Winterizing run options, opinions needed

[Justagalwithchicks]

We use the corrugated roof panels on our north side and half of our West side. On the other sides we use the heavy duty clear shower curtains. The shower curtains are firmly attached with nails that have a disk under the nail head over the top half of each side of coop.. On a warm sunny day I roll up the shower curtains on the bottom half and using Paracord tie them to nails to the top. The shower curtains have the grommet holes so we put that side on the bottom. It has actually worked well and we get high winds and quite a bit of snow. If I know a storm is coming, I will go out and lay a tall tpost across each bottom section of the west side for added protection. It is a cheap option, but also great for ventilation. I should add we do leave ventilation at the top of three sides of our coop also.

 

[texsuze]

I use the 8'x4' plastic lattice panels found at DIY stores. I spray- painted mine gray on one side, leaving white on the 'inside' Then attached 4 ml clear plastic sheeting completely over the outside surface of the panels by making tiny duct tape tabs, spacing them out over the lattice and stapling through the tabs (idea being the plastic might be less likely to tear or split where stapled). I attach these 'wind boards' to the HW cloth walls of the run with zip ties. In some places I'll use wood screws and fender washers where my framing is located to attach panels to the framing. Light-weight, no flapping sheets, depending upon how many places it is stapled, easy to create and to cut the lattice if needed (tin snips), lets light in, keeps wind/rain out. I store mine on hanging hooks in the barn during the summer.

Also, you can use old billboard vinyl to wrap around the walls. This website has a huge variety of materials for a variety of repurposing projects. repurposedmaterialsinc.net

 

[Penpal]

Yea, the elastic thingies are bunnies. Quality varies. Mine lasted about two years, some longer. We have had winds as strong as 100 mph, along with rain, sleet, and snow.

 

[Sea51Dog]

I am to new this site and am completing my plans and construction for a 8x10 chicken coop and 10 by 10 chicken run. It will have a 10* roof sloop. The height is almost 8 ft in the front and just over 6.5 ft at the rear of the storage shed. I modeled my chicken coop and run after a scaled up version of the excellent 3rd Coast Craftsman seen here:

The Coop itself is 8ft wide x 10 ft long...the first 5x8 ft of space is for the chickens and the last 5x8 feet is for the attached storage shed I extended behind. I elevated the Egg hutch 12 inches off the rear coop floor as I plan to use the deep litter method with the poop board elevated 18 inches off the coop floor with two roosting mounted in parallel above the poop board.

My self designed roll out egg hutch (see photos) only has three nesting spaces. We have 8 hens now and they only use two nesting boxes. We plan to up grade to 12 hens next year hence the expanded version of the 3rd Coast Plans. The egg hutch will be mounted INSIDE the attached shed on the back of the lower coop wall out of the elements along with the other chicken supplies.

The 10 by 10 ft. run is mounted off the side of the coop paralleling roof of the coop. This made the front coop wall again almost 8 ft tall and the rear just over 6 feet. I plan to use left over T1-11 siding to add stability to the front, back and side of the run to leave an open area 6ft high to be covered in hardware cloth. Win

My stud spacing for the front and rear run walls is 3ft-3ft-4ft. The end wall is 4ft.-4ft.-2ft. I did this because I have a 3ft door on the front and rear run walls.

I purchased two 18x 27 in flush mounted windows as a set from Amazon that I plan to mount in the high wall of the front of the coop for aesthetic purposes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFGDR9WY?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

The other 3 opening tilt up ventilation coop windows (1ft. by 2ft) I made myself using Polycarbonite Green House panels from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC5ZL3VW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

I found this material so very easy to work with that I plan to use it to make 4x6 and 3X6 polycarbonite panels to mount over the chicken run openings (inside...hardware cloth is mounted outside)

It is not cheap at $300 for 8 4x8 panels. I was going to use 6 mil plastic but these panels should last a long time...
(...like chicken math...in for a dime, in for a dollar... and the $$$$s keep rolling out)..

Winter ventilation will be provide by ten 2 inch circular holes drilled in the roof rafters that sit on the front and back run walls. (covered by hardware cloth)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZPB62XB?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

It certain is cheaper than the polycarbonite pexiglass panels offered by Carolina Coops....

(But great Kudos to Carolina Coops... I have copied (stolen) many of their ideas and Matt's advice is always great... they are just way, way out of my price range.)

We live in Boise ID and have comparatively mild winters. The chickens somehow made it through last winter with mimimal to no protection from the wind in just a fenced in run covered bird netting (we lost one hen to an owl... the second time it tried it... it suicided in the bird netting.)

