Transitioning from roofed to roofless run

[Maxine Green]

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.

Take a picture of his umbrella so you have proof.

 

[NatJ]

Given that the issue is the roof on the run, not the coop, I think it will be fine to just take off the roof and put up wire mesh.

The chickens will still have a properly-roofed coop, and can go out in the run any time the weather is suitable (which may be a large part of the year.)

I noticed in the pictures that the run is nicely shaded in summertime, so you don't even have to worry about the chickens overheating then.

Tables or umbrellas in the run to keep off rain/snow might be nice, but plenty of chickens do just fine in un-roofed runs all over the world, so I don't think it's that big of a deal.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I'm guessing the roof problem for the neighbor is the glare off of it? I can't imagine any other reason. How is it going to be different with wire over it than the clear panels that were there? On the upside if you do have to take off the roof the welded wire is really easy to put up and you've already got the braces up for it. Or, do you have to take all that down too?

 

[Compost King]

I had a problem with a neighbor but my city is very ag friendly and he couldn't get rid of my chickens. I took advantage of the very loose rules on chickens and got about 20 roosters. He moved out when his lease ran out. Suddenly I do not have 20 roosters anymore. In the mornings there was always a Rooster crowing, one would start before the previous rooster finished.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Given that the issue is the roof on the run, not the coop, I think it will be fine to just take off the roof and put up wire mesh.

The chickens will still have a properly-roofed coop, and can go out in the run any time the weather is suitable (which may be a large part of the year.)

I noticed in the pictures that the run is nicely shaded in summertime, so you don't even have to worry about the chickens overheating then.

Tables or umbrellas in the run to keep off rain/snow might be nice, but plenty of chickens do just fine in un-roofed runs all over the world, so I don't think it's that big of a deal.

That's true, my runs do not have roof cover because I want rain to water the grass, chickweed, plants & little shrubs in their pen. If they want shade, they have their gazebos or steps I just made they can go under.

I think a possible living hedge of something is a good idea, block jackass's view.

 

[wolfinator]

I feel for you, I'm battling neighbors and local government over my son's vehicles he's trying to repair on my property to the point of court.

I'm guessing you've already tried speaking with the neighbor to no avail or they are the type to just complain to authorities. That's how those neighbors are.

I'm in the country so I don't have too many regulations to worry about over chicken coops/pens. However, I use patio and beach umbrellas but they're usually not water resistant. I would spray a product like Camp Dry or Scotchguard on the umbrellas to help with water resistance. Umbrellas really aren't meant for winters snow and cold so they may get torn or damaged some other way. I'm not sure what your winters are like but if you get a lot of snow, use 2x4's or likeness to support the wire cross the span.

I had netting over my original coops/pens, it was good with light snows, even the first wet snow of 5.5" though I had to clear using an old broom from underneath at 2am wasn't too bad. It was the next heavy wet snow of 11" that destroyed the netting.

Hope everything works out for you.

 

[roxanne]

Could you move the coop back away from the road? I would be very upset about no roof. The chickens really need to be dry when they sleep. Plus in the winter, being wet and cold is not a good environment. If you could move the coop away from the road, then the roof would not be a zoning issue.

 

[Susan Dye]

Just a thought if you decide to resort to turning the tables on your next door jerk, see if there are any rules against having a tent in your backyard. Then, if you don't have one, borrow or rent a really large one and set it up. You could claim you are just airing it out, or you promised the kids/grandkids/nieces/nephews that they could camp out in your back yard. It's only meant to be temporary, but you can hint at it becoming a regular thing. You know, as in "you don't like my perfectly lovely roof on my coop, how are you going to like looking at a big ugly tent?" If it was me, I'd put up as many tents as I could fit in the yard. Or any combination of tents and canopies/carport type temporary structures. Or rotate them. Every time he complains about one thing, I'd put up something else. Eventually the city is going to tell him to get used the roof cause you, and it, was there first and he knew about it when he bought the property. A little mean spirited, but then so is he.

 

[K0k0shka]

Whoa... I have 100+ alerts from this thread just overnight! Not sure what happened exactly and where it got featured, but wow. Thank you everybody for the suggestions and the support! I guess this struck a chord. I'm sorry to hear that so many people are having (or have had) neighbor troubles. Your words of encouragement mean a lot, as this has been stressing me out for half a year now.

I couldn't possibly respond to every post, but I tried to summarize the questions and recurring themes and address them. I added my answers to the original post so they don't get lost in the sea of posts and pages. Especially things that people ask over and over. I don't expect everybody to read 26 pages of content to find the answers. I'll keep you updated on this story's development, and let's hope for a happy ending of some sort!

 

[ngbells1]

That would be the best thing to happen all year!

If he is flipping the house maybe that’s why he’s being such an A-hole because he thinks it might affect his sale. Still no excuse to be such a PITA! Good luck!