Y'all with wire or tarp roofs on your runs -- GO BRACE THEM

[blueseal]

i shoveled my run roof off today it has a metal roof 12x 12 run we got over a foot of snow sunday and monday it wasnt sagging but i still always shovel the snow off it to be safe.

 

[Moodene]

Bless my Texas Weather here...

 

[franko]

"How's this for bracing?"
Only a chicken lover would say those braces are beautiful. frankoo

 

[Smoky73]

I had all the same problems until we switched over to the flight netting. Boy was it a life saver.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

If you have a roof over your run and electricity in your coop, you could hook up one of those roof snow-melting systems.

 

[hinkjc]

I agree Smokey - 2 inch flight top netting is wonderful. Expensive to get started, but well worth it in the end and lasts forever. It keeps the birds of prey out and lets the snow drop through easily.

 

[tygab]

hmm, sorry for the late reply. so you think flight netting would actually be good? This is what we had in mind for the permanent roof (and had gotten this summer) but after the ice storm which took down a less robust bird netting type solution, I'm not so sure. Maybe the netting will be ok, but with appropriate bracing?

I just don't see it staying up if there is any ice accumulation at all.

 

[scubagirl]

There went the pheasant coop

and I live where it doesn't snow at least not like this _ ever....

Now the pheasants sleep with the chickens but they don't mind

If it werent for the extra wood supports I would have been crushed along with the birds.

(No injuries thank God)

 

[xke4]

I use a "roof rake" that has a very long handle and just pull the snow across and off my flat welded wire roof. I thought the wire would allow snow to fall thru but it accumulates after a while and ended up bending the wire quite a bit. And once the snow has accumulated, it is only a matter of time before you have a layer of ice and some real trouble.