Official BYC Poll: Is your RUN Covered or Not?

[Suri]

Of course if money was no issue and you had an easy way to make it happen (no trees in the way) I’m sure most people would have a cover run.

However, what is your current run like? Covered/ uncovered, size and what is the floor/ bedding made up of?

*please feel free to add a photo of your setup!

Mine not covered at the new house/property.. at my old house it’s covered with wire mesh because it’s a small area.. but I’ve 7 guard geese to guard my chickens at my new place..

 

[pozees2]

Our runs are chain link panels with supported chain link across the tops, we have birds of prey, coyotes, fox, skunk, and the occasional feral cat. Late spring through fall we put shade cloth over the top.

 

[rlhagan56]

My run is 16 X 16, 1/2 is covered in roofing panels, the rest is chicken wire and netting. The sides are leftover horse fence with netting, and connected to my coop. Shade cloth on one end, and we fenced off one side for chicks to grow out, then the gate is left open with a little coop when we don't have chics. Clay soil that we added sand to. The chickens mixed it all in for us by the second year. It has roosts, stumps, and a lined bottom exterior.

 

[Phoenixxx]

Only one run is covered, and that was our quail aviary. The top centre strip is old trampoline net, which turned out to be a PITA in the snow. The chicken runs are all uncovered: if they want to fly out, they can. Because of winter snow, I would never do another covered run, not unless it had a peaked roof - but then the chickens wouldn't be able to get adequate sunshine when outside, and that is important.

 

[Vicker]

When I had a small run, I covered with netting. With a huge run now, I place a platform they can hide under in the middle of the space, away from the coop.

 

[Patty from Ivy]

We covered one half of our run with plastic panels and the other half with hardware cloth but then ended up covering that with tarps. Will finish covering that half with the panels soon. We have too many hawks in our woods and found that covering the run made for dryer conditions and happier hens!

 

[DutchChickMom]

Run still in the making, but will be covered completely with hardwire cloth, and about half additional clear polycarbonate hollow sheets for added dry space.

 

[edeveraux]

Covered. Built an A frame of pvc, then covered with wire mesh. Made sure to go all the way to the fence, no gaps. We have hawks and raccoons. Then we trained some vines to grow over top, creates shade in the summer.

 

[gtaus]

12x12 run covered with bird netting. Use deep litter in the run composed of wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, and anything else that will break down into compost. Thinking about building a small A-Frame covered with plastic to keep snow off in the winter. My chickens would not go outside in the snow.

 

[Folly's place]

Roofing our run area was the best thing ever! We had it rebuilt to be continuous with the coop roofline, and shingled like the coop, more expensive, but ours isn't large, and NO SHOVELING!
And the year a big spruce fell on it, only damage to the shingles and particle board, not to the framing?
Mary