Cheap roof for chicken run

[workindog]

Hello, im hoping someone has an idea.. a CHEAP idea.. lol

I have chicken wire over the top of my chickens run to keep them safe from hawks. Over the summer I had a tarp over the wire to help keep it dry. Well that kept pooling up so we'd have to get under it and dump the water.. it finally busted and now with this weird warm streak (not complaining i promise lol) that we're having in CT. The chickens run is MUDDY. Which leads to mud all over the eggs from their feet. During the summer with the tarp, it HELPED a lot.

I thought about making a roof with plywood but after figuring out how many plywood sheets and 2x4's it turns out to be more than I can afford right now because i dont want to just put it flat over the top, i want it pitched so it drains off. I mean ifffff i REALLY have to, i can buy the stuff but it would hurt us a lotttt right now financially (i work seasonally and am laid off until spring) So im looking for other options.

I looked into what i thought would be cheap corrugated roof panels, either plastic or metal. Ugh wasnt cheap at all.

Looked into actual covers for a dog kennel that has the rounded supports to help water flow off (thats what their run is, a 10x10 dog kennel) but i think in a short matter of time that would bust too just like the tarp we used.

I dont know if anyone had experience with those party tents.. but if that would work just as a cover im sure i can find one used on CL or FB. I just dont know how strong it would be for snow/ice/wind. Id obviously knock off what i could to take the weight off but i just dont know if it would be worth the expense of a lousy 30-50 bucks. Because if it didnt hold up until my work season starts then it would be a complete waste of money.

Does anyone have any other ideas? Do they make strong enough tarps to hold all that weight of snow/ice? Again i would knock off what i could when in out there but i cant be out there 24/7 doing that.

Please any advice would be great. Thought about getting free pallets but id need soooooo many, would take a lot of work to take them apart and i have no way of hauling that many. My car would fit maybe 2 at a time lol so pallets are definitely out. I would run into the same issue if i used plywood but at least home depot is less than a mile from me so more than a couple trips there wouldnt be bad.

Help lol

 

[21hens-incharge]

With tarps it is all about support and lots of it. Angled structure is very important or all that wet will weigh it down.

Can you post a picture of what your run structure is to support your current wire top?

 

[azygous]

Design of the support structure and materials are your two main concerns. I have an idea for a free waterproof covering, but first you need to figure out supports for your run roof that will accommodate future corrugated panels with a proper pitch, ideally draining from a sufficient overhang that the runoff won't dump or splash back into the run. Also, you should consider trenching the runoff from the roof so it runs away from your run far enough not to create muddy conditions around the run that would contribute to mud being tracked into the run and coop.

Now, for the free material to cover your run temporarily until you can afford those corrugated panels, which is what my run roof utilizes. Feed sacks, if you've been saving them as many of us do, cut open so they form nice flat sheets, make sturdy waterproof free "shingles". How you install them determines if it will remain dry in the run.

If you've ever shingled a roof, then I don't need to tell you how to do it. If you've never done this, you need to know that you begin the shingles at the bottom, over lapping each higher row so water can't run underneath the sheets. If you stick a small piece of duct tape onto the plastic before you place the staple, that prevents the wind from working the staple loose from the plastic over time and wind action that would create leaks.

When it comes time that you can afford to upgrade the roof, the support structure is in place, and all you need to do is tear off the plastic feed bags and install the proper roof. I would take a guess that this temporary roof could last two or three years if carefully stapled.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hello, im hoping someone has an idea.. a CHEAP idea.. lol

I have chicken wire over the top of my chickens run to keep them safe from hawks. Over the summer I had a tarp over the wire to help keep it dry. Well that kept pooling up so we'd have to get under it and dump the water.. it finally busted and now with this weird warm streak (not complaining i promise lol) that we're having in CT. The chickens run is MUDDY. Which leads to mud all over the eggs from their feet. During the summer with the tarp, it HELPED a lot.

I thought about making a roof with plywood but after figuring out how many plywood sheets and 2x4's it turns out to be more than I can afford right now because i dont want to just put it flat over the top, i want it pitched so it drains off. I mean ifffff i REALLY have to, i can buy the stuff but it would hurt us a lotttt right now financially (i work seasonally and am laid off until spring) So im looking for other options.

