Chicken run roof slant versus flat roof.

[Emily_loveschickens]

Hello everyone. I am making a chicken run to fit all six of my chickens. It will be 10‘ x 6‘ and the lowest point will be 5 foot high. I am wondering if I need a slanted roof in my conditions. I am also wondering if I do do a slanted roof can it be about 6 feet tall at the highest point and 5 foot at the lowest? I want the run to match the slant of my coop similarly does not have to be exact because I don’t think my coop is slanted enough. So I do not want it to be a big 1 1/2 ft. difference. Thanks!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Considering your conditions include snow I'd say you can never have a flat roof. However where the slant low point is might be important to you if you consider splash back from where the water will run off. I didn't consider this at first and so the pitch puts the rain runoff right in my walking path around the coop and it creates splash back on my coop. I resolved the problem recently but maybe you can avoid that hassle.....

 

[mowin]

We usually get about 2 to 4 inches per storm.

I did some more drawing and it works out to exactly 15” inch. Do the roof supports need to be laid on top of the two main posts or can I drill them in between? Because I will be using wire instead of roofing at first so I need the wire to be laying flat and flat so I can put a tarp over it.

If your eventually going to put plywood on to make it covered, stick with 16" on center. The seams will line up with the rafters. They won't if you do 15 OC.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would not use a flat roof. Water stands on it instead if runs off so it will either leak through or corrode or rot the roofing material. You can get a flat roof on buildings but that is special materials and special installation methods. I'm not spending that much money on a run roof.

Is a 1 foot drop in 6 feet enough? What material and techniques are you using? You mention problems with your coop roof on that slope. Will it be similar? Then I'd expect the same issues. Is it better than a flat roof? Absolutely.

 

[mowin]

You'll be good with 2x4 16" on center

 

[mowin]

I don't think I am going to make the run covered any time soon.

Doesn't matter if you plan on covering it tomorrow or 3 yrs from now, frame it 16"OC. Plywood is 4x8'. Dividable by 16". Not 15"..

 

[mowin]

My current run's roof is welded wire with a tarp over it (my run is 250sq ft). It's supported in the center by vertical 4x4s. It's held up fine for the past 4 years, and we get feet of snow every year. We sweep it off after heavier snows, though.

Most roofs that are only 6' wide don't have vertical 4x4 unless you get feet of snow. The OP is in Colorado and only gets inches of snow, and I'm betting it's a lightweight powered snow. Would it be overkill, yes, but I agree, that center support, while most likely never needed, is cheap insurance.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Most roofs that are only 6' wide don't have vertical 4x4 unless you get feet of snow. The OP is in Colorado and only gets inches of snow, and I'm betting it's a lightweight powered snow. Would it be overkill, yes, but I agree, that center support, while most likely never needed, is cheap insurance.

You are correct!

Mine is 20' wide, but it would be overkill for 6' wide. I didn't explain it well. I was trying to make OP feel a lil more at ease about using a tarp over wire. It holds up for even my size run (which needs that center support simply because it's pretty large). OP wouldn't need that center support, esp since they don't get feet of snow like I do here in the Northern California foothills.

 

[SmiYa0126]

We put the slant behind the run and don't have very good drainage, it's a pain to mitigate when it rains alot. I recommend you put in gutters to move the water away from your run/coop.

 

[mowin]

I'd pitch it regardless of the snow load. As mentioned above, better to let the rain run off rather than sit there.