Official BYC Poll: Is your RUN Covered or Not?

[tralfaz]

Are most covering the run for raptors or other predators like raccoons? Is also raccoons, how does anything other than hardware cloth work? I'm still trying to decide on covered run material but is needs to be able to not retain snow.

 

[aart]

I'm still trying to decide on covered run material but is needs to be able to not retain snow.

Even my 2x4 mesh can catch the snow and start to pile up,
but it's pretty easy to bang it off from underneath.
2x4 mesh should keep most coons out, but my coop is Fort Knox for nighttime, so I don't worry about it.

 

[DobieLover]

Covered with a solid roof. The whole works sits inside an electrified poultry fence powered with a 10,000 volt charger. I have a black bear that lives close by.
The run is 12'x28' with a 8'x4' jog behind the coop for the dust bath area.

I have big man hands... This was taken just outside my woodshed that is attached to the back of my garage.

 

[CraftyHen]

Covered with a solid roof. The whole works sits inside an electrified poultry fence powered with a 10,000 volt charger. I have a black bear that lives close by.
View attachment 2108824

I have big man hands... This was taken just outside my woodshed that is attached to the back of my garage.
View attachment 2108832

Beautiful coop & run by the way!

 

[DobieLover]

Beautiful coop & run by the way!

Thanks.

 

[jreardon1918]

Both. The main run is 8x12. Covered with a flat plywood roof. I have to pull the snow off the roof. But it is secure enough that Idon't have to close them in the coop at night. Most days i let them out a side door to a fenced 20'x50' area. One hen disappeared from this area. I assume she flew out and did not find her easy back before something got her. A hawk did go after one recently. She lost a few feathers but survived.

 

[CraftyHen]

I have 2 coops. One has a run covered with metal roof as of last summer. Previously it was covered in the same 1x2 wire used on the sides. It got muddy and we had to fight with tarps in winter which made it very dark. The roof is corrugated run and surprisingly it's nice and bright in the run.
The 2nd coop is much smaller with a run that is 1/2 covered with roof and 1/2 with just the wire.

 

[Acre4Me]

Yes, Covered with a roof.

We have a 10'x50' run. It is directly behind the 50' barn, so the run is completely protected from the west winds in the winter. The barn (pole building) has a loft so the barn roof edge is pretty high. We put in 4x4 posts (anchored 2.5-3 feet below the surface with concrete) and created a single slant roof that goes just under the barn eaves, and slopes to the edge of the 10' run width. The materials used for the roof are plywood and shingles for the coop, then metal panels for the exterior/ non-coop portion, then clear panels where there is a window into the barn. The coop is elevated, so they have that covered area as well. It takes time. We are in year 3 of chickens. First we built a brooder, then a coop, then a 6' roof over the decking (bc it's elevated) and door into coop. Covering the area around the door is a primary concern if you get snow and ice in the winter. Last summer we installed the posts for the rest of the roof, and started to add supports for the panels and we bought the panels. We put up a few panels during ok winter days. We still have another 10-15' to go to fully cover the 50'run. But, it is a great thing to have more dry ground in the run.

The first year we had a very heavy rain, and water flowed through the south portion of the run (partly bc the barn downspouts emptied on that side) and we were thankful the coop was elevated. Water didn't stay around, but it did wash out the bedding in that side of the run, resulting in annoying mud. So we called a tree guy and for a small amount of money he brought a huge load of chipped wood, and it all went into the run. It has helped quite a bit. We did have to add flat boards around the edge of the chain link fence to keep the chipped wood inside the run. Those girls love to scratch and dust bathe.

Your run looks like chipped wood would help immensely. A roof will also help, but for now, the mud needs to be addressed. Its a process and takes time!

Good Luck!

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Covered run. We have a lot of predators including hawks. Half is covered with fencing, half with corrugated fiberglass sheet.
Run ground is just ground. I try to add wood chips or hay as I can but to no avail.

 

[HENS-and-MARES]

Technically ours isn’t completely covered, YET. We have four metal roofing pieces on now, and have a metal wire that isn’t on YET. This picture is from when we were first building it. It has part of the roof now and the duck house is no longer inside.