You have a lovely coop/run!
Last Winter, when it came time for us to 'winterize', I too, wanted it to look nice. More importantly, I wanted for the chickens to be able to see out of, and for us to be able to see in to the run.
Last year I bought a roll of this:
It was just under $90 for a 4' x 75' roll. We cut panels of the plastic sheeting sized for our needs and attached furring strips with deck screws into the wood along the sides, against the hardware cloth for a draft-free fit. It worked great - with one big drawback - dust. We use the deep litter method in the run, which is so easy to maintain, but when turning it over periodically, the DUST!
So this year, I opted to use a combination of last year's panels and two large, clear tarps, one covering three panels on the West side of the run, and one coving the two panels on the East side of the run, next to the door. That way, when I do a big litter turnover, I can peel back the tarps and open the door to allow the dust an escape.
Last year:
This year:
We kept the clearer plastic around the front where there are roosts, and the more opaque material is along the side (just out of sight in the last pic), and it's not too bad. It's still clear enough to see through, just less clarity, but will still let light and the sun shine through.
This is the 6.6x13 ft tarp I ordered from
Amazon:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09KTL87CD?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
It seems sturdy enough. The key to keeping tarps from wearing prematurely is keeping them from flapping in the wind. This tarp would be better with more grommets for securing, but I ordered these to compensate, which I can add where needed:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09NGCGLQL?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
On the East side, the two panels next to the door are even less important to be completely transparent, so I went with this tarp (which should arrive within the week, so not yet installed - ugly silver tarp there temporarily):
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07113QPKN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Note that we only covered up to the eaves and not over them, to maintain good ventilation. We also have large triangle areas of ventilation in the peaks of the roof.
For the door, I just zip tied bubble wrap to the outside, ha. Easy, lets light through, and effective! I love zip ties - they are so very useful and versatile!
Note: The Warp's Plastic Window Material has held up pretty well. I hosed it down when we removed it, hung the panels on the clothesline, and then we rolled them up and stored them in the garage. The plastic is a bit wrinkly this year, but it's also cold, so hasn't had a chance to relax yet. Any small tears or holes are easily fixed with a bit of clear packing tape. I'm guessing we'll get another year or two - maybe more - from what we have. I'd like to make framed panels that I could just install and remove as needed with turn buttons, but that will have to wait for another year!
This is only our second winter, so we're still working through what works best for us
.
Enjoy your journey in what works best for you!
Thank you for sharing the process and what you learn. For what it is worth (not much, smile), I don't have a position on wrapping runs or not wrapping them.
Eager to see how your project comes out, so please post updates when you’re done! I’m with you on trying to avoid “one season” materials. I used some clear shower curtains and cheap tarps for part of my run last year and they were in such bad shape, there was no reusing them, which made me sad to have the waste. This year I made wood frames and stapled heavy duty marine vinyl to them, so hopefully they last at least a few winters.
Let it be known that your every day average sewing machine WILL work, but you will swear a lot.
