Should I cover or not cover my run? Pros and cons.

[AnAccidentalHomesteader]

I am just putting my run together. I plan on roofing as least part of it. I am new to chickening. should I cover the who run (I live in N GA so it does get hot here in the summer) or leave part of it uncovered? Run is 6 ft. x 14 ft. Do chickens like to sit in the sun? We do have hawks, so the entire top will also be covered with 1/2 inch hardware cloth.

 

[RojoMarz]

I say cover...I'm in Colorado. Yes, chickens like to sit in the sun, but in GA, they will need protection from the sun and heat. Even with a cover, I would imagine there will be sunspots, depending upon the location of the sun in the sky. Covered would also protect from the rain.

 

[AnAccidentalHomesteader]

I say cover...I'm in Colorado. Yes, chickens like to sit in the sun, but in GA, they will need protection from the sun and heat. Even with a cover, I would imagine there will be sunspots, depending upon the location of the sun in the sky. Covered would also protect from the rain.

thanks. The area will get morning sun, but by around 12:30 or 1:00 PM, the whole area is shaded by the house.

 

[Saveria]

What we do is have a coop that is on 1.5 foot posts, and an attached run on the ground that is covered and predator proof that they eat, drink and hang out in. That helps us a lot, because we have a larger space that can be available to them at any time, but they are still safe in it.

They spend most of their time in there in the winter (but ours is longer than yours). We can also let them spend the day in there if we won't be around, instead of sending them out to forage in the electronet.

We have an enclosure in there for new birds being introduced, and some of the younger hens like to roost in there as well.

 

[perkolator]

thanks. The area will get morning sun, but by around 12:30 or 1:00 PM, the whole area is shaded by the house.

It's going to be that close to your house? After having chickens for a while now I would personally rethink that location. Even in the driest of climates with lots of bedding, chicken areas will have some type of odor coming off it. My mental image of GA is humid climate and summer thunderstorms - so I'd be covering it and having lots of roof overhang to keep all run bedding dry so it has better odor control

 

[BitterSweetCitrus]

I say cover...I'm in Colorado. Yes, chickens like to sit in the sun, but in GA, they will need protection from the sun and heat. Even with a cover, I would imagine there will be sunspots, depending upon the location of the sun in the sky. Covered would also protect from the rain.

I'm down is South Florida and here the temperatures are BRUTAL, our girls love the sun even still, especially dust bathing in the sun and in the shade. We haven't lost any girls to aerial predators, but we also have dense foliage all over. There isn't a place to far from sunny spots to run to for cover. To keep things predator proof at night, we have a light sensor coop door that they go into that shuts them in

 

[TXchickmum]

Our first coop and run was underneath a huge Red Oak tree. There was only a hardware cloth cover to the top to eliminate predator issues. -always in the shade. Our current coop/run is completely covered because it is in the sun. Even though it is underneath a lacebark elm, it still gets sun. Shade is key, here, in the summertime, I also like the fact that the run doesn't get muddy when it rains.

 

[AnAccidentalHomesteader]

It's going to be that close to your house? After having chickens for a while now I would personally rethink that location. Even in the driest of climates with lots of bedding, chicken areas will have some type of odor coming off it. My mental image of GA is humid climate and summer thunderstorms - so I'd be covering it and having lots of roof overhang to keep all run bedding dry so it has better odor control

We live very rural on a lot of land with every kind of predator you can think of, coyotes, Racoons, possums, bobcats, hawks, bald eagles, and we have even seen a black bear or two. A large part of our yard is fenced for our three dogs. The coop was put inside the fence to offer a double layer of protection. The coop itself is completely covered with 1/2 inch hardware cloth including buried skirting. I will have to stay on top of it for sure. I was really afraid to put it in the pasture. My first time raising chickens.

 

[AnAccidentalHomesteader]

I'm down is South Florida and here the temperatures are BRUTAL, our girls love the sun even still, especially dust bathing in the sun and in the shade. We haven't lost any girls to aerial predators, but we also have dense foliage all over. There isn't a place to far from sunny spots to run to for cover. To keep things predator proof at night, we have a light sensor coop door that they go into that shuts them in

I just ordered a door for mine. Does it get hot in the coop at night? It has 3 vent windows in the coop, but I wondered if I need to put a small fan in there?

 

[Sally PB]

Pros: Guaranteed shade, protection from rain and other precip, protection from aerial predators.

Cons: Cost (!!), trapping of heat, building/repair concerns, aesthetics.