Building Run with Trees Inside

[BeakyBuzzard]

We are revamping our current run & housing. The area we are utilising has permanent 2" x 2" box wire fence 4' high, with 5-6" posts every 10' on one side of the run. Inside the run area we have Hollie bushes & pine trees planted parallel to permanent fence.
Run is 12-14' wide & 80' long approximately.
We are using chain link panels for sides of run not enclosed by permanent fencing. Currently the pine trees are under 6' with plans to trim lower branches so as not to interfere with Hollies as Pines mature.
We live in area that receives snow, ice, & freezing rain. The location can be buried under snow drifts 2-10' high depending on winter. ( no worries the chickens have area by houses where they are not buried. )
My question is what material do people suggest as cover for run and how do we incorporate the cover around the pines as they mature? I'm ok trimming lower pine branches to height of 7-8' to accommodate cover.
Thank you.

 

[Coop de Cuse]

We are revamping our current run & housing. The area we are utilising has permanent 2" x 2" box wire fence 4' high, with 5-6" posts every 10' on one side of the run. Inside the run area we have Hollie bushes & pine trees planted parallel to permanent fence.
Run is 12-14' wide & 80' long approximately.
We are using chain link panels for sides of run not enclosed by permanent fencing. Currently the pine trees are under 6' with plans to trim lower branches so as not to interfere with Hollies as Pines mature.
We live in area that receives snow, ice, & freezing rain. The location can be buried under snow drifts 2-10' high depending on winter. ( no worries the chickens have area by houses where they are not buried.

)
My question is what material do people suggest as cover for run and how do we incorporate the cover around the pines as they mature? I'm ok trimming lower pine branches to height of 7-8' to accommodate cover.
Thank you.

I have a recovering tree and some plant life inside my run. I was using bird netting to get the ball rolling, but will be switching over to the clear plastic roof panels to block the snow and rain and let the sunlight in.

 

[BeakyBuzzard]

How do you attach bird netting? We used that previously only to have it come down under weight of wet snow or freezing rain

 

[Sonya9]

I don't live in snow country but I understand snow is also a big problem with electric poultry nets, it often destroys them and the manufacturers suggest putting them in storage during snow season.

Since I hear that chickens don't like going out into the snow anyway I would think maybe a hard wire top/plastic panels over areas that can be shoved (or covered) and save the poultry netting for the non-winter months. Basically create a smaller "winter" run and have the poultry netting in the larger non-winter run, you may need to take it down and put it up before and after the snow season.

 

[JackE]

I don't live in snow country but I understand snow is also a big problem with electric poultry nets, it often destroys them and the manufacturers suggest putting them in storage during snow season.

Since I hear that chickens don't like going out into the snow anyway I would think maybe a hard wire top/plastic panels over areas that can be shoved (or covered) and save the poultry netting for the non-winter months. Basically create a smaller "winter" run and have the poultry netting in the larger non-winter run, you may need to take it down and put it up before and after the snow season.

I leave my electrified poultry nets up through the winter. If I get wet snow, I just unplug them, because the fence will be grounded out anyway. But if the snow is powdery, I can just sweep the fence clear. For the most part, if I get a bunch of snow, the chickens will stay in the coop. But if I clear an area for them, the adventurist ones will come out, and even trudge around in the snow if it's not too deep. As far as predator go, I think they been zapped by the fence a few times, and even if it's deenergized, they will stay away from it. At least, that's my theory, and I hope it's right.