The hoop coop build

[Latestarter]

Not sure where you're physically located (you really should add it to your profile - mouse hover over Account top right and a drop down will appear. Click on Personal Details and scan down. You'll see the spot for Location. Then go to the bottom and save changes). It appears it's a place with winter. I use tarps on my hoop shelter for my goats. I use the brown "heavy duty" ones from Home Depot.

They don't last.

I would strongly recommend that you consider covering the entire coop exterior with corrugated roofing. That's my plan with mine. I'm using the polycarbonate stuff, not the steel. Lighter and see through. More expensive, yes, but I can tell you, it's no fun replacing tarps every 3-4 months. The sun bleaches them right out (yah, they supposedly have UV protection ). You can get translucent panels that will let some light in but keep the UV and heat down.

 

[Conan]

Super cool. I love the hoop coops. Our duck pen is a hoop coop and the ducks love it. Of course, they've got wildly different requirements than chickens so we don't have to keep it so dry, but it's really worked out well. Honestly, we only tarp the coop during the winter. They love it even more when it's totally open to the sky.

 

[Latestarter]

OH, by the way, very nicely done! excellent workmanship!

 

[Windus]

Ive never seen any coons around but we definitely have opossum. Found a fat one on our stoop eating the cats food a week ago.

Don't risk it, we had a possum break into my coop of 21 6 month old chicks a couple of weeks ago. It literally pulled the top of the coop. 1 chicken survived. The possum tore them up and left them all just laying there.

 

[Blooie]

View attachment 1280473 Beautiful build! Ours used no framing of any kind....we just pounded steel fence posts into the ground and wired the CPs to them in an arch. Although it flies in the face of conventional wisdom - as does everything I do that’s chicken related - we found that stiffening the structure meant that it fights the wind while having no fram8ng allowed it to flex beautifully. Winds here have hit 90 mph and it didn’t budge. Snow loads? No problem at all as you can see. We never had to do a thing to it except put clear, reinforced greenhouse type plastic on most of it in winter and we used landscape fabric for shade in winter. Cheap, easy to replace if it ripped....which never happened...and since it came in rolls we that were narrower than the panels we put it on in sections just the size it was. We could roll each section up or down like window shades. I loved it then, and I’ll continue to use it just as it as a greenhouse now that I have rehomed my flock. You won’t regret the choice of a hoop coop!

 

[Conan]

View attachment 1280483 View attachment 1280473 Beautiful build! Ours used no framing of any kind....we just pounded steel fence posts into the ground and wired the CPs to them in an arch. Although it flies in the face of conventional wisdom - as does everything I do that’s chicken related - we found that stiffening the structure meant that it fights the wind while having no fram8ng allowed it to flex beautifully. Winds here have hit 90 mph and it didn’t budge. Snow loads? No problem at all as you can see. We never had to do a thing to it except put clear, reinforced greenhouse type plastic on most of it in winter and we used landscape fabric for shade in winter. Cheap, easy to replace if it ripped....which never happened...and since it came in rolls we that were narrower than the panels we put it on in sections just the size it was. We could roll each section up or down like window shades. I loved it then, and I’ll continue to use it just as it as a greenhouse now that I have rehomed my flock. You won’t regret the choice of a hoop coop!

Such a cool and simple idea! I love it! I am wanting a greenhouse this spring (like as soon as possible) and this sounds like it may be just the thing. Can you tell me what you mean by "wired the CPs to them in an arch"? I think I know what you are saying, but thought I would verify. Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[Blooie]

Sure! We pounded the posts in, then walked the panels into an arch on the inside of the posts so the panels exerted their pressures against them. There are photos and explanations on my coop build page...just click on My Coop under my stunning (and unretouched, kinda sorta) avatar and the run build starts about halfway down! Probably easier to see it than to try to explain it!

 

[Conan]

Sure! We pounded the posts in, then walked the panels into an arch on the inside of the posts so the panels exerted their pressures against them. There are photos and explanations on my coop build page...just click on My Coop under my stunning (and unretouched, kinda sorta) avatar and the run build starts about halfway down! Probably easier to see it than to try to explain it!

Awesome!!! Thanks so much! Heading there now... You could always Benjamin Button your avatar - hotter and younger every year

 

[Blooie]

That works!! Teehee!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Fantastic job! It looks very nice.