We built a house for the chickens a few years ago, similar to the cattle panel hoop house, except it was covered with tarps instead of clear plastic. Here in Michigan it doesn’t provide enough protection for a year round coop, but we let the chickens use it during the warmer months as a day house. They love the shade.
This winter, strong winds blew it over the fence and into the pond. Fortunately, the pond was frozen. Unfortunately, it was not frozen enough for us to go onto it.
The pond melted enough for the house to sink a few inches, then freeze again. Over a period of a few weeks, it did this a number of times. It didn’t look like it was coming out until spring.
Once the pond melted, it took three people to drag it out. It didn’t smell very good after that.
If you build cattle panel hoop house or chicken house, and live in a windy area, I suggest you use some strong ropes and tie it down.
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on Jul 16th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Hind sight is 20/20, but I would have made a grappling hook and rope of some kind and dragged that coup back off of the pond before the ice melted.
BTW, I just stumbled upon your sight after reading about tomato cages. Great job! I book-marked it for further reading.
Keep it up.
on Jul 18th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Yeah,it would have been good to get it out before it froze. Aha, well. Thanks !
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 8:33 pm
you do much better carpentry work than I really nice. I do not know what kind of soil you have 24″ 3/8″ re-bar sunk it the soil is what I use to anchor it the ground and easy to remove if you want to move it if you want more clamp the rebar with EMT clamps to the wood base I have built many of these mine that I know of has no problem at 50-mph winds I finally settled on a door made of 3, 2×4’s simply screwed together for each end the side 2×4’s at an angle and the top beam I dig down 18″ and plant it. it more of a wide mouth opening as I grow a lot of cuttings it more production guerilla style. I use U nails to secure to the inside after I have stretched the plastic to the inside. I simply tack it the plastic to the inside of the opening and use apiece of plastic clamped to the outside of the opening with 2″ clamps. Not as elegant as yours but it works.
on Jan 22nd, 2010 at 11:20 am
Stephen:
Thank you. I had to do something like that. I don’t have re-bar, but I do have fence T posts. That’s what I’m using now.
I’d be interested in seeing any pictures! Thanks again.