My favorite coop improvement

[bawkbawkbawk]

When I started researching chickens last spring, the two things that kept coming up in my reading were the importance of keeping things clean and of keeping things dry. Chickens + wet seems to lead to trouble. I guess I got that point across to DH pretty strongly because he arranged to have the pen covered with this corrugated plastic:

It's clear, so the light comes through, but when it rains, we now have a great big umbrella over the pen. Yesterday the neighbor kids came over to visit the chickens and sat in the pen with the chickens, drinking hot chocolate and doing their homework while it poured rain. Everyone stayed perfectly dry!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

That's cool! The snow pack we get here would collapse our runs if I tried that--but it's a good idea! I've thought about wrapping the Northern pens with something similar to block the wind...

 

[lauralou]

I love it!

 

[Country Heart]

Neat

 

[possumqueen]

Quote:
You would need a steeper pitch to keep the snow from weighing everything down, wouldn't you?

Or you could be my neighbor in North Carolina (Piedmont area) where we sensibly do without lots of snow!

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, people in areas where it sometimes snows mustn't try to copy that way of putting the panels on... but for a snow-free climate, as long as the roof is attached so it won't blow off it looks good to me

I agree, a roofed run is one of the very best things you can have!


Pat

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Oooh - hadn't thought of what it's like to be where it snows. I don't think we've ever had so much of a flurry here although we often see snow on the nearby mountains in the winter.

We do have a rainy season, though - some years rainier than others and this year has been pretty wet so far. The roofed pen has made things so much easier for us AND for the chickens!

 

[rickc24]

Quote:
im putting this on my run tomorrow which should take care of the rain...

 

[MissJenny]

What a great image -- neighbor kids sipping hot chocolate while doing their homework in a chicken coop. It's doesn't get much more "Norman Rockwell" than that... my faith in the next generation is restored!

Jenny

 

[fldiver97]

I used the corrugated (but opaque) PVC roofing on my run. It's a bit sloped and currently has about 4 inches of snow on it. We had quite the snowstorm Wednesday. It's holding up just fine but the run is only 12x4.....I will get some of the snow off tomorrow when the temp is supposed to be high 20's.....I bet some of our Wisconsin kids will break out the flip flops and shorts (but wear a down jacket....go figure...) if the sun is out. Not me....

But you are right...it is so nice to be able to have a dry area year round!