Winter Ready? First timer

[Sefirothe]

Thank you for finding that picture! As they say, a picture is worth 1000 words – and that really shows the issue.

There was a user here, earlier this year or maybe last year, with a long thread on a coop and run build, part of which was showing up this type of run for winter. I believe that involve not just a ridge beam and center posts, but diagonal braces. If anything it was overbuilt. But it showed the sort of reinforcement that is possible, if not always necessary.

Edit to add: found the thread!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-coop-design-and-build-blog.1612130/post-27576202
And I see @Sefirothe posted the same picture there!
Definitely looks like more support than you need for Arkansas; I don’t know if @Rancid Crbtree ever posted a location but later pictures of snow sure indicate a more northern clime.

Yea, I figure the pic is educational material I should try to spread far and wide lol

 

[paintedChix]

This post is almost a month old. So not sure if you'll see it...

We get lots of humidity in sandhills of NC - some deep cold but rarely negatives, lots of ice storms. That said, like others have pointed out - support for the lightweight run & ventilation.

I don't remember brooding ducks @ our other property. But these extra came from 2 mama ducks that hatched them... They never seemed to have any issues w/ snow & ice here. They "sheltered" under our carport or in the loose hay around haystack in the barn. I didn't know about "proper" coops then.




Some of the ice we've gotten here. This @ property w/ no coops.





Don't have critter pics of icestorms here @ current property where I can post them... BUT the chickens did better in our open air, CP hooped coops & pens than in a truck camper coop (10 died overnight - 1/4" ice, below freezing, teens? approx 3 weeks after we moved in. Not enough ventilation).




In Jan 2015, we didn't have them hooped yet. They had 2x4" rusted out, welded wire on them. We just threw tarps over them...