First snow fall and my covered run.

[Mrs Howey]

First year having chickens.I have construction plastic fencing and some chicken wire over my run and its kept hawks and foxes out of my run all summer. Its was all held up with bailing wire but we had our first snow fall (6 or so inches so far) and the bailing wire snapped under the weight so i have to build some wooden supports to keep the plastic and wire up off where its supposed to be. Live and learn. Maybe someone can learn from my run failure. (i couldn't find poulty netting in any store near me and i didnt want to wait to have it shipped from an online store so i improvised and it worked great til today)

 

[Birdinhand]

plastic fencing eventually breaks down and provides little protection from the hungry vermin. poultry netting is slightly better but not by much. the only thing I see folks use that they can "set and forget" is 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth. it ain't cheap, but it's worth it's eight in gold, IMHO.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I use chicken wire over my big run and had to add supports too.

My smaller coop looked like this with winter prep. Now it is covered in snow.



I am hoping it holds up. I will surely have to remove snow load.

 

[Mrs Howey]

I'm thinking since we have to have supports that I'm going to replace the plastic with metal fencing. Hubby got a temporary center pole in the run til he gets off work and we can build the supports and i closed off gaps made by the collapse with more bailing wire when i moved the food and water into the coop and shoveled the snow around the coop. Found a tarp I'm gonna put down on the ground tonight so i don't have so much shoveling to do tomorrow when i let the chickens out. I wish i could put clear plastic all around my run to keep the snow out but with all the wind we get it would be shedded pretty quickly.

 

[Folly's place]

Think about snow load and security both, and build it to last, or you will be redoing it (during ugly weather) way too often. My first run had good structure and chicken wire all over, which did last for several years, and kept raptors out, and never was in danger of collapse.
Currently my coop and run are all under the same roof, with a solid north wall, and in winter, doubled plastic sheeting on the lower run sides to block the weather. It's all stapled to the framing, and then 1"x4" boards are screwed over the top. The plastic sheeting comes down in spring, and can be used again.
It doesn't hurt to overbuild, or at least build to local standards; cheaper to do it once, than to do it over! Safer, too. Mary

 

[aart]

My run roof is 2x4 welded wire....most snow goes thru it, some does not.
I wouldn't use any smaller mesh.
I have to be vigilant to keep the snow knocked off it if it starts to stick.
Couple of 8' long 2x2's are strategically placed to prop it up if we are expecting a heavy overnight snow fall.