So I just got my first taste of having to get up early and go out to shake the snow off my aviary. The top is wire but sticky snow just won't fall through. We don't usually get a TON of snow but I am wondering if there is some easy solution I am missing? This winter we are stuck with what we have but we could redo it this coming spring... what do others do? Very large mesh wire? (I didn't go with this originally because I was afraid the ducks would fly up and get caught in it.) Any tips?
I can't help with this because I am having the same problem. I was surprised to find the wire over our coops weighed down from the snow, and we have already had a total of 3ft this year. Typically, we don't get our snow until late January and February. Anyway, I will be following this so that I too can do something better next year. I wonder if aviary netting would work?
If your tops are flat, perhaps you can modify for winter and put a pitch to it. Something like a temporary gable type cover....
I have i think 1 or 1.5 inch notted top flight netting. We had a good 2ft of snow last year and the net was still clear.
Mine was a flat wire top but I added a roof about a month ago to help with the elements. Framed in a slanted roof from left to right and covered it with clear plastic roofing panels. Works great. Maybe you can try proping up some plywood over the top with a makeshift frame and cover that with some plastic or an old tarp. I used the old tarp I had on top of the pen to cover all of the openings and sides of the pen to protect form the elements. Even if you can find like an old hot tub cover or anything to use temporarily till spring would work!
