Metal run in the snow?

[CarlaCo]

Hi all, trying to solve one potential problem at a time. We bought this metal run for our coop. I bought some tough tarp, but I can see how snow may cave in the wide expanse under the dome where there is little support. Does anyone who lives where it snows have a metal run? What kind of things did you do to winterize or weatherize it?

 

[Miami Leghorn]

I clicked on this thinking it was someone playing Whitesnake in their coops to raise egg production.

 

[aart]

What kind(gauge and spacing) of wire mesh is on the top?

I have 14ga 2x4 mesh on my roof(see my coop page) but no tarps.
Even without a tarp the snow can start to stick and cave in the mesh. I have to keep it cleared off.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I have a similar run (but the roof is spired /\ ), this will be our first winter with it, and we're going to add a corrugated roof in the spring. I live in Michigan, and the plan for this winter is to just keep the snow cleared off when we get heavy snows. It's going to be a pain in the patootie, but I don't know what else to do. Sorry, this probably isn't much help.

 

[mowin]

Hi all, trying to solve one potential problem at a time. We bought this metal run for our coop. I bought some tough tarp, but I can see how snow may cave in the wide expanse under the dome where there is little support. Does anyone who lives where it snows have a metal run? What kind of things did you do to winterize or weatherize it?

I put a ridge board with end supports . Had a tarp over half of it with no issues with snow. I tried posting a pic, but for some reason the pic won't load.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I put a ridge board with end supports . Had a tarp over half of it with no issues with snow. I tried posting a pic, but for some reason the pic won't load.

Me: Googling "ridge board"

 

[CarlaCo]

What kind(gauge and spacing) of wire mesh is on the top?

I have 14ga 2x4 mesh on my roof(see my coop page) but no tarps.
Even without a tarp the snow can start to stick and cave in the mesh. I have to keep it cleared off.

It’s just the cheap stuff that came with the run. Really light guage. They call it hexagonal wire mesh.

 

[CarlaCo]

I have a similar run (but the roof is spired /\ ), this will be our first winter with it, and we're going to add a corrugated roof in the spring. I live in Michigan, and the plan for this winter is to just keep the snow cleared off when we get heavy snows. It's going to be a pain in the patootie, but I don't know what else to do. Sorry, this probably isn't much help.

Yep, that was my second thought. PIA for sure!

 

[CarlaCo]

I put a ridge board with end supports . Had a tarp over half of it with no issues with snow. I tried posting a pic, but for some reason the pic won't load.

Dang a picture would really really help! I can’t picture what a ridge board with ends would look like.

 

[mowin]

I'm trying. I've posted many pics over the years. Have no idea what is going on.

Basically, I had a 2x6 running front to back at the highest point. This would be the ridge board. On each end I put a 2x6 under the ridge board and held everything up with vertical 2x4s in a inverted V