Chicken run on pier blocks?

[annasophiabee]

Hey guys, I was wondering about building a 16x16 chicken run with 4x4 pressure treated posts every 8 feet for support. Instead of digging the posts, I was wondering if I'd be able to put the 4x4s on pier foundation blocks and still have it structurally sound?
I would run hardware cloth on the bottom and into the ground to prevent predators from digging into the run. Any advice would help. Thank you!

Note: I'm in NH so we get pretty hard freezes here.

 

[DobieLover]

Hey guys, I was wondering about building a 16x16 chicken run with 4x4 pressure treated posts every 8 feet for support. Instead of digging the posts, I was wondering if I'd be able to put the 4x4s on pier foundation blocks and still have it structurally sound?
I would run hardware cloth on the bottom and into the ground to prevent predators from digging into the run. Any advice would help. Thank you!

That would depend on where you are located in the world and if you experience freeze thaw cycles.
I live in Upstate NY. I had a brick paver patio installed over a 6" thick bed of compacted crusher run, then landscape cloth, then a 2" thick bed of concrete sand. Every winter there were two spots that heaved the pavers up about 8 inches. They would fall again in the spring.
Picture placing one of your 4x4 posts over that spot and what it would do to anything the post was supporting or attached to it.

 

[annasophiabee]

That would depend on where you are located in the world and if you experience freeze thaw cycles.
I live in Upstate NY. I had a brick paver patio installed over a 6" thick bed of compacted crusher run, then landscape cloth, then a 2" thick bed of concrete sand. Every winter there were two spots that heaved the pavers up about 8 inches. They would fall again in the spring.
Picture placing one of your 4x4 posts over that spot and what it would do to anything the post was supporting or attached to it.

Hi thanks for the reply. I live in New Hampshire so I have to dig the posts right?

 

[DobieLover]

Hi thanks for the reply. I live in New Hampshire so I have to dig the posts right?

It's up to you. I wouldn't bury posts. They rot. I have a porch repair project coming up where I have to replace all the posts because they where set in concrete and they've rotted.
I put mine up on concrete piers that were dug down to code. You can click on the My Coop link in my avvy to see how I built mine.

 

[Steven Bussell]

Hi thanks for the reply. I live in New Hampshire so I have to dig the posts right?

Your best bet is to dig down and install them 18". If you set them on a block something could jump on your run fence and push it over.
A little more work will save you some problems later

 

[ZooAtHome]

Hey guys, I was wondering about building a 16x16 chicken run with 4x4 pressure treated posts every 8 feet for support. Instead of digging the posts, I was wondering if I'd be able to put the 4x4s on pier foundation blocks and still have it structurally sound?
I would run hardware cloth on the bottom and into the ground to prevent predators from digging into the run. Any advice would help. Thank you!

I built my 14'x22' run without sinking a single post. It gets very wet here and any wood in the ground, even treated, rots pretty quickly. The ground is also very rocky which makes digging holes a royal pain. Note: We do not get hard freezes. Other than all the rain, our winters are fairly mild.

Instead, I built sturdy corner planters with treated wood and cedar fencing, then used cinder blocks and concrete bricks to support the wall studs off the ground. The planters, filled with gravel and dirt, add a lot of structural stability. Everything sits on compacted gravel, none of directly contacts the ground. I also had sloped land to deal with and using gravel helped me level it out.

I went with supports every 4 feet, not 8. I also added supports in the center, because I wanted to cover the run, too. (We have a LOT of birds of prey around here, daily.) I tested a similar design for my garden and it has held up very well for several years. I skipped the center posts and cover for the garden though, as birds weren't an issue there, only deer.

My run is extremely sturdy. It does not budge at all. It isn't quite finished yet, I'm still working on some trim to further secure the edges of the hardware cloth, but I'm totally comfortable having the chooks run around in there as is.

 

[annasophiabee]

What a beautiful run! I am up in NH and get really hard freezes here. The thing is that being in the Granite State, the rocks in the ground are ridiculous and it's a super wet climate here so wood rots like crazy. I really dont know how I go about building this run witbout having to hire equipment to dig the posts. I was hoping to get away with not having to dig posts :/

 

[Steven Bussell]

If you build a wider heavy base than just a cinder block you would get a way from digging .
I like what Zoo has done

 

[annasophiabee]

If you build a wider heavy base than just a cinder block you would get a way from digging .
I like what Zoo has done

Would pressure treated 4x4 work?

 

[Steven Bussell]

Would pressure treated 4x4 work?

Yeap.... don't use the green stuff....plus if you run 2×4 between the 4x4 like you would frame a fence that would stiffen it up....