Metal roofing over run ?

[Summerfaith2]

Hello i am just starting to build my run and my husband wants to put a metal roof on it as we have 2 halks living 100yds away. Im concerned about lighting will this slow egg production. As one end is the coop and the other side and end is a stockaid fence and that leaves one long side for light none derect. Thanks for the help.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It will not be a problem at all. Just tell him to slope it so the water runs off away from the coop and run to help keep the run dry.

 

[coop-er]

Hello i am just starting to build my run and my husband wants to put a metal roof on it as we have 2 halks living 100yds away. Im concerned about lighting will this slow egg production. As one end is the coop and the other side and end is a stockaid fence and that leaves one long side for light none derect. Thanks for the help.

Our coop and run is brand new. My very handy and wonderful husband built it and he put a metal roof on. We love, love it! It keeps the run dry in all weather. I don't have direct light either, but I also don't have rain inside, no mud The Hawks stay away from it and it looks great. I expect it will last forever, as they are so durable. Ridgerunner is right, slope it for runoff and you should be very happy.

 

[JeepDVL45]

I have a metal roof over my run as well, one of the best things I did. You can always put a clear roofing panel or two in if you'd like, but you shouldn't need it. You should get quite a bit of residual light. My girls are perfectly happy with the amount of light they're getting, they're not showing any issues laying (if you look at the pic below, I had installed a window in the coop before putting the roof up...while the roof blocks a lot of the light for that window, when clean the coop/grab eggs, the inside is still pretty well lit. (I did eventually put a 2nd window in). I'm located in NY just south of Albany.....while the roof is nice to keep rain out....its so much more useful for helping to keep a couple feet of snow out lately.

The only other thing I did do -- which is more for me then my girls -- was pick up a string of outdoor LED solar lights off ebay for about $13 with shipping. That way, when its a little dark out at night, I can throw the lights on in the run to see a bit better.

 

[donrae]

I'm in the PNW, we don't have "direct sunlight" for weeks at a time

. As long as it's light outside, the birds will get the light they need to lay. My current run is uncovered, I sure wish I had a nice metal roof on it.

 

[HickoryHollow]

I divided part of my run with a 7' high wood fence. I put a metal roof over the part closest to the coop. When it is snowing outside, I keep the door closed and they stay under the roof. When it is nicer, I open the door and they have the run of it all. The part that doesn't have a roof is covered in bird netting. I have had some trouble this winter with wet heavy snows sticking to the bird netting and sagging it down so I plan to replace that with chicken wire I order online. It should be here in the next few days. Hope the weather straightens out so I can get it put up soon.