Tarp Cover Overhead

[FHF ChickenMom]

Hi Folks,
ok, so I have a 25' X 25' enclosure doubled fenced all the way around; heavy duty on the inside and chicken wire on the out side. Heavy duty wire across the top for overhead protection from whoever might get any ideas. SO, I have also installed shade mesh material over the top because they're right in the middle of the yard between the house and the barn with no shade. This material is awesome; lets in light and rain, but to a limited extent. Perfect. THEN my husband goes and covers half of it with a tarp. He says he wants them to have shelter from the rain without having to go into their coop. First thing you notice is how much noise that tarp makes when its windy - we all know what that sounds like, and won't it just trap water which will eventually just pour down like a river when it reaches spill level? The top is technically flat but has peaks and valleys because it's wire fence. Anyone else have tarps for tops?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hi Folks,
ok, so I have a 25' X 25' enclosure doubled fenced all the way around; heavy duty on the inside and chicken wire on the out side. Heavy duty wire across the top for overhead protection from whoever might get any ideas. SO, I have also installed shade mesh material over the top because they're right in the middle of the yard between the house and the barn with no shade. This material is awesome; lets in light and rain, but to a limited extent. Perfect. THEN my husband goes and covers half of it with a tarp. He says he wants them to have shelter from the rain without having to go into their coop. First thing you notice is how much noise that tarp makes when its windy - we all know what that sounds like, and won't it just trap water which will eventually just pour down like a river when it reaches spill level? The top is technically flat but has peaks and valleys because it's wire fence. Anyone else have tarps for tops?

I have never been a fan of tarps over runs. They do flap and collect water plus they disintegrate. I really wanted a metal roof over the run but husband insisted on wire. Probably due to cost. He wanted me to use chicken wire, that is not happening. I had that for the top of a run once and it eventually rusted out under the tarp. I am going with welded wire. I may sneak a single metal panel on each run near the coop. Only about $16 each. Our soil is either rock like or mud with the clay content. At least part of the run would have shade and maybe a bit drier. I built it in a shady area anyway. This is my coop, still under construction.

 

[PennyM]

I have tarp over hardware cloth. The tarp is tied down with zip ties. We will eventually replace the tarp with metal as it is already showing signs of wear.

 

[FHF ChickenMom]

Thanks everyone. Yes, tarps do shred after not too long at all. I can hear him saying "But it's UNDER the shade mesh." It'll still wear out from all the flapping it does. I guess Mom's just gonna have to put her foot down. This is my "compound" before the shade mesh.

 

[flyin-lowe]

I have a tarp over half of my run. The last two summers I have planned to add a metal roof but never find the time. My roof is flat too. I cut a couple of small slits in it to let the pooling water drip through. It does drip down into the run but only in two spots with lots of dry areas for the hens. I usually get a full summer our of a tarp. So only about $15.00 a year. I still hope to get a metal roof on this fall because I do have to sweep the snow off the HC so it doesn't collapse. Last year we got lucky and only had one snow that I had to remove.

 

[aart]

won't it just trap water which will eventually just pour down like a river when it reaches spill level?

Yes indeed.....and it could tear the roof down(mesh and/or rafters) before it 'spills' the gathered rain water.
...and whataya gonna do when the snow starts piling up??
Looks like you're in lake effect snow belt country.

I use the shade cloth in summer, it really does block most the rain, but take it down in winter. Even my 2x4 mesh run roof can gather wet sticky snow and/or freezing rain, if I don't keep it cleared off it can sag almost unto collapse. Y'all need to seriously think about snow load sooner rather than later.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have a trussed roof affair supported by an old swing set over a small section of my winter run. This is covered with a green house tarp. I have to knock the snow off it several times per storm. the remainder of that section of the run is covered with 2 x 4 welded galvanized fencing. Sticky snow accumulates on that, so I have to knock it off there as well. The remainder of the run is blocked off during snow season due to the slope of the roof. If chickens were in that section when the snow load decided to slide off the roof, I'd have chickensicles buried until thaw in April!

Based on snow loads, construction details, ability to create an acceptable slope for good drainage, I'd go with a metal roof over at least part of the run, if I could afford it. Any thing I put up has to be accessible for snow removal. We can get 3' of snow in a single storm, and sometimes get multiple storms back to back. Then, there's the ice storms which cause even more damage.

 

[FHF ChickenMom]

Yes indeed.....and it could tear the roof down(mesh and/or rafters) before it 'spills' the gathered rain water.
...and whataya gonna do when the snow starts piling up??
Looks like you're in lake effect snow belt country.

I use the shade cloth in summer, it really does block most the rain, but take it down in winter. Even my 2x4 mesh run roof can gather wet sticky snow and/or freezing rain, if I don't keep it cleared off it can sag almost unto collapse. Y'all need to seriously think about snow load sooner rather than later.

Thank you aart. That is indeed almost exactly what my husband said about snow pile up and yes we have been known to get a flake or two The screen will come off to protect our investment and the "kids" will move into their own space in the barn which will make it much easier to keep them "ventilated, but not drafty". Thanks so much!