Leela Olson

Here is a thread about the Wood's style Open Air houses.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-house-in-the-winter.445004/

This is more about the design and sketch-up

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/3d-modeling-for-coops-appliances.1146094/

Our need for a couple of quick structures for winter has led us to the idea of using our dog kennel panels (200' of them!) to build two 15 X 30 or so hoop coops. We will attach 1" or larger diameter pvc conduit (grey) for the hoops, every 2' and put in a center beam and support poles to help shed snow. We will do a gothic peak with elbows.

This will give me 6' of side wall to set up individual breeding pens or cockerel pens if needed. One house will be for girls only, no cocks allowed

Todd Parr wrote:
I love that one.  You adapted the plans from the smaller one to make this?

Yes, we used some of the concepts for building the larger one, you can see some similarities. We used gothic peak connectors for the tubing, I think we used 1 3/8" top rail tubing and a pipe bender. We got the bender and the connectors from buildmyowngreenhouse.com
I think it was the 12' bender. The top rail may be smaller diameter conduit, and slides through the connectors.
We used 10' tubing on each side...not sure if he cut it or not. PT wood.

This is the John Suscovich model. Farm Marketing Solutions is the name of his site that has plans. It's small though, suitable for knocking your head a lot. Would be good for a tractor for a few chickens raised for meat. I use it for growing out cockerels for my breeding program.
I think it's around 6 x 9

This is the John Suscovich model. Farm Marketing Solutions is the name of his site that has plans. It's small though, suitable for knocking your head a lot. Would be good for a tractor for a few chickens raised for meat. I use it for growing out cockerels for my breeding program.
I think it's around 6 x 9

Scott Foster wrote:Does anyone know of a good hoop house plan or an alternative.?   I'd like to do something a little more permanent than PVC but at the moment that's the way I'm leaning.   I don't have a backhoe or a tractor so anything I do will be done by hand.  I'm looking to plant seeds out a little earlier and to start a little nursery.  And let's face it when there is snow on the ground, I'd  like a place to kick around on the weekend.

I imagine having some water barrels and possibly some compost to keep it above freezing but I don't want to run electricity.

We built this for chickens. It's about 10 x 10. I used plans from John Susckovich's smaller chicken tractor (we built one of those too). We added a tarp for now, and will put on greenhouse film shortly for winter roll up sides and some vents. Install nest boxes too. It is SUPER tall. Something like 10' in center and since there is a knee wall will be great if I decide to turn it into a seedling greenhouse in the spring.

Michael Cox wrote:"open air" = "open fronted"

I'm also considering using clear corrugated plastic for the roof to ensure plenty of light inside. Thoughts on that?

Would work well in the cooler months, but add a 90% shade cloth to the roof in the warmer months.
I know some of the builders on BYC are happy to share plans, but many of them don't really have formal designs or cut lists. I remember writing to a few of them a couple of years ago. I have about 120+ chickens now, and I opted for making hoop-house tractor type structures to house them in for now. I'd love to build 2-3 of the Woods houses at some point, especially to house my girls.

All the best,

Leela
Kindred Hill Farm
NH

There is a huge thread on backyardchickens.com
Several folks there may have plans.

I'd love to build some houses, but it's cost prohibitive right now.
Building some hoop houses instead so I can move them across the farm where I can make the chickens work.

Alex Everette wrote:

I would vote for using bamboo poles. Not only is bamboo an incredibly sustainable resource, it's also stronger than steel and more robust than concrete, and way healthier for the environment than PVC pipes.

I know there is the type of bamboo that spreads underground and one that just stays in clumps. Can you recommend a clumping variety that will grow in my climate, zone 5 New Hampshire US.

Thanks!

Alder Burns wrote:Two ideas come to mind, both of which I've done in different settings:
1. Pound sections of pipe into the ground where you want your poles to be. Pull them out as you pound them in to knock the soil out, so that when they are sunk in, the inside of the pipe is empty. Have these wider than your poles and simply drop the poles into them. The other way would be permanent stakes, say two or three feet tall, that your poles (pipes? bamboo?) fit down over.
2. especially for hard or rocky ground, use tall tripods made of bamboo or other lightweight material....these would be moved with the net....

Another hint...a jar, or even a metal can, over the end of the poles allows the net to slide over them and stretch without catching on the end....

I like the idea of a tripod, could be covered and provide a shady place for them to hang out!

Thanks for the ideas!

Leela