Sorry for the looong post. I'm a few months past 75 and can only work on the coop and run about 3 hours a day before I poop out myself. The coop is nearly done and the run walls will follow after that... I will post some photos when completed. Meanwhile... here are a few of my self designed roll out egg hutch...(unpainted...

 

[Skacha23]

You might look up wiggle wire and channel tracks. I think they are originally for greenhouse sheeting but lots of people seem to use them for runs similar to your set up. I'm in windy Wyoming with a much smaller chicken tractor that parks for most of the winter. I have thick plastic tarps. I leave gaps so some wind gets through. But prevents the strong constant and warms things up so they actually have a little snow free area most of the winter. Stores easily for summer.

 

[Vals Kidos]

Hello all. I built a bigger better coop and run recently and I need some help brainstorming the best way to winterize my run.

Location: upstate NY, typically very cold, very heavy lake effect deep snow winters. Wind swirls at my location and does not come from one dominant direction (my home is in a little hollow)

In my old run (6ft x 12ft) I made little frames covered with plastic sheeting and fit them around the bottom half of my run on the outside (like storm windows). What I liked: easy to install every year, very windproof, durable (lasted 7 years winters and are still perfect condition). What I did not like: bulky/heavy/hard to store in the off-season, time consuming to build, and since I only covered the bottom half of the run snow blew in over the top all winter. I want to prevent that from happening in the new run.

My new run (12ft x 12ft) is built the same way as my old run, just bigger and taller with more roof overhang. I need help deciding on my winterizing options for the new run.

Option 1: Make frames the same way as my old ones and also make uppers to block more snow. Cons: Would definitely have difficulty storing the number/size of frames needed to cover the run. Would be a major/time consuming project making all the frames before winter. Pros: I already know this method worked well and how to do it, fairly inexpensive (depending on the price of lumber), can customize to exact dimensions needed for run.

Option 2: Wrap a tarp/plastic around the run. Cons: Would be tricky to find a tarp the correct size (would need to be something like 4ft x 30ft to leave room for ventilation at top - could piece a few tarps together to get the right size maybe), and also would have deal with the door and smaller side next to the door that couldn't be included in the one continuous tarp. Also definitely not as wind-proof/might flap around in the wind. Pros: fairly inexpensive, easy to install, easy to store.

Option 3: Use transparent plastic corrugated roofing panels (or some other hard plastic like greenhouse panels, etc). Cons: expensive, harder to store than tarps, not exactly sure how I would attach them (bolts through the hardware cloth?), would probably need help installing. Not sure if wind would blow under/through the roofing panels because of the corrugations. Pros: very durable, easier to store than the frames in option 1, can cut/customize the size

Option 4: Use plastic sheeting attached to long pieces of lumber on two sides instead of full frames like in option 1, and attach lumber to the run. Cons: flaps a lot in the winter/not as wind proof (I use this method to winterize my screened porch and it's super loud in a windstorm). Would need help installing each year. Pros: inexpensive, can store rolled up, easy to customize size.

Any other ideas or methods that you love using for your own run? Thoughts about my current options?

I've added photos of my old little coop/run with the framed plastic, and my new big run so you can see what I'm working with.

All suggestions welcome!

They sell 6x40 tarps on Amazon. I have a dog cage for a run and put a heavy duty white tarp all the way around fastened with zip ties and leave about a foot laying on the ground and put logs on it to hold it down. Then I put thicker wire on the roof with 2x2 boards across and poly panels on top. Some powdery snow gets in through the top but it's a dirt floor and melts pretty quick. I'm in Western Pa.

 

[saracarver3]

I am in Florida so have very limited insight, but I do use coastal hay for my run floor - I see yours looks like sand, or there’s just nothing on the ground yet. What about packing hay on the inside in a small to medium layer to help generate and keep heat in ? Once winter is over throw it in the compost or corner yard / garden beds somewhere.

 

[HodgesHappyHens]

Fellow upstate NYer, I also battled with snow entering the secure run. After many years of using tarps curtains and leftover plywood I ordered some fence privacy skirts. They come in multiple lengths colors and heights (even vine looking styles). The material is strong has grommets all along its length and stands up to the weather. They are not completely solid and let some air through but keep the snow out of the run. I zip tie them to my fencing so they hang along the ground so they keep the snow and wind from entering underneath them. Some bricks hold the in place. I have the 4 foot ones and a 6 foot that I put up in the prevailing wind direction to keep the sideways snow from entering over the top.

The best part is the off season storage, they roll or fold up nicely and I keep them in a bin near the coop with other supplies.

Get one to fit your needs and I bet you buy more to finish the entire run area.

Privacy Screen Fence Heavy Duty Fencing Mesh Shade Net Cover​

https://a.co/d/esoF1Y4