Tips for design against 50-60+ mph winds? (hoop coops?)

[MeganM]

Hello everyone...I am designing a coop on a "shoestring" budget. I recently got an unwanted rooster and erected a temporary coop. While we were gone the other day a hen was dropped off in our coop as well. So we will need to erect the coop sooner rather than later as planned so they can have more space, and get a few more hens so our rooster doesn't pick on her. I have been looking into hoop coops made from cattle panels.

My main problems are: 1. we have high winds. 20-30mph days are common, and gusts up to 70mph are not unheard of. Today we had constant 50mph winds which even blew some shingles off my dog's roof...again. We need something that can withstand the wind. Hoop coops look like they would be good for that because of their shape, but, it looks like people cover them with tarps. Do you think the tarps would get pulled off, or, even worse, the coop might blow away because it's lightweight construction? We had someone's carport blow away recently and that was an all metal construction. I'm wondering if building it with legs and cementing those into the ground to build a platform where the wind can run under it too might help?

My second concern is the ventilation. How much is too much, considering we always have wind. Even on days with very low wind a constant 5mph is about right. What parts of the coop do I want to ensure stay "open" to the wind?

 

[ChaoSS]

Wait, someone just put a hen into your coop whilst you were away?

 

[RoadkillStewie]

....an interesting challenge.

Is the wind always from the same general direction or fairly variable?

Think an A frame style might be your best bet...

 

[Tegan]

I'm in the same boat as you. No coop yet, but with my rabbit hutches I had to sink the legs two feet down and cement them in. The wind had no problem picking up a 300lb rabbit hutch and tossing it like a ball.

 

[tbiM20]

I'd definitely anchor it in the ground - 4x4 posts at each corner sunk at least 2ft or below frostline, in concrete. You may even want one in the middle of the "flat" sides going straight up to the top. Lag bolts connecting the frame to the anchors might be a bit of over-engineering, but you wouldn't have to worry about them working loose like nails can. Wood stays off the ground to protect against moisture and pests, anyways, but you only need a foot - too high and, with your winds, you're putting unnecessary strain on the structure when it's wanting to bend over. Wind getting under the structure will also cause it to lift - that's what made that carport fly away, because the wind got underneath and treated it like a parachute.

I like Stewie's A-frame idea. It would give the wind a place to go (up and over) if/when it hits the flat side, as opposed to just beating your structure. Do you have any tools or anyone with the tools to bend that cattle panel in the middle, or cut it in half?

If the wind gusts a lot, I think any ordinary tarp or plastic sheeting would eventually get ripped to shreds, especially if it's broadside to the wind. There are probably ones made for people in coastal areas, with hurricanes and whatnot, which would do you better (plan for the most-common-worst-case-scenario of those 70 mph winds so you're not running for repairs all the time). The more you can prevent it from flapping and ballooning, the better it will survive, but solid sides would probably be better.

 

[Blooie]

Hello everyone...I am designing a coop on a "shoestring" budget. I recently got an unwanted rooster and erected a temporary coop. While we were gone the other day a hen was dropped off in our coop as well. So we will need to erect the coop sooner rather than later as planned so they can have more space, and get a few more hens so our rooster doesn't pick on her. I have been looking into hoop coops made from cattle panels.

My main problems are: 1. we have high winds. 20-30mph days are common, and gusts up to 70mph are not unheard of. Today we had constant 50mph winds which even blew some shingles off my dog's roof...again. We need something that can withstand the wind. Hoop coops look like they would be good for that because of their shape, but, it looks like people cover them with tarps. Do you think the tarps would get pulled off, or, even worse, the coop might blow away because it's lightweight construction? We had someone's carport blow away recently and that was an all metal construction. I'm wondering if building it with legs and cementing those into the ground to build a platform where the wind can run under it too might help?

My second concern is the ventilation. How much is too much, considering we always have wind. Even on days with very low wind a constant 5mph is about right. What parts of the coop do I want to ensure stay "open" to the wind?

We used metal fence posts driven into the ground and anchored our hoop run to that. We aren't using a hoop coop - just the run. We used 3 cattle panels, 16 footers, and 6 fence posts. And we get WIND!! Not too far from us is a little town called Clark. In March of this year they registered a wind gust of 110 mph. We consider any day with winds of 20 - 30 as "relatively calm." My hoop doesn't even wiggle in our heavy, almost daily winds. Our winds are variable most of the year, but like most places in winter are primarily from the North and West.

The day we finished the hoop was sunny for a change. (We had snow here last week!) The girls (and Charlie) were looking for a shady spot but we didn't have anything over the run yet. We grabbed a roll of landscape fabric, tossed it over in two places, anchored it with metal bars, and it works so well we're sticking to it. Because it's not solid like a tarp, it doesn't fight the wind as bad, and despite the fact that it's designed to allow water and nutrients through to plants it still shed the rain beautifully! I'm sure if you've used it around your plants you've noticed that when you water, the water runs off it into the open area around the base of your plants. Water takes a while to seep through it. We are so glad that we went with anchored cattle panels!

 

[MeganM]

Thanks everyone!! I will be incorporating your advice. Found a local source for 20 gauge welded wire for $20 per 150ft roll so I am going to rent a truck and bring home a few rolls, wood, and hardware, and get to building!!

 

[LittleBarn]

Please upload pictures of your successful wind resistant coop designs. WV zone 6b. -5 was our lowest temp last January. We have 30mph winds 4/5 days out of 7 with gusts upto 70mph in storms. NOV-MAR. Harshest winds are from SouthWest, South, West and south east. Open grazing fields along our mountain(s), NO trees/brush and i havent planted a hedge yet (fencing was the hold up).

 

[RojoMarz]

@LittleBarn, this thread is almost 8 years old and most commenters have not been active in years. You may have better results starting your own new thread.