Your Designs For Cold Weather Covered Runs?

[CherryChick]

Quote:
Very Nice! We are upgrading to a new coop for our Ladies and was just in the process of figuring out how to make the run more winter proof. Wonderful design.

 

[Orchid]

Last winter I only had four chickens. We were using this tractor and run:



We covered the run with heavy plastic (stapled down) and covered the end up about 3/4 of the way, with the top 1/4 left open for ventilation. It worked really, really well for giving them a dry place to run AND it was always warmer inside. In the spring I just removed the plastic.

 

[nancypo]

I forgot to add a photo- here's the coop, and we want to do a winter only add-on, on the far left, between the coop and the fence. Then we'll take it down in the spring.

I like the covered tractors, but I want clear for more light and warmth. There'd be plenty of air with some areas we'll leave open.

 

[nancypo]

Any more ideas???

 

[imamtgrandma2]

We just finished building our new coop but I bought the 8'X8' dog kennel/run from Lowe's last year with Winter in mind. The fitted "trucker tarp" sloughed off the snow most of the time. We get a day or two of snow; then nothing for a week or so. I did go out and use a broom stick to "help the snow along" on the heavier storm days but for the most part, the tarp did fine. I made the mistake of leaving it on for most of the Summer so it did "cook". I'll have to buy another one next Winter and keep this one for summer then. The tarp costs about $67.00 so it's not bad if I can make it last.
I lined the kennel panels with 1/4" hard cloth so the Girls can't put their heads through the 2"x4" welded squares. The plastic rolls on the sides roll down for heavy rains but the Girls did great last Winter and the inside stayed dry. We have hawks, coyotes, bear, raccoons, skunk, etc. so I can't let my Girls free roam. With the new coop they should be cozy for this Winter. It's 21" off the ground so I'm expecting them to be more comfortable than they were in their little coop on the ground last year.

 

[FiFiFeather]

My friend made hers out of stockade panels arched over and attached to a frame like one of the pics. The panels are 4 feet by 16 feet. She uses it to pasture her flock in the summer and covers it with visquine. I'll see if I can post a link to her pics.

 

[ll]

I'm planning hay bales around the bottom as a wall for blocking snow drifts
and I cut apart an old tent to use for a covering/tarp.

 

[stubbornhill]

Maybe you could get some 2x4's and run them at an angle from the ground up to the top of the fence (like a tri-angle) and then cover with either heavy duty clear plastic or those clear plastic roofing sheets you can get at Home Depot. That way, you don't really have to cut anything, they have space and it would be easy to take down.

 

[nancypo]

I think the plan now is to use fencing clips, and attach 2x4"s, create a triangular space, cover with heavy, clear plastic, and have 4x4's (oak my hubby gets free) along the bottom, over remesh (flexible livestock panels). I'll post pics when we do that. Keep the ideas coming!

 

[Rosaleen]

No photos yet, but we're going to put clear sheet plastic around the entire run up to the door and then plastic on the door. I want to be able to open the door and let the girls out to play in the snow, as they do year in and year out. Nice slanted roof enables the snow to slide right off. One winter, I found several girls roosting on the basketball hoop on the side of the barn...lol. They'll always be able to get into their snow-free run and coop when they want to. The window is always open to the coop and locked closed when the girls are on their roost and ready for sleepy time.