People with intense winters: Runs + Snow Load?

[lefttowrite]

Hello! I’m almost done with my coop and am looking to build a run next. I’ve left adequate space for it and have factored in windbreaks, ground drainage, etc in the site. I’m not so much worried about the bottom of the run as I am the top. I live in northern MI where we can get 3 feet of snow in a single storm.

I know my run needs a cover since we have hawks but after building the coop (a single-slant roof, 8ft high on the east side, 6ft high on the west) I’m worried my husband will not be up for doing 20 ft MORE of all that roofing with me!

So, my question: What do you snow-laden folks do? I’m tossing around these ideas:

- A. Extending the same sloped roofline of the coop down another 20’ for the run (but metal or plastic roofing?)
- B. Bending some cattle panels into a semicircle, covering with plastic (and hardware cloth at the bottom), and framing in a door at the end.
- C. Just building a basic fence (again, fortified with hardware cloth) and tacking up netting/mesh up top that may or may not let snow through.

Cost, time/ease of building, and snow load are all factors. I have been nitpicky with coop security, so not as worried about a totally predator-proof run.

 

[DonyaQuick]

Can't help with A , but a proper roof will hold up best. I live in an area that gets at least a few winter storms dropping 2ft of wet snow over a day or two and sometimes more (particularly with back to back storms)

Related to B, depending on what you make it out of if you don't have extra supports in the middle and are looking at a big amount of snow I would try to clear it off the top once or twice during the storm so the full weight of 2+ft of snow doesn't end up on it. My run isn't hoop style (an actualsemicircle would be a bit stronger) but over time snow has slightly bent the 1" pipe supporting the roof - and that was with not letting more than a foot accumulate at a time.

Kind of related to C, it was my experience that not much snow sat on 2" spaced welded wire. My area gets a lot of wet sticky snow; some would stick but the vast majority fell through. I went through my first winter with my setup just shoveling the run. I haven't tried netting though after seeing videos of people's netted runs saggibadly after ice storms.

 

[Sally PB]

- A. Extending the same sloped roofline of the coop down another 20’ for the run (but metal or plastic roofing?)
- B. Bending some cattle panels into a semicircle, covering with plastic (and hardware cloth at the bottom), and framing in a door at the end.
- C. Just building a basic fence (again, fortified with hardware cloth) and tacking up netting/mesh up top that may or may not let snow through.

3 feet of Michigan snow is usually VERY heavy. (Hi from another Michigander!) We don't get the powder they get out west very often, we get snow with a lot of moisture, and it sticks to everything and together. Good snowball/snowman snow. (OP, I know you know this.)

Forget C. I have seen snow stack up on netting, fill in the holes, and bring it all down.

If you have the resources, ie, money, A would be my choice. I have a peaked roof on my run, and I use a push broom to pull the snow down whenever we get snow. Otherwise, the snow will pack down, stick to the roof, freeze solid into ice, and be impossible to remove.

B would be a good choice if money is tight. An arch will shed snow well, and cattle panel is strong. So is the arch shape. What will eventually give way is the plastic, due to UV, but you can get some that is for hoop green houses that will last pretty well. Putting hardware cloth over the arch first will spread out the weight of the snow.

That's basically what I have on half of my run. It's not an arch or cattle panel, it's the metal frame of a green house. I have chicken wire laid over it, then a heavy duty tarp. (The black/silver ones from TSC.) The chicken wire supports the tarp between the metal frame poles, so it doesn't sag very far. It's held up to two winters so far, no problem.

On the other half of the run, I have polycarbonate panels. They're the kind used for green houses, but slightly opaque (83% transmission). They let in a lot of light, but it doesn't get unbearably hot. I also broom it off any time we get snow. They were about $55 each, so not cheap. They are holding up very well.

 

[Sally PB]

Oh, and

 

[mowin]

I believe in a predator proof run. I don't want to come home to dead chickens.

A hoop run attached to the coop is easy to build and mine has held 3' of snow. Note the ridge beam. I do like the looks of framed out metal slant roofed run better.

 

[aart]

What do you snow-laden folks do?

