Options for a simple covered run

[wardranch]

Ugh. I leave in Northern Nevada by Lake Tahoe. We are in a severe drought, but seem to
get that storm a few times in winter with wet wet heavy heavy snow. Our coup is huge. 1500 sq ft. We have it covered with chicken wire due to the hawks. It worked for about 3 years and this year it started to collapse. All the walls are made with durable chain link as we also have bears. Any ideas

 

[Tankueray]

Ugh. I leave in Northern Nevada by Lake Tahoe. We are in a severe drought, but seem to
get that storm a few times in winter with wet wet heavy heavy snow. Our coup is huge. 1500 sq ft. We have it covered with chicken wire due to the hawks. It worked for about 3 years and this year it started to collapse. All the walls are made with durable chain link as we also have bears. Any ideas

Your coop or your run? My coops are inside a quarter acre electrified fenced yard. I ran lightweight netting from the t-posts into the trees, and to an extendable flag pole from Harbor Freight were there were no trees to tie onto. The netting came from Amazon, I think in 50'x100' sections, and it is a PITA to hang and not get tangled. It has worked great for the hawks and owls. The electric fence has worked for everything else, including a mountain lion, except for a bobcat, he just jumped over it whenever he was a bit peckish. He's since been dealt with. I did have a skunk get caught in it and froze during the yearly snow storm, that was somewhat unpleasant to clean up, I had to wait a few days until he thawed enough to remove. As soon as Premier1 gets them back in stock, I'm ordering the pos/neg netting to put my chicken tractors out in the field. You might have to do an outer perimeter fence that's electrified and electrify around your enclosure for the bears, but you put a strong enough energizer on there and they will get the message fairly quickly. I don't remember if bears are deterred by big cat urine or the other way round, talk to some local hunters and see if you can get something to pour around. Buy a case of beer then ask any men you know to go pee in the yard, turning off the electric fence first is totally optional.

A hoop is stronger than a flat roofed square, you could try adding a hoop top like a high tunnel, or buy some additional fence rail and clamps to shore it up, or add some peak roof fittings. The top rail is less than $20 a stick at Lowe's or HD. You can build a tee out of 2x6 and 4x4 to put under the peak (apex?) of the hoop when you expect that heavy snow. If your fence panels are too large, use the diagonal wire and turnbuckle tensioners like the fence guys use on corners and gates.

http://hoopbenders.net/
http://discountfence.com/chainlink2/fittings6.htm
https://jigglygreenhouse.com/store/greenhouse-hardware.html
https://www.canopiesandtarps.com/canopy-fittings.html