Outdoor run shade "top" figured out......(pics shown)

[savingpurple]

Lo and behold, I work at a store that sells what I have been pondering over the last few days......shade cloth. More than waht I wanted to pay, but with my discount, it was manageable.

It is a shade cloth for a dog kennel. Knew we sold them, but didn't put 2 and 2 together this entire time....Felt like slapping myself upside the head this morning. Bought it. Will reduce sunlight by 70%. It is a 10' x 10' so we will need to be creative. Comes with heavy duty grommets already there,zip ties and extra thick along all edges.

Will update tomorrow (with pics) as it is installed....

I will be moving my grapevine to another location due to the poster that mentioned how heavy it will get. Don't want the run to be dragged down. I have another location for that. Will leave my beans anyways and plant more where the grapevine is to fill in the space.

I felt very defeated last night, but seen this at work today and felt better. Please hold good thoughts it will work out.My run is not square or rectangle. We just worked it around the coop in to an L shape. So a 10' x 10" may be fun to work with, but have high hopes this evening

LOL

UPDATE: with pics

My grandson helping. Just started to rain, so I had to improvise quickly as he has no rain coat here. I told him to never do this again. Plastic bag on him.

Here is the shade kennel top.

They came out in the rain so it must be helping on that front also Not the prettiest outdoor run, but one on a budget! It works for us and the chickens love it !

 

[sillybirds]

That should provide great shade for your chickens! I put that over part of my chickens' run. Wish I had of put more, as they like to stay either in the shade of the shadecloth or under the coop when it's hot. I would've like to have found what you used with the built in grommets. Would have made it easier. I had to use those clip on things.

By the way, I like your little helper's raincoat!

 

[TigerLilly]

It looks just fine--as long as it takes care of the chickens, that's all that matters!

 

[galanie]

Shade cloth does help but I find a tarp works better other than holding water when it rains. I solved that one though with a good pocket knife.

Couple v cuts in the right places and there you go. They don't last as long as good shade cloth does, it's true, but here, its just too hot even with the shade cloth and tarps are cheaper anyway.

 

[NanaLantana]

I'm still using my 70% shadecloth over my open porch - it's 20 years old! (It has a hole where my son 'fired' up the grill underneath, with lighter fluid -

) Shadecloth is good stuff - good choice.