Whichever way you go, make sure the structure under the roof is good and strong....
...and invest in a roof rake. Make the run door open outwards and keep that area cleared.
You likely already know to plan snow piling so you don't end up with 'mountains' being in the way or causing damage.
If you can afford it a solid roof would be best


I have a 2x4 welded wire roof on the run and live in the snow belt 15mi east of the big lake. Most snow falls thru just fine, I shovel part of the run including a path along all 50' of it's length to provide access for me to clear the roof(banging the underside with back of shovel to make any stuck fall thru) when needed. This path also gives the birds more space to roam, other than the 4x8" portion of run under the coop(the only shelter out there), and facilitates snow melt. The first year we had a freezing rain before a foot of wet heavy snow everything stuck to wire and the roof bent severely, luckily the wire didn't kink so it bounced back up once cleared. It also showed me a few deficits in attachments of wire to rafters. In one place I use a stick of 2x2 to prop up the weaker area at the juncture of the 'L'.

I also had a hoop coop structure sitting in yard for a few years. It was made of cattle panel(4" x 6" squares) with a tarp over it. It shed most snow but did need to be cleared when snow piled up on it, before the sagging turned to bends.

Sag in middle right is where one panel is zip tied to the other.

 

[RojoMarz]

I'm in the mountains, in Colorado. We also get lots of snow. Our coop sheds snow on the N side and the door is on the S side. We have two runs, larger one that is uncovered. It does have bird netting over it though. The bird netting does not hold up against the snow load and I'm constantly repairing (with zip ties) the holes/tears. The second run (coop run) is attached to the coop and the birds to thru it to access the second run. It's about 10x20 and is covered with a metal roof. High side faces W and low side, E. It's also wrapped in plastic year round, with a 1-2 foot opening all the way around three sides. This setup works for us and allows the birds to still have run area w/o me having to shovel snow from the run.

 

[lefttowrite]

I believe in a predator proof run. I don't want to come home to dead chickens.

A hoop run attached to the coop is easy to build and mine has held 3' of snow. Note the ridge beam. I do like the looks of framed out metal slant roofed run better.

I hear ya! Still plan to predator-proof the run (HC apron around the perimeter…not done with hardware cloth yet, much to my chagrin ) but I’m just saying that I’m not as worried about it as I am with the coop. Hopefully the coop itself will be like Fort Knox!

I really like the person-sized door you have built around the chicken door. Was that hard to do? The way my layout is situated, I’ll have to go alllll the way to the end of the run to access a door if I do the hoop design. This would be a nice fix to that issue!

 

[lefttowrite]

Whichever way you go, make sure the structure under the roof is good and strong....
...and invest in a roof rake. Make the run door open outwards and keep that area cleared.
You likely already know to plan snow piling so you don't end up with 'mountains' being in the way or causing damage.
If you can afford it a solid roof would be best


I have a 2x4 welded wire roof on the run and live in the snow belt 15mi east of the big lake. Most snow falls thru just fine, I shovel part of the run including a path along all 50' of it's length to provide access for me to clear the roof(banging the underside with back of shovel to make any stuck fall thru) when needed. This path also gives the birds more space to roam, other than the 4x8" portion of run under the coop(the only shelter out there), and facilitates snow melt. The first year we had a freezing rain before a foot of wet heavy snow everything stuck to wire and the roof bent severely, luckily the wire didn't kink so it bounced back up once cleared. It also showed me a few deficits in attachments of wire to rafters. In one place I use a stick of 2x2 to prop up the weaker area at the juncture of the 'L'.

I also had a hoop coop structure sitting in yard for a few years. It was made of cattle panel(4" x 6" squares) with a tarp over it. It shed most snow but did need to be cleared when snow piled up on it, before the sagging turned to bends.

Sag in middle right is where one panel is zip tied to the other.
View attachment 3556142

Looks like you get snow like ours! The hoop is exactly what I’m picturing.

 

[lefttowrite]

Can't help with A , but a proper roof will hold up best. I live in an area that gets at least a few winter storms dropping 2ft of wet snow over a day or two and sometimes more (particularly with back to back storms)

Related to B, depending on what you make it out of if you don't have extra supports in the middle and are looking at a big amount of snow I would try to clear it off the top once or twice during the storm so the full weight of 2+ft of snow doesn't end up on it. My run isn't hoop style (an actualsemicircle would be a bit stronger) but over time snow has slightly bent the 1" pipe supporting the roof - and that was with not letting more than a foot accumulate at a time.

Kind of related to C, it was my experience that not much snow sat on 2" spaced welded wire. My area gets a lot of wet sticky snow; some would stick but the vast majority fell through. I went through my first winter with my setup just shoveling the run. I haven't tried netting though after seeing videos of people's netted runs saggibadly after ice storms.

I *think* I could get away with welded wire on top? But I would be so bummed if it stuck, even just once, and bent it all out of shape.

What kind of pipe do you have supporting your hoop? I was thinking lumber, but pipe seems sturdier.