Covered run? Need lots of ideas please :)

[havi]

Im slowly, but surely upgrading my chicken digs. What is the best thing to cover the top of the run with? I plan to build the run like someone on here did. (Whomevers it is, I hope you dont mind me using it here. If you do, please let me know.) I hate using chicken wire! Plus I would prefer something a little cheaper per ft. I was looking around online and came across aviary netting. Would something like this work? Ive seen different sized netting. What would be the best size? I live in Central Texas so it gets pretty hot here during the summers. Never any snow and have rainy winters sometimes. I would also like to cover part(either 1/4 or 1/2) of the run with something that would provide shade for my girls. Right now Im using a blue tarp, but would much rather use something more "appealing to the eye" if you know what I mean.

 

[Opa]

I found a rollup blind at a yard sale that is 8' long and was made to just diffuse light not block it. It works great on the side of my bachelor run. I picked it up for $2. They have another one so I'm going back to get it as well for my other pen.

 

[4hLuvers]

We are still building our coop/run and are planning on using white corrogated plastic for our roof. We were hoping to use something translucent but Home Depot failed us in that department...

Good Luck!

 

[Chicabee19]

I am hoping to use the wavy fiberglass to cover part of my run.

It lets in light, but is pretty solid.

Our entire huge deck is covered with it and we haven't had a problem in 10 years.

 

[havi]

Questions about the corrogated plastic stuff..

I dont know too much about it, but from what Ive read on here, doesnt it:

get waaaaay too hot for the chickens? kinda like a sauna?
living in Tx would it split and crack in the hot heat?

 

[Opa]

I built some roosts in my run and used 1 sheet of Ondura corrogated roofing material. It's about $12 for a 48x79 sheet and much more durable.

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[Suess hens]

I have aviary netting on my run! I love it. Keeps the ickies out. The feral cat came back and couldn't get in...HAHAHAHAHA. Our only difference is that I have wood fencing on three sides because we just used a section of our garden (walled off to keep our dogs out who like fresh veggies). This summer I have been in search of something I can lay over the aviary netting to give the girls more shade, and I wound up just creating a roosting area with a roof on it and a back. It does a good job and I know the girls are in there because of the poopige under it. I also have a raised coop and they go under there for cool shade (I once stuck my hand under there mid-day...if I could have fit I would be under there with them). I scrap that area once a week usually just because they drag stuff under with them, and I pull it out so they have access to the dirt...dirt baths and it keeps it cooler than the hay they pull under there.

 

[LynneP]

...and if you decide to check out the corrugated plastic roofing, such as PALruf, it comes in opaque colors, translucent and clear. We used clear because we needed to get more light and because the coop is on the NW corner of the barn. Pics in the link below.

 

[Omran]

hi Havi,hereare some pictures of my run hope they will help you

 

[TheNewMrsEvans]

It snows where I am so we just made a run similar the one just posted with wavy plastic panels, not metal, with a steeper slope. It holds up well...like 10yrs now!