Quonset hut or A-frame?

[EggsForIHOP]

First real post (besides my short hello) so please be gentle

Okay, so the chicks are 2 weeks old, and I would like to make a portable, pvc and wire type run so they can play in the sun (under my watchful eye as I relax on the porch!) and yet be safe from hawks, neighbors dogs, etc...Something I can move around the yard easily and yet will be sturdy as well. I plan to do a base made of 2x6 lumber to give a little wind proof heft and weight to it but after the base I am undecided which way to go when I start building up...so I guess my question is this...should I go with a quonset hut style, you know, that half moon rounded type? Or an A-Frame type top? Which is sturdier? Because I am thinking something totally square with a flat top is probably not the most geometrically sturdy thing, I haven't considered it...but I could be wrong...

I am all about sturdy and safety on this one - the actual coop is under way on the back side of the house, and I don't have anywhere convenient to sit back there yet and I just don't feel right tossing them out back alone - I know some people are comfortable doing so, but I am overprotective and want to be right there with them or at least close by while they are so tiny. So my goal is something big enough for babies to roam a little and sturdy enough that I can move it around the lawn to keep one place from being grazed down to dirt and without my little run falling apart either. Guess I am going for a glorified play pen really.

Anyways point being...which is better? Rounded top? Or pointy roof? Or even flat? I am curious to see what others have to say...

 

[Chicken Jack]

I am not an engineer, but my two cents worth: The A frame would be sturdier.

The two designs you mention, I would think, would be made out of different materials. I would say a quonset hut style would be made from flexible plastic or bent pipe (unless you have a metal bending machine and are considering making one out of metal) and would be lighter, which would make it easier to move around the yard. The A-frame, which although could also be made of light materials, would be made of wood. This, in my opinion, would be a much more sturdier construction than the quonset hut.

If you plan on being in view of the chicks all the time, I'd go with the quonset hut approach. If you can't keep your eye on them all the time they're in their "play-pen", then something with more rigidity and weight and that can be "secured" to the ground would be a lot better. Hope this makes sense.

I'm confident we have an engineer in BYC who could give a lot better answer than I!

Hope it goes well; sounds like your chicks have a great owner.

 

[teach1rusl]

Not an engineer here either, but I agree that the light weight A frame would be sturdier. Of course you lose headroom with A frames, but chicks don't need much headroom, do they?

Very clever of you to think of the 2x6 to weight things down better too. Enjoy your chicks!!

 

[DaveD]

If you make it out of PVC, you can fill it part way up with water to weigh it down, instead of a wood base. Or just stake it in place. Saves on the "storage weigh" as well as makes it easier to move for you.
I'm a fan of the quonset hut style. Might be the former Army soldier in me making me nostalgic

-David

 

[EggsForIHOP]

DaveD...the water idea...CLEVER!!!! I had not even thought that far ahead! Duh me! pvc....water...they go together like peas and carrots! This is EXACTLY why I am glad I asked the question! I sometimes can miss the most obvious details! Now it is off to the hardware store for supplies...I had my first jailbreak this morning while I was cleaning and filling the feeder - one clever chick hopped on the waterer and made a break for it - followed by 2 more! Thank goodness the dog thinks these are her babies, she brought me the first escapee just in time for me to notice the other 2 and catch them in the act! All was well of course, she really does think they are puppies and she was quite proud of herself to bring me her "baby", but it is time to graduate them to some outside time and a bigger area in the daytime, so today is the day! (Of course it is cool and rainy here at the moment, so maybe not today exactly...but I need to get it done).

Either way...I will post pics when I finish....AND THANKS SOOOOO much for the input ya'll!!! I may just leave what design I go with a surprise! But I for sure will include a way to incorporate the water idea in the pvc - that is awesome clever!

 

[Mervin]

Quote:
I think you correct that a typical A-Frame for chicks would be stronger, but only due to construction techniques and materials. Although I'm not a engineer, I'm reasonably sure that the arch, built like-for-like, would be much stronger. I understand it myself in principle, but I couldn't possibly explain it. Look at the "technical aspect" in the Wikipedia article as it's a lot more elegant than I.

 

[shopchicks]

I have been toying with the same idea. The idea of filling the PVC with water is genius! I am also thinking that sand could work well.

Another method I've been toying with, which is an adaptation from some garden trellises I built last year, is a combination of electrical conduit and lumber. The trick is finding a bender for the conduit so it can form the hoops. The standard size of conduit fits just about perfectly into holes drilled with a 7/8" speedbore bit. You can then fill the holes with glue if you want them to be permanent, or just shove the conduit ends into the holes if you want the structure to be collapsible for storage. I think I'd cover the hoop structure with hardware cloth, and then lash a 2x2 along the length at the top of the arch to add rigidity, and have that extend beyond the coup on both ends to form a handle for moving the pen. However, one drawback to the hoop design is that it would be nearly impossible to have any doors on the long sides, whereas the A-Frame can incorporate doors anywhere they are needed.

 

[sashurlow]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=172799&p=1

I built one and can use the cattle panels as a ladder and it lasted the past winter with 1.5 ft of snow on it. (Actually I modified it so it had a 2x4 running along the ridge, so mine is stronger than this one.) The A frame could be stronger, but what are your trying to survive? The nuclear holocaust will kill the chickens anyway.

 

[jamespm_98]

Here is a pic of my little PVC hoop style tractor I use in the garden. It is 3' X 6', I have since added panels over the front section on the top only to give more shade. Been using it about a year now and it works great. Also instead of water to add weigh to the PVC you can use sand. Just fill the PVC pipe you use for your base with sand until you get the weight you want. I prefer to just stake mine since I want it easily moveable. Mine won't fly away in the wind, I just stake it as a precation. It is not very predator proof, I rely on my dogs to keep the girls safe. I used 1 1/2" PVC for the base and 1/2" PVC for the hoops and PVC roofing material to cover it along with wire.

Also the arch would be stronger depending on the design. This is why the cattle panel style hoop tractors work with no or minimal framing. Think of a bridge, arches are self supporting. A frames are plenty strong, but it is the size of the framing that makes them strong. With an arch your frame can be much lighter and still support the load of the roof. Depends on your design.

 

[EggsForIHOP]

Quote:
I don't trust my neighbors dog - it runs loose, tears apart EVERYTHING - and even though his name is Vegas I call him Devil Dog! Afraid to turn my back for a minute and catch Devil Dog tearing down my baby playpen!



DID FINALLY FINISH!!!

Here's the pics....

The corners of which I am immensely proud!

Sideview...I call it the Fretful Porcupine - I still haven't trimmed the zip ties, but they all stick OUT of the coop - so I don't worry - Hope Devil Dog gets poked in the eye if he comes close enough!

The back, wire and the lattice - for support I guess, probably wasn't needed, but it made me feel better.

The door - which locks via clever rope mechanism - I really thought that was clever - and it is extra tight and I am good at a few knots, so that's fun

It's got handles on both ends and DH and I can easily lift it and move it around the yard, I can even drag it all by myself! We had a "knock down" test - super hard to flip over...filled the pvc with a little sand...in a nice slightly shady, half sunny spot, usually leave the transport crate in it for extra shade/a hiding place....can you tell I am way to proud of myself? These are the pics from the morning I finished it - still need to upload the pics of my happy chicken chil'rens in their playpen! Just had to share and say thanks for all the input!! It helped tons and bunches!!