How to keep run "roof" from sagging?

[PatS]

We had some friends over for our chicken house warming party. Everybody was very complimentary about our spoiled chickens' new digs, but someone pointed out that the carefully stretched aviary wire we had installed across the top of the run would stretch the first time we have snow.

We don't get much snow here, maybe three or four inches a couple of times a year. But I would like to keep the wire reasonably tight.

The run is 13 X 15'. Maybe every three feet there is a brace. I was thinking maybe I could throw some more 2X4's across the braces and stretch a tarp? Anyone have a better solution???

 

[Omran]

I think you need to prase it, if you would post some pictures then we can understand better the way you buid your run.

 

[PatS]

Okay, here is a shot from above, looking down on the flat wire roof.

Any ideas?

 

[emvickrey]

Quote:
I don't see where you would have a problem at all. You have supports that would hold up very well. IF the chicken wire does streach, it won't be much. Plus, it won't stay new forever.

Ours is a 14' x 14' run and the center is held by a cable running from the coop to a post that is in the ground. The wire is laying over that. It is sewen with wire to the wire around the bottom and we used T posts not wood. We put wood over the bottom and screwed it to wood inside the run also. It keeps the critters out. We had many very high wind storms that blew down large limbs on top of the run and it held up just fine. I think a whole tree would have to fall on it to mess it up.

 

[tylerhorseman]

that looks like your trying to keep a lion in so i think it would hold a few chickens...lol

 

[chixie]

looks great to me

 

[willheveland]

You are not going to have a problem with that. That is built very well. Will

 

[possumqueen]

PatS, that's beautiful!

Can't see that it would sag much over the next five or ten years, and by then of course you'll have built something bigger to keep more chickens, don't you think? It's a chronic problem with BYC addicts.

 

[Chickenmaven]

It looks great.

Let me point something out: No matter how terrific your project. There's always a critic...

(Ignore them.)

 

[LynneP]

So long as it's predator proof, I wouldn't worry about a little sagging. It's built so well that if you wanted to put some vinyl over it to keep snow or rain out, you could...