new idea for some shade in the run

[ams3651]

Its been so miserably hot here this summer, another heat advisory today and the chickens dont want to leave the coop because theres no shade in the run till later this afternoon. I have a small dome tent I set up out back for my son to play in and today I had a thought.....the rain fly! It has hooks and elastic bands on each corner, I stretched it from the fence to the nails on the wall where the netting is attached. Perfect! and they are much happier. Just thought I would mention it, maybe someone else could use the idea.
Oh and I am definitely planting a bush over there to shade them. I have a huge snowball bush in the yard and when they are out thats where then hang out.

 

[usschicago1]

i use a back cober to a truck. You could also temporarily use a tarp

I like your bush idea, maybe ill do that too

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I use a combination of wisteria tree, poplar tree, river birch, honeysuckle vine, climbing roses and a tarp on my runs. The wisteria & poplar are the only ones large enough to provide any real shade in the afternoon and in the late afternoon, the tarps shade the rest.

 

[Nostalchic]

I have an old patio umbrella that I attached to a post in the chicken's run, and they really like the shade from that. But I agree, I also planted some shrubs (Nanking cherry) on the west side of the chicken yard (protected at this point with chicken wire cages) to give them some shade and shelter in a few years, and I think I'll put a little tree on the east side in the fall.

 

[chicks4kids]

put a tarp over the run-they're fairly cheap and work wonderfully!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You should also be able to purchase shade cloth by the linear foot at Home Depot or Lowes or a garden center. Here it wund about $1.80 per foot and is 6' wide. A 15' roll costs $24, a 20 roll costs $29.

 

[ams3651]

Quote:
I tried that the first year, its really windy here and they didnt like the noise it made flapping in the wind. Plus the wind eventually tore it to shreds. And I didnt have money right now to spend on it, i do plan to buy shade cloth eventually.

 

[usschicago1]

Quote:
I tried that the first year, its really windy here and they didnt like the noise it made flapping in the wind. Plus the wind eventually tore it to shreds. And I didnt have money right now to spend on it, i do plan to buy shade cloth eventually.

Thats Why I Said Temporary...I had the same problem

 

[bburn]

We live in the country, in Arkansas, and it seems that when you live out in the boonies that you never throw anything away. When we built our chicken house and attached it to the dog run (dog long gone) we put an old satellite dish (really large and fiberglass) in the pen and put it at an angle to provide shade for the chickens. They love it and take their dirt baths underneath. Also there is a lip around it and when it rains water gathers in the lip and gives them another place to get fresh water.

They can get in the hen house but the breeze is much nicer under the dish.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Here's what I am going to do for mine...

Get some cheap lattice work (sometimes you can find it on Craigslist or whatever).

Then staple or nail some shade cloth to it.

Lay it across the top of your runs.

It won't blow away and if you get a lot of snow (like we do) you can go out & take them off for the winter.