I looked into what i thought would be cheap corrugated roof panels, either plastic or metal. Ugh wasnt cheap at all.

Looked into actual covers for a dog kennel that has the rounded supports to help water flow off (thats what their run is, a 10x10 dog kennel) but i think in a short matter of time that would bust too just like the tarp we used.

I dont know if anyone had experience with those party tents.. but if that would work just as a cover im sure i can find one used on CL or FB. I just dont know how strong it would be for snow/ice/wind. Id obviously knock off what i could to take the weight off but i just dont know if it would be worth the expense of a lousy 30-50 bucks. Because if it didnt hold up until my work season starts then it would be a complete waste of money.

Does anyone have any other ideas? Do they make strong enough tarps to hold all that weight of snow/ice? Again i would knock off what i could when in out there but i cant be out there 24/7 doing that.

Please any advice would be great. Thought about getting free pallets but id need soooooo many, would take a lot of work to take them apart and i have no way of hauling that many. My car would fit maybe 2 at a time lol so pallets are definitely out. I would run into the same issue if i used plywood but at least home depot is less than a mile from me so more than a couple trips there wouldnt be bad.

Help lol

How big is the area you are trying to roof? That would help to know.

 

[speedy2020]

Checkout Craigslist and find yourself a pool tarp or pool lining. It will last a very long time, but bit heavy.

 

[workindog]

The run is a 10x10 dog kennel.

I do have a 4x4 support in the middle but the tart still sagged. I cab get a photo tomorrow. Right now im at my sisters new years party.

Tho the pool cover is a great idea along with the feed bags however i dont save them ugh!

 

[azygous]

Happy New Year. Maybe it will be an improvement over 2019. We can hope, even if it's futile since it depends on people wising up.

Another cheap covering is tar paper roofing underlayment material. It's waterproof and light weight, and easy to cut to size and staple. I urge you not to be in a big hurry and to take the time to do your roof supports the right way now rather than slap something together now that you will need to tear down and do it right eventually. Been there. Learned this lesson over and over and over....

 

[paintedChix]

You can look @ the whole album.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fgKYkhxNAXBnH6B36

At the very end is a 10x10 dog pen. 2 cattle panels @ $22/each, 1 medium weight tarp on sale @ Lowe's 2/$15. You can see the 16' panels come down on each side quite a bit for support. Since this is our dog pen, we didn't put wire on the inside of the panels, like I now do for the birds. At least 2x4" wire, maybe HC, if needed for predator protection. If on the bottom of the panels, the tarp easier to slide on.

We get rain, hurricanes, some snow, lots of ice. Panels hooped on other chicken pens & actual hooped coops have done great. We'll see how this holds up.

The various chicken coops show how I put wire on... the 1st 2 permanent ones in the BY coops, didn't have wire on. When tarps shredded in hurricane force winds, the birds able to get out. Putting wire up from underneath, a real PITA!! But finished earlier this year.

 

[bluemerle]

Yes, a dog kennel should be easy to roof. Cattle panels (hog & sheep panels aren't as tall, which provides width for a roof) are easy to install and provide a lot of stability for a tarp, which extends their life. If cattle panels aren't an option, you could try bending metal conduit pipe ... but it'd be more of a project, and likely would not be as stable.

 

[workindog]

You can look @ the whole album.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fgKYkhxNAXBnH6B36

At the very end is a 10x10 dog pen. 2 cattle panels @ $22/each, 1 medium weight tarp on sale @ Lowe's 2/$15. You can see the 16' panels come down on each side quite a bit for support. Since this is our dog pen, we didn't put wire on the inside of the panels, like I now do for the birds. At least 2x4" wire, maybe HC, if needed for predator protection. If on the bottom of the panels, the tarp easier to slide on.

We get rain, hurricanes, some snow, lots of ice. Panels hooped on other chicken pens & actual hooped coops have done great. We'll see how this holds up.

The various chicken coops show how I put wire on... the 1st 2 permanent ones in the BY coops, didn't have wire on. When tarps shredded in hurricane force winds, the birds able to get out. Putting wire up from underneath, a real PITA!! But finished earlier this year.

Wow thats a great idea!! For now we just decided to use a heavy duty tarp and any puddles or snow that forms on it, we just go knock it off. This spring we will be doing a better fix. And this idea is great!!@ tyvm