Selling and going big -- 100+ chicken ideas

[Alabama Jack]

aart, looking for some feedback. The outside section of the run is 36' parallel to the barn and 16' away. We plan to put in 5 posts on the long parallel side, making 9' stretches. There will be one post going towards the barn 8 ft up from the parallel side, for each of the 5 posts. I was thinking about basically making a deck floor on top with 2x6 joists at 16'long, and a cross beam on top of the middle parallel row of beams supporting the middle of the 16' joists. On top of this we planned to make prefabbed frames for HWC that we could nail on top of the joists. Hope this makes sense. The "roof" will have about a 3/12 pitch. Should we do interior cross joists, the long way, at 4 or 8 foot intervals? Or just make it more like roof rafters. We don't plan to have a solid roof on top...

 

[aart]

I think I'm following

aart, looking for some feedback. The outside section of the run is 36' parallel to the barn and 16' away. We plan to put in 5 posts on the long parallel side, making 9' stretches. There will be one post going towards the barn 8 ft up from the parallel side, for each of the 5 posts.

Can't compute 36' and 5 posts coming out to 9' stretches...but it's early and maybe my brain is not working.

I imagine there will be a beam (2x6?) attached to the tops of the farthest out row of posts also? The 2x6x16' joists(or rafters really) will sit on top of these beams?

On top of this we planned to make prefabbed frames for HWC that we could nail on top of the joists. Hope this makes sense. The "roof" will have about a 3/12 pitch. Should we do interior cross joists, the long way, at 4 or 8 foot intervals? Or just make it more like roof rafters. We don't plan to have a solid roof on top...

I think I've got it, maybe...see above.

What will the HC frames be made out of and what size will they be.
Think about the width of the HC and how it will match up with the framing spacing.

Are you sure you don't want some solid roofing (maybe metal) for shade from sun, and rain protection?

Are you a sketcher, got some graph paper??
As an old drafter, I'm much better with drawings than words.
Sketching something up close to scale(thus the graph paper) can help a great deal with design/planning.

P.S. your avatar gives me a grin n chuckle, we had fun with that.

 

[Alabama Jack]

aart, thanks again for helping me through another build. Here's my rough sketch. The HWC frames would be 1x2" 4x8' frames.

 

[Alabama Jack]

And the HWC sections would 4x8' or 4x16' with 1x2" boards

 

[aart]

Ah yes, a sketch makes it much easier for me, and an excellent sketch it is too.
Not sure why my brain couldn't do the math yesterday(not unusual tho-haha).
Looks like a good plan...looking forward to seeing it come together in wood and metal.

 

[Alabama Jack]

All the posts done. Tractor with a hole auger sure helps.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Just an idea for you, I built a run very similar to this but used 2"x6"'s with 2"x4"s between the joist creating a grid roughly 4' square. Over the top I put 2x4 welded wire fencing and then covered that with a tarp.

It kept most of the rain out of the run, provided shade and didn't cost very much.

 

[Alabama Jack]

Jack, that sounds real interesting! Do you have a pic?

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Alas, I do not. Don't live there anymore.

The run was 8' wide and 24' long. I had 4"x4" post every 8' around the perimeter with a 2" x 6 at the top and bottom going around the perimeter. A 2" x 6" ran between the post across the 8' width of the run. Then there were 2"x 4"'s between the 2" x 6"s to create the 4" grid.

The run was on a slope so the top sloped with the ground.

I used a heavier duty tarp. I think it was a dark green color. Not that the color matters too much. It was a heavier tarp though.
Cut and rolled it as needed and screwed it to the 2" x 6" top board.

 

[Alabama Jack]

Thanks Jack, that's where I think we're heading.

Also now thinking we're going to put a tin roof and gutters on it.

We also expanded to 42 ft x 25 for the outdoor run.

Worried about stretching a 2x6 42 ft and thinking about offsetting two 1x6's and glueing and nailing together to make a 42 foot 2x6. Any thoughts?? Otherwise we would use the metal joiners and use 2x6's.