creating shade?

[TLWR]

Our duck and chicken houses were located where they are due to some tree cover and whatnot. Their houses just fit in where we put them.

Then we had a fox last year, so they got a pen and electric fencing. Not ideal, but we penned around their houses and while not huge, still bigger than many ducks and chickens get that are penned and they still get free range time daily with supervision.

We've been talking about removing some trees since we bought the house. We are 30 miles inland, so a trop storm/hurricane comes through, we are likely losing some trees.
A few weeks ago, we had some strong winds that came with a quick storm. Was mostly wind with about 15 seconds of rain. Storm lasted 10 mins. DH and I were outside for all of it and watched the trees just bend and sway and then snap, one of the pines just behind the duck/chicken pen snapped. The top just flopped down and hung there.

So yesterday, about 50 trees around the house, garage, shed came down. The chicken/duck house is next to the shed.

Our yard looks so weird now. We still have hundreds of pine trees, but the ones near the house are gone. I can see the neighbors back yard now (back yard is for their 2 horses, so no biggie). We can also see our shed/garage and the duck/chicken houses from the road by the neighbors

But in taking down the trees, they also took out the brush we had behind the pen to provide privacy and shade (along with the trees).
It is so very naked out there now. Only shade is provided by the duck and chicken houses.



Has anybody put something up to create shade for their penned birds?
We will be moving their pen when I return after a 5 week work trip and then they will have shrubs again. But in the meantime, it is about to be August in southern Alabama...
I'd like to give them shade and some protection from things flying above - they are going to be sitting ducks in their pen from above now

 

[SilkieNation]

Our duck and chicken houses were located where they are due to some tree cover and whatnot. Their houses just fit in where we put them.

Then we had a fox last year, so they got a pen and electric fencing. Not ideal, but we penned around their houses and while not huge, still bigger than many ducks and chickens get that are penned and they still get free range time daily with supervision.

We've been talking about removing some trees since we bought the house. We are 30 miles inland, so a trop storm/hurricane comes through, we are likely losing some trees.
A few weeks ago, we had some strong winds that came with a quick storm. Was mostly wind with about 15 seconds of rain. Storm lasted 10 mins. DH and I were outside for all of it and watched the trees just bend and sway and then snap, one of the pines just behind the duck/chicken pen snapped. The top just flopped down and hung there.

So yesterday, about 50 trees around the house, garage, shed came down. The chicken/duck house is next to the shed.

Our yard looks so weird now. We still have hundreds of pine trees, but the ones near the house are gone. I can see the neighbors back yard now (back yard is for their 2 horses, so no biggie). We can also see our shed/garage and the duck/chicken houses from the road by the neighbors

But in taking down the trees, they also took out the brush we had behind the pen to provide privacy and shade (along with the trees).
It is so very naked out there now. Only shade is provided by the duck and chicken houses.



Has anybody put something up to create shade for their penned birds?
We will be moving their pen when I return after a 5 week work trip and then they will have shrubs again. But in the meantime, it is about to be August in southern Alabama...
I'd like to give them shade and some protection from things flying above - they are going to be sitting ducks in their pen from above now

Lots of people use tarps, but don't box them in or they will roast without air flow. I use two layers of reed fencing from HD over chicken wire, which allows for airflow, not rain cover. One layer doesn't shade well enough. I put one layer on the sunny sides of the run as well. I agree you do not want to leave them baking in August in Alabama. Tarps provide total shade, obviously, and would probably be cheaper.

 

[quackingdom]

We used to set up shady areas for our ducks by resting a piece of plywood on four stacks of concrete blocks. In other areas we leaned plywood against the fence. I'll get some pictures soon...

 

[quackingdom]

Part of the flock enjoying a bit of shade under the plywood.



Or when it's cooler, one young guy lounges on top instead. Dual-purpose: shade and perch. (This shows the entire structure.)



This is the other shade structure. They like the rock "perches."

You would probably need something bigger than this, though, but I hope you get some ideas from it.

~Hannah