Please show me photos of your covered (as in with metal or other) runs

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I'm looking for ideas & inspiration for my next project--covering EIGHT runs...I have wire on there now but I'm thinking that if I can cover them with plastic roofing (the clear stuff) it would keep it dry and help keep the birds out...

I have an odd-shaped roof line to follow and LOTS of snow...so I can't have a flat roof.

I'm thinking about adding the roof to follow the existing roof line...

Here's my lovely "paint drawing" of what I'm thinking of...hard to do with a ghetto program like Paint but yeah...

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I'd have to have lots of support beams, too....hubby is NOT happy when I told him my idea, LOL He said, save up $1000 at least...!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

anyone?

 

[chickerdoodle]

For lots of snow you probably need a decent slope on the roof. We don't get much snow but lots of rain in the winter. Hubby used 4x4 support posts which is a bit overkill in our area but he likes well built buildings. Ours coop is only 4 feet wide with a 1 foot overhang on each side so the roof is about 6 feet wide total. Hope it gives you an idea--good luck!

I have a picture of our covered coop/run but not sure how much it'll help you:

This is from the inside if you can see what the underside looks like:

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Thank you! That looks nice! Did your hubby build your coop?

 

[patandchickens]

Your plan is definitely the way to go, without question.

However you will have to evaluate whether your existing run-fence posts are strong enough to hold the weight required. They may not be. Basically, approach the project like you're building a free-standing shed -- which you ARE, it just happens to be a shed with mesh walls

Find a book of shed plans, or go to engineering tables, or whatever, and find the post size/spacing and beam size/mounting-method and rafter size/spacing that is appropriate for your required roof load and your chosen pitch. I would really, really not go lower than a 1/2 (6:12) pitch, but you are going to be limited by your existing structures and will have to see what you are forced into and whether it will be ok.

Plastic roofing has the advantage of snow slipping off it more readily than off any other roof material I know, so you can maybe 'cheat' a little bit if absolutely necessary. If you are concerned about economics or snowload-soundness I would highly recommend shelling out the extra $ for polycarbonate roofing (suntuf, etc) NOT pvc (palruf, etc) because the pvc does not deal well with things like cold, the passage of more than a coupla years, or weight on it.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[LynneP]

We used vinyl and we have a roof rake. It's been excellent and we reinforced for snow with joists 1 foot apart:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=7693-LynnePs_Run

 

[SilkieTime]

This is when I first started. I am done now but still putting 1/4in. pea gravel and then sand on top of that, then I have to divid the runs.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Heather,
I would try to work with the roof line that you have already for ease of incorporating a roof. Since you already have wire, the only thing you really are looking for is the shelter aspect of the roof. I don't know what the side of the building looks like on the right of this view you showed, I am not sure how high or low it could or should be. But I don't think it would be terrible difficult. You will need to go 24" on center for the rafters to attach the metal roofing unless you go with an OSB with the metal over that. How much snow do you get there? The metal should sheet off the snow pretty well or be fairly easy to clean off if you get much of it and you don't want to weight of it to worry about.

FYI I love that Lemon Blue girl I hatched from you. She is actually the opposite of the Lemon Blue more of a buff with Blue highlights and blue around her neck, but I think she is beautiful. Maybe I will get be some blues and add her to that along with the buff girl I have out here already.
Good luck with you roof. I can do a drawing and send it to you with what I am thinking if you want?

Take care.
Theri

 

[Wisher1000]

Here's my newest addition. It is 12' X16' and fully covered with metal roofing (seconds - I paid .90 per foot for it.) It was built with all new materials - 4X4's, 2X4's, 2X6's, 2X8's, 2x4 welded wire, and OSB/ In addition, I paid a crew to build it. Total cost was about $1000.00. My DH nearly stroked! Once I crunched the numbers, I will have to sell every egg my girls lay and charge $12.00 per doz. for the next year to break even...lol!