Run: roof or no roof

[FlyWheel]

Covered means your chickens have a cool area in the summer sun, as well as a protected spot other than their coop when it rains or snows. The main disadvantage is cleaning, as the rain will not be able to wash the poop away. Meaning that job is up to you.

Uncovered is more or less self cleaning, gives the chickens a place to soak up the sun which is nice on colder winter days. Main disadvantages are the same as the advantages of covered. I will assume that whichever route you take you will cover the run with something to keep predators out, like 2x4 welded wire.

My run is 400 ft2. One 10' x 10' corner I've "roofed" in galvanized corrugated steel. This area is where I keep their feed trough, their grit and oyster bins. It stays mostly dry in all but a heavy downpour and gives them a dry area where they can enjoy their meals and have an outdoor area during bad weather. The rest of the run is covered in only wire and is open to whatever daylight filters through the oak trees. This is the area where they actually spend most of their day (when the weather is fair). The covered area also collects rainwater that I channel into storage bins as I do not have running water near their pen.

 

[Wise Woman]

We just built a new coop and run 5 months ago and we put on a solid roof. I love it so far. The girls can be outside in all weather, it keeps the snow and rain off of them, it keeps bird poop from the wild birds out of their pen and it provides them shade in the summer. I don't have room for them to free range so I tried to make their coop and run and pleasant as possible. HTH!

 

[Fletchings]

There's an existing "run" at the house that I just got, and it's roof is tinned. I've read that the birds like and are benefitted health wise from different flowers & what not, and they bring bugs around which is helpful. I don't mind cultivating & adding irrigation to get those plants. Would it be beneficial to just leave the roof as is, remove half & replace with netting or even fiberglass (although it gets pretty windy here at times, also in Utah ), or something else?

It's s big & pretty tall area, so the coop can either be underneath or next to with their plank giving access to the run. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cavemanrich]

There's an existing "run" at the house that I just got, and it's roof is tinned. I've read that the birds like and are benefitted health wise from different flowers & what not, and they bring bugs around which is helpful. I don't mind cultivating & adding irrigation to get those plants. Would it be beneficial to just leave the roof as is, remove half & replace with netting or even fiberglass (although it gets pretty windy here at times, also in Utah ), or something else?

It's s big & pretty tall area, so the coop can either be underneath or next to with their plank giving access to the run. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Leave as is and plant the plants on the inside perimeter where it gets light.

 

[Hope Hughes]

Even though my chickens free range during the day, my ducks sleep in the run at night(wish they would go in the coop too):
I live in North Florida and it rains alot so we have tarps over our runs otherwise it would be a muddy mess with the sandy grounds we have up here.
When I clean the coop out each week I shovel the pine shavings into the run and spread it out, she come in and do their scratching all the time and it keeps it all spread out and mixing.
The tarps work great, we use them on our quails fight pins as well.
Just have to put the rain into consideration... it will build up in low spots so make it so the rain can run off somehow.
If your chickens don't free range, I would maybe half and half it, and the half that is out in the weather make it so if it does rain alot it wouldn't get muddy. Add different soils or gravel/sand or layers to help with draining.
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[Nardo]

When I installed my clear fiberglass panels they had special screws and a plastic backer shaped the same as the roofing.

JT

Well heck, I missed those.

 

[Chullicken]

I honestly think you'll live in hateful regret if you do not put a roof on it. The PVC panels mentioned above are not expensive at all for the clear ones, 4 x 8 I believe at about $14.00 a piece. Well, if that's pricey than prepare yourself for the chicken hobby..it doesn't stop costing money! Chickens are very easy to keep, however, they do have a few conditions as you probably know that need to be addressed and that is not an option. The one most relevant here is 'dry'. Wet bedding material of any form or shape harbors nothing but bacteria and nasty things that can turn a healthy flock into a sickly one within days. And really in Utah, the roof ideally would be covered so you would only have to wrap the sides for winter weather. The cost really pays for itself.

 

[Chullicken]

Roofed run is good, protects the flock from predators, less messy muddy run and clean eggs(chicken feet are not muddy). I roofed half of my run thinking should be enough for dry feeders and shelter when they’re out and about but the last few years the wet winter was horrible on the beddings. Decided to roof the entire run, it was much better and safer. View attachment 1350639

Like this run gives me some cool ideas for my new one.

 

[Chullicken]

I am planning on building a coop/run on the north side of my house in Utah. Should I build a roof on the run to block some of the snow? Or should I leave it open to let in more sunlight? See example pics. Thanks!

You really could roof the first option if you prefer the style over the second option. It would be as easy as just applying a grade % to one side to allow for runoff. Good luck with everything.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

I ran a clear tarp over half of my run and wrapped the sides with vapour barrier. It worked wonerfully, keeping the snow out and leaving it nice and dry, yet sun still got through. Then the snow started to melt.... the whole thing collapsed. Definitely pitch whatever cover you use away from the coop and run, otherwise you could end up with a lake in the run, or too much buildup on the cover leading to a possible collapse.