Large Metal Chicken Coop Walk-in Poultry Cage with Water-Resident and Anti-UV Cover Duck Rabbit Cat House Outdoor Chicken Run Pen

Last summer was our first year with chickens. My wife put a small tarp over them because she thought they needed shade. I'm so glad she did. We had experienced chicken-raising friends who lost half their flock during the same heatwave thinking that a small tree was enough shade.For this year, I covered their whole little area and I am using this specialty tarp. I think half the reason our chickens didn't die last summer was that besides the tarp we were giving them ice 2-3 times a day to eat and peck at and lay on top of. I want to give my little dinosaurs a safer and more pleasant summer.Every summer there are people who mourn their backyard chickens because the poor chickens got overheated. That little hutch is a hotbox, not a shelter. They need a large, sheltered area where the temperature can be appreciably reduced and the solar radiation blocked out.Calling something a "farm" animal does not reduce it's individual worth or importance. Even if you are eventually going to kill and eat them or just want their eggs, all animals deserve humane treatment. And the more sentient they are, the better their treatment should be. You should see how my chickens came to life when we built the cage around the hutch and now they are allowed to roam a bit. You can go easy on yourself and get a nice-sized cage from Amazon. Or you can buy parts and build one yourself like I did. The price was comparable to that tiny chicken coop that we bought here when we were just starting out. And it will last longer. Either way, this sun-blocking tarp should be part of your set-up and it will dramatically improve the quality of life of your chickens. And we don't put enough value on that.You would be surprised how much happier you will be knowing your chickens are comfortable and happy.

I like the enclosure because it has a decent size for at least 10 chickens, fairly simple to setup and very inexpensive. My only issue was with the flat top that when it rains hard the top poles gave out and one broke, so I had to cut the canvas to avoid water retention. Assembly requires patience.

The cover is made from quality material that isn't easy to tear. I bought it to cover an area of my aluminum shed roof that was damaged from a tree. I was worried the sharp metal might tear the cover, but it didn't. It slid on right over it, no problem. Now I don't have to worry about the roof repair until I can better afford it. I'm sure any chicken would love the quality and durability of this cover, over a metal coop.

I needed an additional cover for my wire chicken coop. We have the original tarp at the back end, and a shorter clear tarp in the middle for light, but needed more sun and rain protection up front.This tarp is well made. Thick, no holes or flaws. The edges are done nicely as are the solid grommets. Included are stretchy bungee connectors-much better than having to deal with plastic zip ties. This cover went up easily, and fit the A-frame chicken coop perfectly. The color is white, which will help repel the hot sun in summer.I'm very happy with the quality, durability, and fit of this tarp cover, and the chickens are happy. I think it's an excellent value.*Please view pictures and any video as I consider them part of my full review.

The plastic is a little thin, but seems okay, the grommet holes are reinforced with metal, it feels like it's going to hold up just fine if things get a little windy, but I'm not sure about strong winds. I appreciate the light coloring as that will help deflect some of the heat of the sun. Overall, I'm not sure that this is really much better than buying a tarp at a department store, but it is made to fit this specific size run, so that might be the win here.

We will be building a second chicken coop this summer. This run will be a great addition to our coop area, giving the birds a nice outdoor space that is still sheltered from rain and snow when it's storming. Chickens really don't enjoy being wet and if you live in a subzero climate in the winters, your birds getting wet can be fatal for them. We had a rooster fall in a trough 2 months ago, and even though he got out, he froze to death. Do your birds a favor and give them a covered run (it also helps keep out aerial predators too.)

I have a couple of homemade chicken houses that look a lot like the one in the photo only made of wood. I thought it looked like it would be great. I didn’t pay close enough attention to the actual size. This is very small.I saw the length and thought that will work but didn’t notice or realize the barely 6 foot width. This is a lighter tarp. It is white on one side and light brown or grey I think on the underside. I will say the bungee holders are nicer than I expected. We have about 1 - 2 inch chicken wire on the house and these do fit through the holes in the wire. They hook on themselves so attaching is quick. We also have goats in the same field and I am not sure how long they will last once they are found. The tarp is very light weight so I am sure it won’t last long. Made in China.

light/medium duty cover for the pen. Stitched around the edge and glued. The grommets are average. Depending on your area will determine how long it will last. For me we get a lot of hard winds and sun. This will probably last me one season. I do like the white to help with the heat.