way to avoid it. We have our pigeon loft on concrete blocks but they won't be tall enough for our chickens coop I don't think, if I want them to be able to hang out underneath.

I personally would use 4x4. You can’t really go overboard with support, and it sure is annoying to have to go back and add more.

 

[tacothechicken]

Flooding standard for our yard

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Flooding standard for our yard
View attachment 2381627

Wowza that would feel overwhelming to have to deal with

 

[3KillerBs]

If flooding is a recurring problem then I don't think that wood is a particularly good option -- unless you used the marine grade stuff the is meant for building docks.

Because of our issues with rot in a hot, humid climate and the many wood-destroying insects in this area my DH is planning on using sonotubes to create concrete pillars when we move and re-mount the Little Monitor Coop.

He intends to cast the supports in place with mounting hardware set into the top.