Wrong way to winterize a run...

[Badchickenpun]

I want to know if there is anything a person can do, or has done that one could consider a BAD THING when winterizing a run.
I feel comfortable with how I have handled my coop. I think it will do fine this winter.
But I have seen so many different approaches to a RUN.
I have seen some do NOTHING and other people wrap it up so tight it becomes a mini-greenhouse!
I want to know more about BAD IDEAS when attempting to make the run a little nicer for the winter months.
My plan was to completely wrap half my run with plastic including the sand box under the coop, leaving the other 6 x 18 completely open.
I plan to leave openings for the chickens to pass between the covered portion and the uncovered.
The image below is an approximation of the wrapping I was planning.
Is there anything wrong with doing this? Is there anything in which I should be mindful?

 

[Aunt Angus]

I want to know if there is anything a person can do, or has done that one could consider a BAD THING when winterizing a run.
I feel comfortable with how I have handled my coop. I think it will do fine this winter.
But I have seen so many different approaches to a RUN.
I have seen some do NOTHING and other people wrap it up so tight it becomes a mini-greenhouse!
I want to know more about BAD IDEAS when attempting to make the run a little nicer for the winter months.
My plan was to completely wrap half my run with plastic including the sand box under the coop, leaving the other 6 x 18 completely open.
I plan to leave openings for the chickens to pass between the covered portion and the uncovered.
I will post an image of my plans in a few.

I think the worst mistake is not leaving any ventilation. Oh - and using unsafe supplemental heating. Chickens usually don't need heat supplemented but can be ok in certain situations. But bad setups (too many extension cords, poorly suspended heat lamps, etc) can lead to tragedies!

Poor drainage? Might result in bacterial/fungal nightmares or frozen chickens if followed by a hard freeze.

 

[WIchickMama]

If you only partially wrap the run, I would make sure that the sides open will get the least amount of driving winds, rain and/or snow (if you get some). OR you can wrap the full run and leave 6-12 inches open at the top all the way around or some sort of combination of wrapped and ventilated. I leave 12 inches open at the open of my door and then 6 inches around the top. Enough so they don't bake when the sun is out, the air moves through, and it isn't horribly dusty for them. Maybe I get a dusting of snow in the run when it snows, but I either leave it and they investigate or I cover it up with mulch.

 

[Ted Brown]

I have a roofed run fully encased with HC. The 1st year I used a heavy Grey tarp to close off the south facing front; my flock would spend most of the daylight hours in their coop (also open front to the south) because that was where the sunlight came in.

2nd and subsequent years I used clear plastic in lieu of the tarp, flock now spends the majority of their time in the run, very much better. I do not free range, my birds avoid snow covered ground.

Good luck!

 

[Mrs. K]

I don't wrap the run at all. However, in my run, I have shelters set up, where birds can get out of the wind as they want. I do use shower doors, to make a 'sun' porch in front of a shelter.

My birds have always spent nearly all of the day time outside of the coop, only in really hard storms do they stay in the coop.

I also make mini hay stacks in my run, before expected snow. After the snow, I pitch for the hay on top of the snow. Chickens come right out.

Always consider your snow load - a heavy snow and tear down a roof.

Mrs K

 

[BDutch]

The reason some people do little or nothing is probably bc they live in a different climate without harsh and cold winters. Or these people have a type (breed) of chickens that can endure cold very well.

 

[Badchickenpun]

So you are planning to run a piece of plastic across the middle of the run?

I think plastic will be easier to attach, and will hold up better, if it is attached where you already have fencing. In the middle of the run it might flap around (could scare or injure the chickens, and might rip the plastic loose). Or if you make it secure in the middle of the run, that probably means you put in a bunch of extra framing that you would otherwise not need.

Why would you want the plastic in the middle of the run?
If you are worried about wind coming from that side, you could put plastic on that side of the curent run, where the fencing is. And if you do not expect wind from that direction, skip that piece of plastic.

I'm rethinking. I may just cover the south, west and roof. That will stop wind from blasting straight through the run. After reading more, I don't think I need to make a greenhouse like area in the run. I just need to lessen the winds and reduce some wetness on the ground if possible, right?

 

[raingarden]

With so many variables there will not be a single solution that works for everyone. Ted Brown had the right approach. Try something, see how it works and see how the birds respond. Then make changes until it is fine-tuned and everyone (you and the birds) are satisfied with the results. Tarp and plastic sheet is cheap enough that you can afford to mess up and do it over.

 

[Folly's place]

We use plastic sheeting, doubled, over the lower 6" over the open sides of the coop/ run combination. There's one to three feet of open hardware cloth above, so plenty of ventilation. Usually the south door is open so the birds can go out if they want (snow is not favored, for sure!). This year, with AI, they aren't free ranging (again!) right now, so the doors are closed.
I agree that the OP needs to attach the plastic to the outside run walls, not close off half of the run.
And those chickens will be happy to demolish any available plastic, so having it inside the run will be a fail for so many reasons.
Mary

 

[Alhelm]

I want to know if there is anything a person can do, or has done that one could consider a BAD THING when winterizing a run.
I feel comfortable with how I have handled my coop. I think it will do fine this winter.
But I have seen so many different approaches to a RUN.
I have seen some do NOTHING and other people wrap it up so tight it becomes a mini-greenhouse!
I want to know more about BAD IDEAS when attempting to make the run a little nicer for the winter months.
My plan was to completely wrap half my run with plastic including the sand box under the coop, leaving the other 6 x 18 completely open.
I plan to leave openings for the chickens to pass between the covered portion and the uncovered.
The image below is an approximation of the wrapping I was planning.
Is there anything wrong with doing this? Is there anything in which I should be mindful?

Not sure of your climate but our coop and run are similarly in the open and it can get windy. So I planted fast growing evergreens in a line on the north and west side of the run and coop. Not right up on it but close enough to make a future windbreak. We also hung a 4x18 foot tarp on the outside of the run ( also on the north side) to keep wind and rain out. So the south side of the run was open and sunlight and air could come in. We also stacked straw bales up along the north side. This gave them three layers of protection from the worst of the wind. It worked great. It was pleasant to be in the run during the day. The only issue is that the north side of the run also turned out to be a mouse paradise! It was quite an exciting day when we pulled the straw out. Even had a group of baby bunnies that were born in between the straw bales. They survived... We found a saint to raise them and release them later. Good luck