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9:08 pm
September 12, 2011
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This is my first year raising chickens. Below is the budget chicken coop and run we built over the summer. The top of the run is covered with chicken wire – although we do close them away at night.
Our first snowfall of the season proved that I didn't think this run all the way through. The snow built up on the top of the run, sagging the wire. I guess when we started this project I wasn't thinking winter yet. I don't want to think what will happen when we're looking at two feet of snow.
The only low cost solution I can think of is to remove the wire covering the top. Although I'm open to other suggestions! If I leave it as is I think it will all come crashing down under the weight of a heavy snow. Thanks!
9:51 pm
February 10, 2009
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first thought was yeah, remove it completely. It looks like it's only keeping them in not much protecting them from predators because I can see spaces at the bottom, so it's not really predator proof… but it will protect them from hawks. Still, taking it off isn't going to hurt much… but then I saw you're in Maine, which means snow. Plenty of snow… would you be able to match the pitch of your coop (which looks super nice BTW) roof with some framing and put some fiberglass or tin over it so there's some protection in their run from the snow? Also, you will probably, want to put up some wind break boards so the hens have some protection from the wind and weather on the side too since show will come in sideways too. You're not going to give them a snow free run, but it will help keep them happy.
8:55 am
August 30, 2008
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Even straw bails 1 deep around the outside of the run would help and maybe cheap plastic tarps (or throw away plastic floor protectors used for painting) hung from the north and west sides would help, for wind breaks…
Can you attach boards across the top of the run, width side,under the chickenwire for roof support? I have a wide board going across the top of the length of my run with hardware cloth over the top (and waist high around the run) and it takes our Michigan winter well.
9:15 am
February 10, 2009
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Chickens hate wind, windy days really make mine grumpy. On a 25 degree day, if they can get out of the wind, they'll be fine, and if they can get out of the wind and still get some sun they'll be really happy campers.
I know we've gotten a bit off topic DETF, but I hope it all helped anyway. Isn't it amazing how chicken wire can hold snow so well?
10:10 am
January 26, 2010
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I've had good results with cheap tarps on the sides to block the wind and cattle panels across the top to deter hawks & owls (also keeps turkeys in, but not chickens). The snow doesn't pile up on the cattle panel wire.
1:28 pm
February 10, 2009
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What a great idea about the cattle panel across the top Laura! They're pretty heavy, so the frame may need some bracing, but it would really be a very sturdy top for the run, and could help support other options too… finer mesh chicken wire or such, a tarp, plastic, that wavy fiberglass stuff that would shed snow fairly quick… with a push! It really seems to me it would keep heavier chickens in too, my dual purpose birds aren't great fliers after all, and if I had some acrobatic smaller birds, some wing clipping might be in order! Great idea!
6:45 pm
September 12, 2011
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Thank you all for your thoughts! The chicken wire actually goes 2' underground (hardware wire simply wasn't in the budget). We do have a few boards running across the top of the run and the chicken wire rests on that. Still things were sagging. Ultimately (next year I hope) we could put a roof over the run like you suggest. Maybe the clear corrugated panels so sunlight can still come in as it doesn't get too hot up here. One step at a time.
The cattle panel is a good idea. It won't keep out the racoons, but then we shut the girls in at night. We've got buff orpingtons and barred rocks so I think they'll be good size when they're full grown (we're still waiting on eggs – sometime this month my husband tells me). Are they likely to fly out? The sides are 6' tall.
Thank you for the wind block suggestions. That's definitely something I can do low budget this year.
9:24 pm
May 7, 2011
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If you have a Harbor Freight store nearby they sell tarps pretty reasonable and sometime have them on sale.
10:35 am
March 2, 2011
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Your set-up looks an awful lot like mine, down to the buried wire and the run design (and the rock piles!). I have the same wire with supporting boards layout. I guess we may have had some sagging with heavy snow or ice, but our run has done OK for about 5 years now. We live in N. PA, so nothing like Maine winters, but still nasty sometimes. I think the difference between our run and yours might be wire placement. Our wire goes OVER the tops of the support boards on top of the run, not under; and I think we have an additional board across the run for added support. Might be a simple fix that would make a big difference! Like some of the other posters, we allow our hens to come and go from the coop in all but the absolute worst weather (when they get locked in). Mine don't have a windbreak, but I find that if it's too miserable out, they're sensible enough to stay indoors!
Good luck!
10:37 am
January 17, 2011
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I used to have the same breeds you have & never had to clip their wings. Since they are heavier breeds they have more trouble trying to fly.
And those buffs can be some really tastey eating if you plan to butcher. Mine got to 8-12 lbs apiece & were better than a turkey….nice & juicy!
9:04 am
September 12, 2011
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A follow-up on this post I started. I do believe that being a newby to chicken keeping, I was a bit over worried. Yes, the chicken wire sagged after that first snow, but it was an unusually heavy, wet snow.
Since then my husband put in a couple of extra cross supports for the chicken wire to rest on. We've since had two more decent snowfalls and the chicken wire "roof" over the pen held up just fine. I do go out and with my hoe to give it the wire roof a jiggle so the sky will stop falling on the girls.
All is well. However, I did get some great ideas, so thank you!
Susan
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