Open Air Duck Run: Help balance cost and structural integrity

[NotSoSimple]

Settled in our new property and are starting our flock of ducks again. This time around we are wanting a large run for them to reside at all times unless we are supervising them out. If material costs were normal (Read: $3/2x4) I would end up overbuilding. Then again, this is for ducks not a house!

Goals:
-Walk In. Does not have to be 6' clearance everywhere (Such as the sides) but we would like to be able to walk in and clean without bending over too much.
-Predator Proof. Will be stapling hardware cloth over the entire perimeter making it open air. Ducks are very cold hearty compared to chickens.
-Metal Roof. Open to single sloped or 3:12/4:12 pitch metal roof.
-Cost. Looking to balance cost of INSANE lumber prices ($7 2x4 again?!) with it being structurally sound.
-Size: Around 8'x18' although this is flexible.
-Base: Similar to a shed, gravel base with 4x4 PT pinned into ground. Digging post holes is tough due to rock content. Frost line is 30" here however it is a duck run, not worried about drywall cracking and doors not matching jambs. Also keeping this as a non-perm structure.

Area:
-In land Maryland. Tree cover around structure breaks most of the wind.
-Snow: Sometimes 12" sometimes 0". Building code states 30 lb/sq ft. Rubbernecking a ton of 'open air' type structures similar to what I am looking for shows 60+ year old structures with just 4x4 and 2/4 construction without issue. What's right vs. logical is what I wrestle.
-Wind: Tree cover around structure breaks most of the wind. Not in a hurricane prone region. ASCE 10-Year MRI is 75 Vmph.

Latest design I have cooked up is utilizing all 2x4s. Plenty of 2x4 supply around. Pressure treated currently is only 50c or more so I might be utilizing PT more than not. Open to any and all suggestions on how to build it. Attached are my Sketchup renderings. They are not perfect as of right now they are conceptual!

Alternate design; Any thoughts on a 4x4 post verticals, 2x6 on top tying it together, 2x4s as 'rafters'? When pricing out that design it was way more expensive, but I was unsure of my rafter spacing needed.

 

[240sxguy]

I'll be honest I opened this hoping for duck photos.

 

[NotSoSimple]

Ducklings come next week, so come back and I promise to post them. However here are some from my previous flock.

 

[240sxguy]

Yesss!! I love ducks.

 

[doctordirt]

A couple of years ago, I built something similar except it was to house guineas fowl in a predator free outdoor coop. To save on costs I ripped the 2x4s in half. Made it forkable to be able to provide them with fresh grass and also to keep the yard looking good. Still working fine, no strength issues.

 

[NotSoSimple]

A couple of years ago, I built something similar except it was to house guineas fowl in a predator free outdoor coop. To save on costs I ripped the 2x4s in half. Made it forkable to be able to provide them with fresh grass and also to keep the yard looking good. Still working fine, no strength issues.

This is what I am after! Consulting span tables, building code, etc, etc makes it a Taj Mahal when it might not need to be. I don't need to cut the budget so bad as to rip 2x4s in half but I am wondering if there is some cost savings when it comes to holding a simple metal roof.

 

[jmdirk]

Assumed thread title was a typo. Was expecting a thread about ducTs.

Much happier that it's actually about ducks!

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Fancy, but still overbuilt. My chicken run has a “roof” of 2x4 welded wire fencing, just to keep predators out. The same works for the walls. Only using hardware cloth for the bottom foot or so, where it goes 12” or so down to prevent predators from tunneling under. Has worked fine for me for 13 years now.

Of course, my birds go inside at night, so it’s possible if they stayed in the run overnight a fisher cat might squeeze through. But never attacked in the run except when a tree fell on it and opened the fencing.

 

[Bretny]

If your going to clean the snow off I wouldnt hesitate to build it with all 2x4 and 2ft on center for everything. Perlins can be 1x2 furring strips. I would build it right ontop of the ground, dont dig any of the posts in the ground. If you build it and it's kind of racking when you push it a bit just add some diagonal bracing in the walls. I would use PT for anything below the drip edge.

I would not rip 2x4 to get 2x2. That's just too skinny to hold a screw or nail.

 

[Whiskeymike]

I appreciate you posting this as I've been thinking of doing the same thing for a while, but haven't decided on chickens or ducks. (want both, but it's too much to take on). I've been planning a very similar approach. Here are a few different thoughts, although I'm still undecided.

1. I noticed your 2x4's are opposite of the direction I was planning. I was going to build mine like a standard interior wall with the studs running depth wise. I would think this would provide better strength/structure for twisting, but I'm not an engineer.
2. I've been planning a single sloped roof, with building one wall taller. This would allow me to have one gutter on the low side so I can capture rainfall into a rain barrel to supply the birds. It also seems to reduce the number of cuts/angles, which is not a big deal but nice.
3. I've been planning on using a 2x6x16 or 2x8x16 for the bottom plate. I was planning on 16 foot long, so I would be able to do a single 16ft board without joining together pieces. As someone mentioned making it working with forks. if I decide to move it, I'd like for it to stay in one piece and I think the larger bottom board would be nice.
4. Due to cost, I've been thinking about abandoning the whole idea and using steel hoops. I have a hydraulic bender and a roller, so that would be easy enough. Unfortunately, I don't like the look and I haven't found any ideas on how to make it look nice.
5. I've been planning on an automated timed door. We have a 3/4 acre pond, so plan on letting then free roam during the day.

Have you priced your materials yet? Mind sharing the cost? I checked out Home Depot last week hoping to see that things have come back down, but 2x4x8 untreated was $10 a piece. Unbelievable.

 

[RPH]

One place to look for inspiration on this type of project is North Dakota State University. Most plans are vintage. Good information on lots of things.

Machinery Building Plans

Machinery Building Plans

www.ndsu.edu