Completely covered run?

[Jkheald]

Do chicken need access to direct sunlight or can their run be completely covered? We were going to leave 1/4 uncovered but now I am unsure with rain and snow if that would just be a mess in that area. Seems easier to just cover the whole thing!

 

[DobieLover]

Below is a picture of my coop/run.
I covered 120 sq feet of the run with polycarbonate panels, plus another 32 sq feet under the coop (polycarb for the roofs of the coop to let in lots of light too) and left 80 sq feet of the run open to the elements.
Before I let the flock out late mornings, if the weather is nice, they will be lounging around in the uncovered area waiting for me so they seem to prefer that area. I have seen my birds lounging on their sides in the sun. They do enjoy it.
I expect it will get messy in the winter but I free range at least 75% of their waking hours so I'm not overly concerned about it.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Do chicken need access to direct sunlight or can their run be completely covered? We were going to leave 1/4 uncovered but now I am unsure with rain and snow if that would just be a mess in that area. Seems easier to just cover the whole thing!

I'm not sure, you would think chickens will need a bit of direct sunlight like humans for a bit of vitamin D.... but then you start to think about those house kept parakeet birds and they don't get direct sunlight at all and manage to do fine. With that said, if you're able to, I would leave a portion of the area uncovered so that the chickens have the option of basking in the sun...... 1/4 uncovered as you posted would work. And it also depends on how you set up the coop relative to the sun rising and setting, perhaps there is enough sunlight entering the coop either earlier on the day or later in the evening with a fully covered run? I suppose it depends on how high your run is but I dunno, more experience coop people can help you with the best setup on your coop relative to the sun.

 

[Jkheald]

This is what we are interested in building. Possibly minus some of the roof.

 

[IndianaChickadee]

I would leave them a little corner so that they can go into to get sunlight but that's jmo

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

This is what we are interested in building. Possibly minus some of the roof.

I think it would be wise to have a completely covered run, you don't want your chickens exposed to mud, soaked pine shavings or whatever you're using in the run when it rains.... it could promote bacterial growth? I'm not an expert on that area, but could be a possiblity. I would say have it completely covered, just make sure you set the coop up relative to the path of the sun as to get enough sunlight/shade area.

 

[LDFchicksnducks]

Depending on where you locate it in your yard, it will likely still get some sun. Mine are all open air, but the tops are covered with metal roofing. the morning sun hits one side, and the evening sun gets the other side.

 

[Jkheald]

Depending on where you locate it in your yard, it will likely still get some sun. Mine are all open air, but the tops are covered with metal roofing. the morning sun hits one side, and the evening sun gets the other side.

This is definitely what I am thinking!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

They will still get some sunlight, just not from directly overhead. Up to you if you want to roof or not. On the plus side it's predator protection, snow and rain protection, and can provide some shade. The cons are it costs money and you'll need to factor in extra height for the fence so that you can walk in without stooping or bending.

 

[blackdog043]

I would cover it, they should still get some sun, depending on the location you choose. Like said above, "On the plus side it's predator protection, snow and rain protection, and can provide some shade."

My run is fully covered, it gets part sun for about 6 hrs mid day.