Transitioning from roofed to roofless run

[Fishychix]

I just read your entire coop article. you put in a LOT of effort to make it blend in and look nice. I like the idea of spray painting the wire black. Hubs wouldn't let me do that with ours
Is the darker house in some of the pics theirs?
I dont see why you couldnt put up a hide type of tarp, with all of your other greenery it’d be awfully hard to notice.

 

[Jaime84]

Why

I asked about a partial roof, at least along the edges beyond the setback requirement for roofs, and he said that technically I could do it, but again, because the neighbor is complaining and raising such a stink, he has to say no. The situation got really ugly - the guy hired a lawyer and is looking for loopholes in town laws, trying to find a way to get rid of my chickens. It's pretty ridiculous. So the building commissioner is asking for no overhead coverings at all so that the neighbor has nothing to use against me. But I was thinking an umbrella or two underneath will be safe. Especially because said neighbor has a patio umbrella himself, closer to the property line than mine will be.

Why are they wanting you to get rid of the chickens?

 

[patsy334]

I'm at war with the neighbor over the chickens and the town is trying to please both sides, so they're letting me put wire on top, but no tarp, sadly. I would have LOVED to put a fluorescent-colored tarp for him to look at, though!

 

[Santa Glenn]

In an unfortunate turn of events, I'll have to take the roof off of my run, because the town is counting the roofed run as a "building" and applying the building zoning code to it, and, as a building, it's too close to the property line (nevermind that I asked permission to build it as such in that location and got the okay from the two town officials in charge of this... ). So, we are where we are, and I need to take the roof off. I have two questions.

First - can I replace the roof with this welded wire mesh:

View attachment 2380000

It's 2x3 inches and 16 ga. I know the spacing is too wide to stop everything, but this will only be over the top in place of a roof, and the chickens will be locked in the coop at night... I'm doing this balancing act between the town saying it can't be "covered" on top (definition of "covered" being stretchy and up to interpretation here), and my chickens being safe. Wider mesh makes it look less "covered". I know there are no clear answers, and dense HC is the best, but still... Given my situation, what do you think the risk is? I live in the suburbs and while we do have some animals, it's not teeming with wildlife.

And my second question. I'm sad to see the roof go because it kept the run dry. My chickens have never known precipitation, and probably won't be happy with the roof gone I still want to give them something overhead so they can use the yard in rainy/snowy weather, but I can't put anything on the roof. So I had this idea and bought two large patio umbrellas Nobody regulates those, so I can just put them in the run under the overhead mesh. They are square shape, so I can put one against the side of the coop flush with the wall, and give them a dry area to walk out onto when exiting the coop. And I'll put the other one in the opposite corner over their run perches, so they can have another dry area to hang out in. Patio umbrellas are meant for the outdoors so I'm hoping they'll do the job and be okay outside, though I've never had one myself and don't know how well they do in wind/rain/snow. That's where I'll appreciate your input. The run is pretty sheltered in a corner of the yard, with a 5' tall retaining wall 8 feet away on one side, and a 6' tall privacy fence on the other side of that corner (west and north respectively). For the winter, I'll put plastic (shower curtains) along the sides of the run on the south and east as well. So it will be pretty sheltered on all sides, with not a lot of wind blowing through. I'll anchor the umbrellas as well (one against the coop wall, and the other against the run wall). And I'll tilt them so they shed rain/snow better. Would that be enough? We don't get a lot of snow anymore. Every few years I'll have to take the snow blower out, the rest of the years there isn't enough to justify it.

What do you think? Again, I know there are no clear answers and part of this is accepting some risk. I just want to see what people with more experience think about this setup.

Have you thought maybe a clear plexiglass panel for a roof ?

 

[patsy334]

Hate that! I had some chicks that grew up to be roosters. They were really making a racket, so I gave them away. I got complaints because all of my neighbors loved them!! That really made my day. I did get one back - for my neighbors, of course, not for me. LOL. I really hate it when neighbors get so ugly. I did have one neighbor that I thought might complain. I took hot home-made rolls over and let him know I was getting chickens. He didn't complain. I give out a lot of rolls to my closest 5 neighbors!

 

[BossLadyMissEdee]

we used hardware cloth (wire) for ours and it works a treat. the girls run inside when it’s too much weather wise, but their coop is an old horse stall in the barn. you can always get a piece of sheet metal or a piece of corrugated plastic and stick over one section of it just when the weather is bad. you could also make a smaller shelter within the coop. also your neighbor is mean.

 

[eelliizzyy]

So sorry you have to deal with this jerk! Good for you for trying to find solutions rather than throwing in the towel.
I wonder since "overhead" covering is prohibited, could you create a lower covered pathway for the chickens? Like an awning that is 2ft off the ground and goes along the edges of the run. You could use transparent corrugated plastic roofing sheets, attach them to the inside perimeter of the run or even just one edge. At a steep enough angle, the chickens might not be able to hang out and poop on top of it

 

[JennLovesTravis]

I've been here for 8 years and he just moved in a few months ago. He should be the one to move

Somebody just suggested I paint a giant "CHICKEN LIVES MATTER" sign on the coop wall facing his house. In bright neon paint. I have to say, I'm not above these things (for a neighbor who deserves it).

If you do, holler, I'll buy the multicolor paint. My sister works in the paint dept of a home improvement store. She has an eye for color.

 

[nancylee679]

Wow I am so sorry for your situation. I’d say that size wire is totally fine! Most predators that could get through that are nocturnal anyways, and they’d still have to climb the remaining run to get to the top. That wire will keep out bird predators, and a raccoon at least won’t fit through those holes if they do decide to climb to the roof.

That won’t keep birds out. Hawks yes but I have my run covered with chicken wire and grackles doves and sparrows find their way in.

 

[black_cat]

The accumulated leaves on the wire as a roof works very well. Friends of mine let theirs accumulate all fall on the same wire you're using, and have no snow in the coop in the winter.