Melissa67137
Songster
Hello, I am Melissa and I am making this post because I have seen many threads here asking how to winterize the chicken run and I want to tell/show you how I do it here in South East/ South Central Kansas area.
I have read many ways from plexiglass sheets to tarps. Well, for me having 4 hens for eggs and being physically challenged living on disability I have to have a way to do things that are 1) durable 2) budget friendly, and 3) that I can handle putting up and taking down myself.
I was new to chicken keeping last year and when it came winter time I had no clue but tried to wrap the run with that plastic sheeting that you can get for windows etc. While it worked I hated that I couldn't see inside the run with it since it isn't completely clear. I never knew if the chickens were moving around or frozen to death until I literally went out in the gate. It was always nicer in the run than out in the wind and snow for sure.
This year I have learned a bunch.....and found a idea that at first I thought was crazy.....but it was worth a try as I still can't afford plexiglass especially with today's prices. I read the suggestion of using of all things shower curtains.....so I though it was worth trying. So I went on a hunt of local stores for completely clear shower curtains....heavy duty at that. Around here they aren't easy to find. I needed at least 6 though 7 or 8 would be nice.....I found 2! Typical small town USA!!! Well, I put those 2 around one corner to give a wind break and see if they could hold up to the wind here, they work! SoI went on a search for more every time I went to a new store(yes I could have ordered online but wanted to make sure I got heavy duty and that they were clear.
I finally found 4 more and bought them. I have been busy with dental surgery since then and didn't get them up until today. With simple shower curtain hangers and 4 shower curtains I managed to cover most all the Noth and East sides of my chicken run for $23.
On the north I had left up some of the nonsee through plastic from last winter as that small section is outside my fenced yard up against a brick patio and it helped with a wind break and shade for the chickens. I then over lapped that plastic a bit with the first shower curtain and then used shower rings every few holes to hook it to my run, when I started the next shower curtain I over lapped the two shower curtains by 2 ring holes at the top. I have enough shower curtains to wrap the whole run but had already put up some of the nonsee through plastic on the south side a month ago during a really windy, cold, rainy week as a wind break and I am not changing it out now.
But I am loving how easy this shower curtain thing was to do and how snug it made the run today, but mostly I love that I can see my girls running around in their run from my porch! And I got it done just in time as it started snowing right as I was finishing up.
As I said I did over lap each curtain a bit with the next one, but if needed I will use clear tape on a warmer day to seal those seams. And until I can figure out how to anchor the shower curtains at the bottom I just put a few big rocks and tree branches on the bottom to hold it down. I am thinking of pavers all around the bottom outside of the run anyways and may do that and in the future just tuck the curtains under those in the winter.
As for the coop inside the run......I just add in a lot of bedding to kind of keep any drafts from the bottom possibly blowing right on them when they roost at night....I measured today and I have about 6 to 8 inches of pine shavings in there right now....I just cleaned it out and freshened it today and until they get in there and mash it down it is currently barely 1 inch from the lowest roost. I do this also because I don't shut the coop door except in the coldest of cold days since the run is wrapped and covered, and no I don't worry about predators as the run is chain link lined with hardware cloth with a hardware cloth base on inside and has a chicken wire skirt on outside and am slowly getting patio pavers bought to cover said chicken wire and make a walkway all around the outside, and it is topped with arched cattle panels covered in several layers of chicken wire covered in a heavy duty white tarp that is strapped down with rope zigzagged across it, so it is as predator proof as I can make it.....plus a predator would have to get past my dogs to get to the run in the first place.
Only winterization issue I would like to figure out a better way to do is the water situation. I have no power to my coop or run and no way to do so. Last year I simply got multiple waterers and took water out a couple times a day.....but this year is predicted to be pretty brutal for the area so am not sure I will want to make that short trip to the run/coup.....but I will if I have to until I figure something out......I wonder if there such a thing as heated waterers that are solar powered?
I have read many ways from plexiglass sheets to tarps. Well, for me having 4 hens for eggs and being physically challenged living on disability I have to have a way to do things that are 1) durable 2) budget friendly, and 3) that I can handle putting up and taking down myself.
I was new to chicken keeping last year and when it came winter time I had no clue but tried to wrap the run with that plastic sheeting that you can get for windows etc. While it worked I hated that I couldn't see inside the run with it since it isn't completely clear. I never knew if the chickens were moving around or frozen to death until I literally went out in the gate. It was always nicer in the run than out in the wind and snow for sure.
This year I have learned a bunch.....and found a idea that at first I thought was crazy.....but it was worth a try as I still can't afford plexiglass especially with today's prices. I read the suggestion of using of all things shower curtains.....so I though it was worth trying. So I went on a hunt of local stores for completely clear shower curtains....heavy duty at that. Around here they aren't easy to find. I needed at least 6 though 7 or 8 would be nice.....I found 2! Typical small town USA!!! Well, I put those 2 around one corner to give a wind break and see if they could hold up to the wind here, they work! SoI went on a search for more every time I went to a new store(yes I could have ordered online but wanted to make sure I got heavy duty and that they were clear.
I finally found 4 more and bought them. I have been busy with dental surgery since then and didn't get them up until today. With simple shower curtain hangers and 4 shower curtains I managed to cover most all the Noth and East sides of my chicken run for $23.
On the north I had left up some of the nonsee through plastic from last winter as that small section is outside my fenced yard up against a brick patio and it helped with a wind break and shade for the chickens. I then over lapped that plastic a bit with the first shower curtain and then used shower rings every few holes to hook it to my run, when I started the next shower curtain I over lapped the two shower curtains by 2 ring holes at the top. I have enough shower curtains to wrap the whole run but had already put up some of the nonsee through plastic on the south side a month ago during a really windy, cold, rainy week as a wind break and I am not changing it out now.
But I am loving how easy this shower curtain thing was to do and how snug it made the run today, but mostly I love that I can see my girls running around in their run from my porch! And I got it done just in time as it started snowing right as I was finishing up.
As I said I did over lap each curtain a bit with the next one, but if needed I will use clear tape on a warmer day to seal those seams. And until I can figure out how to anchor the shower curtains at the bottom I just put a few big rocks and tree branches on the bottom to hold it down. I am thinking of pavers all around the bottom outside of the run anyways and may do that and in the future just tuck the curtains under those in the winter.
As for the coop inside the run......I just add in a lot of bedding to kind of keep any drafts from the bottom possibly blowing right on them when they roost at night....I measured today and I have about 6 to 8 inches of pine shavings in there right now....I just cleaned it out and freshened it today and until they get in there and mash it down it is currently barely 1 inch from the lowest roost. I do this also because I don't shut the coop door except in the coldest of cold days since the run is wrapped and covered, and no I don't worry about predators as the run is chain link lined with hardware cloth with a hardware cloth base on inside and has a chicken wire skirt on outside and am slowly getting patio pavers bought to cover said chicken wire and make a walkway all around the outside, and it is topped with arched cattle panels covered in several layers of chicken wire covered in a heavy duty white tarp that is strapped down with rope zigzagged across it, so it is as predator proof as I can make it.....plus a predator would have to get past my dogs to get to the run in the first place.
Only winterization issue I would like to figure out a better way to do is the water situation. I have no power to my coop or run and no way to do so. Last year I simply got multiple waterers and took water out a couple times a day.....but this year is predicted to be pretty brutal for the area so am not sure I will want to make that short trip to the run/coup.....but I will if I have to until I figure something out......I wonder if there such a thing as heated waterers that are solar powered?
