Burlap as wind break on coop vents?

[Tahai]

Hi All,

I am expecting negative wind chill all next week so am looking into my wind-breaking options for my coop or run. I have excellent ventilation LOL. However, I suspect it is too much open exposure for the arctic wind blast that is coming. I'm debating solutions that will be:

1. effective wind breaks without being ventilation killers
2. will be easy to install for my aging hands in cold weather
3. will be acceptable to my coming-out-of-the-holidays budget.
4. will not require permanant alterations.

I'm thinking about stapleing burlap over the hardware cloth on the coop, but I'm not sure how much that will repress moisture escape.
Burlap is expensive, too, so I'm also considering tearing up an old sheet. I'm even more concerned about the sheet working as a moisture barrier, so I would put that on looser.

I'd appreciate thoughts from anyone with experience with burlap or with any other suggestions for next week or for the long term future!

I had planned to address this issue last fall, but got derailed by the Rona and then by the rainy season. It's been so unseasonably warm this year that I was secretly hoping to make it to spring without having to worry about wind chill. (I know better, but hope dies hard LOL )

This is the ventilation along the roof line that I need to cover - this photo is from when we were building, so it gives you a clearer view of the coop. See the next photo for how things are now:

Obviously, the doors are shut, not open, with the winter here, but you can see that the coop is under cover. The broad sides face our prevailing winds (SW and NE):

 

[nuthatched]

I think some old sheets will work fine.

 

[aart]

Depends on how loose the weave of burlap is for more or less airflow.
Might be better to tarp that wall of the run.

 

[aart]

I think some old sheets will work fine.

Sheets are not going to let much air thru.

 

[nuthatched]

Sheets are not going to let much air thru.

Not wind but air will get through. It's only over a few days either way.

 

[Tahai]

Depends on how loose the weave of burlap is for more or less airflow.
Might be better to tarp that wall of the run.

Thanks, but tarping the whole run will be expensive, as I don't already have tarps - (run is 16x20, 10 foot high) - just priced it out at Lowes, and it would cost about $125 to get enough coverage. Major wind storm tonight with 60 mph gusts and shifting winds.

BUT, I could buy on 16x12 tarp and just tarp the coop itself. The gap caused by the overhang would still allow for heat and moisture to escape, I would think.

Thanks for rerouting my thoughts.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks, but tarping the whole run will be expensive, as I don't already have tarps - (run is 16x20, 10 foot high) - just priced it out at Lowes, and it would cost about $125 to get enough coverage. Major wind storm tonight with 60 mph gusts and shifting winds.

BUT, I could buy on 16x12 tarp and just tarp the coop itself. The gap caused by the overhang would still allow for heat and moisture to escape, I would think.

Thanks for rerouting my thoughts.

Do you have a harbor freight nearby?

Tarps are more reasonable there.
You want to break the direct wind. Think out of the box here.
Sometimes using 2 or 3 tarps are easier to manage than one big one. Zip tie the tarp to your hardware cloth unless you feel it's not sturdy enough to hold. I zip things to mine all the time with no issues.
I'm cheap and use harbor freight tarps a LOT. If on a "wall" they will hold up for about 3-4 years depending on how much they have to weather. If used as a "roof", I get about 3 years or so, again depending on weather, how much ice/snow, how rough I am dumping snow/ice/rain and if a stick or something gets poked through during storms.
I keep a tote with various sizes of tarps just in case...Yep, most are harbor freight, I use sales and coupons, but I'm not a fan of the blue. I like cammo best as for appearance, but if for short term, I'm not too picky.

Tarps don't necessarily have to cover all the way to the roofline, chickens are low to the ground...

Start in the middle with say 1 8x10 or 9x12 tarp and wrap let it wrap around a corner, then do the opposite, this will break the wind and it will flow around the sides.

And another thing. Having a grommet set (you can get that at harbor freight too) comes in handy, you can add more grommets if necessary or if your tarp is floppy, etc. Easy to do, you just need a hammer and hard surface.

BUT IF you want a big tarp, they sell those too...

 

[Tahai]

Do you have a harbor freight nearby?

Tarps are more reasonable there.
You want to break the direct wind. Think out of the box here.
Sometimes using 2 or 3 tarps are easier to manage than one big one. Zip tie the tarp to your hardware cloth unless you feel it's not sturdy enough to hold. I zip things to mine all the time with no issues.
I'm cheap and use harbor freight tarps a LOT. If on a "wall" they will hold up for about 3-4 years depending on how much they have to weather. If used as a "roof", I get about 3 years or so, again depending on weather, how much ice/snow, how rough I am dumping snow/ice/rain and if a stick or something gets poked through during storms.
I keep a tote with various sizes of tarps just in case...Yep, most are harbor freight, I use sales and coupons, but I'm not a fan of the blue. I like cammo best as for appearance, but if for short term, I'm not too picky.

Tarps don't necessarily have to cover all the way to the roofline, chickens are low to the ground...

Start in the middle with say 1 8x10 or 9x12 tarp and wrap let it wrap around a corner, then do the opposite, this will break the wind and it will flow around the sides.

And another thing. Having a grommet set (you can get that at harbor freight too) comes in handy, you can add more grommets if necessary or if your tarp is floppy, etc. Easy to do, you just need a hammer and hard surface.

BUT IF you want a big tarp, they sell those too...

Thanks. I'm in rural upstate PA, so it's walmart, TSC, or Lowes for urgent needs. Amazon for every thing else.

 

[Tahai]

I bought a 12x16 tarp and covered the actual coop. The overhang created enough of a gap that I feel air exchange will be ok for now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I bought a 12x16 tarp and covered the actual coop. The overhang created enough of a gap that I feel air exchange will be ok for now.

Looks good! Yes, I agree, I think there's will be plenty of air exchange.

It's been cold here but not anything unusual, but early next week it's expected to be an artic blast, SO looking forward to that. Doesn't look like it will be bad as the polar vortex we had last year (let's hope anyway!) but still not fun. I'll be adding some wind blocking too, no doubt.

I hope all goes well for you.

Oh and that stinks you don't have a HF close by. I used to make the trip to another larger city a few times a year, but we finally got one in our smallish town a couple of years ago, so glad to have it.