How do you weatherize your enclosed run?

[res]

Don't these plastic tarps and whatnot make a "thwap thwap thwap" noise when the wind hits it?
That would annoy the holy hell out of me.

Mine doesn't. I've been in the run on extremely windy days, and the tarps/shower curtains don't move. I pulled them very taught when I installed them, so that they couldn't flop at all. My thinking was more that if they flopped in the wind, they would wear out and tear the attachment points. If they don't move, they can't tear...

 

[centrarchid]

Add straw bale and wooden pallet.

 

[MrsBachbach]

"How do you weatherize your enclosed run?" I don't. Back wall (North) is built from steel roofing material. East, West and South wall are open. Roof is asphalt shingles and fiberglass panels.

Nice run. That's all that's really needed for chickens, a wind block usually set up on the north side. I put tarps up for my sake as much as the chickens in the winter. I hate going in every morning and being chilled to the bone by the blowing wind!

 

[MrsBachbach]

They don't need to be 100% airtight. In fact, I wouldn't want airtight in a coop because of the smell. Now if you have alot of holes and drafts are bad in the coop house, I would consider it. Important thing in the winter is to keep them dry and out of drafts. I have rooster pens set up with just two side walls, roof and open on two sides (chicken wire), one of which faces the north. So, every year when the weather starts getting below freezing more often than not, I put the tarps up on those two open sides. They still get plenty of air in there, they just don't get blown to pieces by the north wind.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Thanks...my gauge question was answered in a post above by ' poster Original Recipe'.

I agree that shower curtains and table cloths won't last for years, probably no UV protection blended in like with tarps.
Could you provide a supplier of the clear reinforced tarps you purchased?

I think I purchased them online from Farmtek, not 100% certain. It could have been the above mentioned mytarp.com though, because that also sounds familiar. Farmtek carrys all variety of plastic sheeting and tarps for greenhouses, barns etc. They usually have options for custom sizing, groomets, hemming, etc. Now, the ones I bought are not crystal clear, and they have what looks like grid like strings in the sheeting for reinforcement. However, they are not blue or gray and let the natural light in.