Does my hoop coop need a frame?

[fat brown hen]

This is sort of a slapdash build using whatever garbage I find on the side of the road.

I have pallets held in place using t-posts, and two cattle panels hooped in the middle. I plan to add t-posts + pallets along the back and front, with one front pallet hinged for a door. I will bolt the pallets together with carriage bolts when everything is in its final place. Then wrap everything in hardware cloth.

Question: Do I need any additional framing for this structure? Probably something for the door frame, but I haven't figured that out yet. Weather conditions are mild, no hurricanes or snow. Final footprint should be about 8'x9'.

Photo below is a "rough draft", while I figure out proper placement.

 

[Penpal]

If it was lower it would withstand wind better. You want a panel side on the wind side. The wind will just roll right up and over if it is not a straight side. You would loose height, but gain width.

There needs to be a frame at the base. Then, you build a frame for the door, or possibly two doors, or the nest box would be built at one open end. There are builds like this on YouTube

 

[fat brown hen]

There needs to be a frame at the base. Then, you build a frame for the door, or possibly two doors, or the nest box would be built at one open end. There are builds like this on YouTube

Are the pallets sufficient for a base frame? I know there are builds *like* this on YouTube, but this is my build.

Question 2: How critical is it that the hoops are straight and level on the x- and y-axis? The pallets are mismatched and warped due to being free.

 

[aart]

Not sure how you'd wrap the pallets in HC.

 

[fat brown hen]

Not sure how you'd wrap the pallets in HC.

with fence staples.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Is this a coop or run or both? Will there be a solid roof (corrugated panels, tarp)? If so I'd add lots of extra support. If not you CAN leave it as is, but if something like a tree limb falls on it the cattle panels will bend and stay bent and it's very difficult to get them back to how they originally were. Keeping them straight and level and creating a door frame that doubles as a support mitigates the problem.

 

[fat brown hen]

Is this a coop or run or both? Will there be a solid roof (corrugated panels, tarp)? If so I'd add lots of extra support.

It will be a spare coop. Probably a tarp in the winter, shade cloth in summer. Where would you add "lots of extra support"?

 

[StinkyAcres]

It will be a spare coop. Probably a tarp in the winter, shade cloth in summer. Where would you add "lots of extra support"?

I would do a support beam across the top from one end to the other.
I added two in my cattle panel garden hoop house because we get a lot of snow as well as occasional high winds. Yours doesn't have to be this substantial.

 

[fat brown hen]

I would do a support beam across the top from one end to the other.
I added two in my cattle panel garden hoop house because we get a lot of snow as well as occasional high winds. Yours doesn't have to be this substantial.
View attachment 3846242

Awesome! This is exactly what I was looking for. I might use mine as a greenhouse when unoccupied, also! How did you attach your hoops to the "base"? It looks like your hoops are elevated a couple feet as well.

 

[fat brown hen]

@StinkyAcres are your vertical supports anchored to anything (eg cement holes), or are they sort of free-standing in the garden bed?