Solid Surface Roof on Run? Pros and Cons?

[mtillitski]

Dear Chicken Experts,

My flock of five girls (born August 2020) needs a chicken run. The hawks are visiting daily and I lost my sweetest Buff, Charlotte, last week. (We also have fox, raccoon and possum.) I am often in the garden, but not always. They are used to free ranging in our little quarter of acre back yard, so the run will be an adjustment. I bought an Omelet movable fencing pen but they fly out or squirm under, and obviously there's no protection from the sky predators.

I've read through tons of threads about runs on here. This community is amazing! Taken lots and lots of notes.

I am debating whether to put a solid surface roof on my run? I live in Charlotte, NC, where winters are mild and summers are HOT. I think the girls would really enjoy sleeping safely under the stars. Coop is 4 feet x 8 feet and partially shaded from the afternoon sun, but not totally. The coop is elevated, so there is a shaded "run" portion under the coop, but it is small. I have enough room for about 7 feet by 10 feet extension off to the side. I am leaning towards a hardware cloth roof.

Can y'all give me your expert opinions on solid surface versus hardware cloth?

Thank you! Yours, Melinda

 

[CluckerFamily]

I have a solid metal roof. The run and coop are under a tree for shade. I have to mainly plan for the winter months over the heat.

 

[mtillitski]

I have a solid metal roof. The run and coop are under a tree for shade. I have to mainly plan for the winter months over the heat.

Thank you! Those Wisconsin winters are cold. I think heat is more of a concern than cold based on their behavior this past winter. They always wanted to be outside roaming, Even on the worst, cold, dreary Charlotte day, they were out scratching.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Thank you! Those Wisconsin winters are cold. I think heat is more of a concern than cold based on their behavior this past winter. They always wanted to be outside roaming, Even on the worst, cold, dreary Charlotte day, they were out scratching.

Mine love the snow, even eating it!

 

[Ryguy3684]

I used the corrugated, polycarbonate roof panels on my run. I used white, to reflect as much heat as possible, but they make it in clear, and a variety of other colors. Our Virginia summers are on par with yours. The white panels reflect a lot of heat/sun, but still let light through. It comes in 8' and 16' lengths and is easy to install.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Pros...
Solid protection from pouring rain as well as predators.
Always a shaded spot.

Cons...
Cost


I went many years with a wire roof on my runs. My area sees deep snows so that was a definite issue with wire. In spring the rains can make for a nasty soggy run.
This last spring we finally put a solid metal roof on. We get HOT in summer but not humid like the south does. My birds stayed active all summer even on days over 100°.

I am beyond happy we finally did that solid roof. We just got hammered with over 2 feet of snow! No digging out the chicken run this year.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Our run is really big (750 sq ft) so we went with bird netting.
the pros of a solid cover:
Dry
Shaded
Protects

cons:
Cost
If it’s a big run, might be too dark.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hello from the Sandhills!

Our current build is for an open-air coop -- a roofed run with shelter at one end.

We're roofing the entire thing for three reasons:

1. It's easier to handle pieces of metal roofing than pieces of hardware cloth when working on a walk-in coop's roof.

2. There is no natural shade in this portion of the yard and the trees we will plant will take a bit to grow up.

3. DH believes that he can put up the metal roof faster than he can install hardware cloth.

We chose metal because it's faster, because the current prices make it cheaper than plywood and shingles, because the Ondura roof of a existing structure we had to dismantle was in very poor condition after no more than a decade, and because DH isn't impressed with the quality of the PVC panels -- fearing that they'll be easily punctured by debris (did we have 4 hurricanes or 5 last year? I lost count. ).

 

[woodworm]

I have an 18 x 8 run with all metal roofing, it's secure and stops the run becoming a quagmire in the rain. However I am considering an extension with wire roofing as they do seem to like the direct sunlight when they are free ranging.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have an 18 x 8 run with all metal roofing, it's secure and stops the run becoming a quagmire in the rain. However I am considering an extension with wire roofing as they do seem to like the direct sunlight when they are free ranging.

To me, part-open, part-sheltered seems like an ideal setup.

I figure that chickens know how to be chickens better than I know how to be a chicken so I like to offer them choices -- sun or shade, weather or shelter, inside or outside ....