Adding a "sunroom" for my girls....

[nightshade]

note to self ..... remember to make new coop bigger

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

We used heavy guage clear plastic all around our covered run. I didn't know if it was going to work - I thought that putting holes through the plastic to tie it down might make the plastic run. However, we just put clear packing tape on both sides of the plastic whereever we were going to make holes, and poked in pieces of thin wire to wire it to the fence. It hasn't come loose or ripped yet (knock on wood) and it makes a big difference - the girls have a dry place outside and are protected from the wind too.

 

[patandchickens]

If you have space and budget for extra roofed space for the chickens I don't think you can EVER go wrong with it. It can be winterized to give a less-unpleasant January playground; it gives you summer shade; it greatly reduces mud, and by doing so, reduces flies and odor too; and as long as the walls are attached carefully it is also nicely predatorproof. Definitely go for it!

You may find it needs a bit more wintertime ventilation than you expect (my plastic-covered lean-to run does, anyhow) to avoid condensation and humidity, but that's no big deal.

If there'll be no snow on the ground, you'll probably want to cover the ground with at least a few inches (or more!) of something kinda insulationy, like dried leaves or straw or hay or suchlike. Bare frozen ground is really cold on chickens' feets, as is cold sand or gravel; organic matter is MUCH MUCH warmer for them to walk around on.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[Chickenfortress]

If you want cheap glass for these kinds of projects talk to local remodelers and Habitat for Humanities. Ask for old sliding glass shower doors. They are tempered glass, which will give strength for snow load. I'd still slope the things, but thats not hard. The frame to support them is cheap to construct. Use 2x lumber and put in stops made of 1x2s. For roof areas, don't bother with an upper stop, just make the panel flush to avoid holding snow and water. Leave the aluminum frames around them to make it easier to handle them. They'll be less likely to break as well. Caulk them in with vulkem, above and below, to make a permanent seal. It will help hold the panels in place if you bed them in the vulkem instead of just sealing after installation. Paint after, to help avoid warping of your frame. On the plus side, theres no chance a raccoon is going to scratch and tear its way through these like they do with asphalt or shake roofs.