Should Chicken Run Be Covered?

[jwankowski]

I have a 120 sq-ft run for my chickens with a tarp on the wire roof. My Coop has a large space underneath for the chickens to gather from the sun or rain but the tarp also blocks out part of the sun and rain. A piece of it is open for direct sunshine. Questions: Should the run be covered to give my girls shade or is an open run better for them?

 

[igorsMistress]

I think your climate plays a big role. If the tarp is blocking afternoon sun then it's a good idea provided they have the option to sunbathe if they wish.

 

[jwankowski]

We have sun from 9 AM to & PM daily, when the sun's out, which is usually daily. But the run tarp is open to full sun for a 3 ft X 20 ft section. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[3KillerBs]

In my previous coop I had half of the hardened run area covered for shade and to keep the feed and water out of the weather. I liked the arrangement well enough that I'm going to do the same with the new coop. Having the food and water away from the coop encouraged the chickens to make use of all the space.

They chose as much sun or shade as they were in the mood for at any given time.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Covered runs eliminate mud holes. If you have heavy clay soils and frequent rains, open runs can quickly become a muddy mess. You can implement drainage solutions, but covered or semi-covered helps eliminate this potential issue.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I have part of my run covered. I covered mine mainly because we live where it gets super hot so they have that option for shade and also have access to under their coop. The uncovered spot gives them the option to get in the sun if they choose.