Transitioning from roofed to roofless run

[K0k0shka]

The clear panels I took off the roof will not go to waste. I'm lining the run walls with them to at least protect it from the sides. Two of the run sides have faux ivy on them - the kind that has a fabric backing - so those are protected enough. And I'll cover the other two sides with the clear panels. Then they have the umbrellas over part of the run (third umbrella will go up at some point too), and hopefully that will be enough to give them some dry areas to hang out in. It looks like rain/snow all weekend, so we'll see how everything holds up...

Not done with it yet but here's what it looks like so far:

 

[K0k0shka]

I made some adjustments to the areas that had serious rainwater drippage - between the two umbrellas where they meet, and where one of the umbrellas meets the coop. That second one was especially annoying, because the water was pouring down the side of the coop, filling up the grit and eggshell dishes and dripping right in front of the pop door, making the outside seem even more unappealing to the hesitant chicken standing in the doorway.

I found a way to solve the problem that can easily be undone in case I want to fold the umbrellas - office clips!

I clipped the edges of the umbrellas together from underneath, and the edge of that one coop-side umbrella to the welded wire overhead, but underneath the coop roof overhang. I lifted the flap up and clipped it up, so the water runs down and away from the edge.

It’s been raining hard all day. I went to check on things, and there is NO water at all dripping/pouring between that umbrella and the coop!!! And there’s just one single drop that keeps dripping between the two umbrellas. Not bad!

Yesterday I finished winterizing the whole front wall of the run with the clear panels, and those are helping, too.

The chickens are staying mostly outside, with occasional retreats to the coop to dry off and warm up. They seem to have figured it out and are enjoying their options.

 

[aart]

Excellent solution......love those clips!

 

[countryladyNH]

I made some adjustments to the areas that had serious rainwater drippage - between the two umbrellas where they meet, and where one of the umbrellas meets the coop. That second one was especially annoying, because the water was pouring down the side of the coop, filling up the grit and eggshell dishes and dripping right in front of the pop door, making the outside seem even more unappealing to the hesitant chicken standing in the doorway.

I found a way to solve the problem that can easily be undone in case I want to fold the umbrellas - office clips!

View attachment 2437956

I clipped the edges of the umbrellas together from underneath, and the edge of that one coop-side umbrella to the welded wire overhead, but underneath the coop roof overhang. I lifted the flap up and clipped it up, so the water runs down and away from the edge.

It’s been raining hard all day. I went to check on things, and there is NO water at all dripping/pouring between that umbrella and the coop!!! And there’s just one single drop that keeps dripping between the two umbrellas. Not bad!

Yesterday I finished winterizing the whole front wall of the run with the clear panels, and those are helping, too.

The chickens are staying mostly outside, with occasional retreats to the coop to dry off and warm up. They seem to have figured it out and are enjoying their options.

View attachment 2437959

Great job!!

 

[K0k0shka]

I scored a free (small) truckload of wood chips dumped in my driveway
A neighbor down the street was having a large tree removed. I asked the crew if I could have the wood chips, and they said sure! This saves me money, labor and the hassle of having to rent a truck to go haul chips I was going to buy (or pay the delivery fee). I’m very happy.

The girls were happy to have a new texture to scratch through, too, and helped me spread it around:

It has some leaves shredded with the wood, and at some point I'll turn it over and mix it with the thick layer of other organic material that's underneath. Or I'll sprinkle some scratch and let the chickens do the work (they are already digging trenches in it).

This makes me feel better about not having a roof.

 

[countryladyNH]

I scored a free (small) truckload of wood chips dumped in my driveway
A neighbor down the street was having a large tree removed. I asked the crew if I could have the wood chips, and they said sure! This saves me money, labor and the hassle of having to rent a truck to go haul chips I was going to buy (or pay the delivery fee). I’m very happy.

The girls were happy to have a new texture to scratch through, too, and helped me spread it around:View attachment 2440256
View attachment 2440255

It has some leaves shredded with the wood, and at some point I'll turn it over and mix it with the thick layer of other organic material that's underneath. Or I'll sprinkle some scratch and let the chickens do the work (they are already digging trenches in it).

This makes me feel better about not having a roof.

Wow, well done you! What a great score for you and your girls!

 

[3KillerBs]

I scored a free (small) truckload of wood chips dumped in my driveway
A neighbor down the street was having a large tree removed. I asked the crew if I could have the wood chips, and they said sure! This saves me money, labor and the hassle of having to rent a truck to go haul chips I was going to buy (or pay the delivery fee). I’m very happy.

The girls were happy to have a new texture to scratch through, too, and helped me spread it around:View attachment 2440256
View attachment 2440255

It has some leaves shredded with the wood, and at some point I'll turn it over and mix it with the thick layer of other organic material that's underneath. Or I'll sprinkle some scratch and let the chickens do the work (they are already digging trenches in it).

This makes me feel better about not having a roof.

Wonderful!!!

It's best to let wood chips age before using them, but if you keep them turned and exposed to wind and sun they should be great.

It's so much fun to see the chickens dig! They enjoy it so much.

 

[K0k0shka]

It's best to let wood chips age before using them, but if you keep them turned and exposed to wind and sun they should be great.

Is that to prevent mold? Or is there another reason? I won't be able to age/dry them beforehand, unfortunately, but they came from a tree that had been dead for years, if that makes a difference - so the wood is probably drier than the wood of a fresh, living tree. The wood chips feel pretty dry and light. The green leaves in the mix are from the ivy that had suffocated and killed the tree. I read that English ivy is toxic to chickens, but also that it tastes bad to them so they are unlikely to eat it. Mine are especially picky about their greens, so hopefully they'll be fine. I watched them for a while and they didn't seem to be eating the ivy, just scratching around looking for something better

I'll rake and turn the chips over periodically - the ones that are in the run - and the rest I'll leave in a pile in the back yard, that's all I can do. I guess the top layer will get weathered first, and that's where I'll grab from when topping off the run, exposing chips from underneath that will then be exposed to the weather, and so on. Should I cover the pile with a tarp before it rains or snows? I don't want to end up with a giant moldy pile either... I guess I got so excited by the prospect of free chips dropped off right in my driveway, that I didn't think through the potential issues

 

[aart]

but they came from a tree that had been dead for years, if that makes a difference

It does.
Cold weather will help deter any mold blooms.
Not sure about the ivy, both the 'greenness' and the toxicity....looks like there's quite a bit of it

 

[K0k0shka]

It does.
Cold weather will help deter any mold blooms.
Not sure about the ivy, both the 'greenness' and the toxicity....looks like there's quite a bit of it

Why would the greenness be a problem? I threw mounds of green clipped grass in there in the summer and it was fine... In hot humid weather, too. The chickens spread it around and it dried up. This is a lot less volume now (of green stuff)... As for the toxicity... Should I go and pick out the ivy? Would be a pain in the butt, but now I'm having second thoughts about this ivy-laden delivery