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Noisy tarp on chicken run

oooftoooft Posts: 191
in Problem solving
Hello. I recently built a chicken run that came with a tarp roof which is made out of cagoul type material. It's very noisy in the wind and i'm concerned the neighbours will complain. I've been looking at canvas tarps and they're very expensive. Before i pony up a load of money i wanted to know if anyone thought this would be quieter. Cheers
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  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Can you pin it down so it doesn't flap as much?  Stretch ropes or bands across and tack them down at the edges?
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • oooftoooft Posts: 191
    Obelixx said:
    Can you pin it down so it doesn't flap as much?  Stretch ropes or bands across and tack them down at the edges?

    It's tied on with eyelets all round the edges. It flapped like mad so i got wire and and put a grid of wire up and over the roof and from side to side. Reduced the flapping somewhat but not enough. I think i would have been better putting this grid on before putting the chicken wire over the roof but it's on now, chickens are living in it, it's got to stay.

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    What is it covering? Their house or their run? if it's the run I would just remove it, replace it with chicken wire. If it's the house, how about replacing it with something solid, like board and then tar paper like a shed roof.
  • oooftoooft Posts: 191
    It's the run. The chicken wire comes up from the side where the bins are and goes in one continuous piece to the other side. The tarp in on top and tied down on to the frame. Then i used a roll of wire  and kind of wove it into a grid pattern over the tarp.
    I dont feel like i can do anymore with it except deconstruct the whole run and start again and i'm not able to do that. What i wanted to know is if a heavy weight canvas tarp would flap about so much. I would be willing to try that tied down on top. If the under tarp was still noisy after that i would cut it out


  • ZeroZero1ZeroZero1 Posts: 577
    Any form of weighting will do something, perhaps  some sand bag type idea. Two of them connected by rope, one on each side. it's an acoustic problem and the tarp is acting like a drum. Anything that muffles a drum will work
  • oooftoooft Posts: 191
    I think the problem is that the chicken wire on the frame is not as taught as the tarp is. The chicken wire sags in a bit so the tarp isnt sitting right on top of it except for the part son the metal frame. The additional wire i put on is pretty taught but doesnt help very much. This is why i was wondering if a different tarp,perhaps one made of heavy canvas would act differently.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    That made me laugh oooft - 'pony up a load of money'   :D
    I can't see the pic clearly enough - is the chicken wire on the run attached to a frame? Could you stick some timber roofing battens across the top and screw them on?
    If it's metal that might be tricky. 
    It doesn't need a solid cover though, as Skandi says, so you really just need something 'grid like' to use as a roof, so that you can remove the noisy cover. Trellis or mesh of any kind will do, as long as there's a sturdy enough frame to attach it to. You could always put in a few posts to make a roof if the exisiting frame is too flimsy.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Does the tarp come down to the ground level on both sides? If I've understood you correctly and it does, I'd put something like a gravel board along each long side (or even make a 'box' around the base). Then get two lengths of roof batten and staple the ends of the tarp to the batten at close intervals. On one side, twist the batten once so the tarp is trapped between the batten and the gravel board and then screw the batten to the board. On the other side, turn the batten as many times as you need to, winding the tarp around it until it's really taut, then screw the batten to the board. If it stretches over time (they usually do), you can unscrew one side, turn it one more time and screw it down again.

    The continuous pressure along it's length should stop it ripping at its fixings and the adjustability should mean you can keep it tight.

    Then save up for some sheets of plywood and a roll of roofing felt to over-roof it when you have the money. 
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    They don't need the cover, you could just remove it.
  • buttercup4buttercup4 Posts: 23
    If we have to keep our chickens in this winter like two years ago, you will need a cover. Also its much nicer for your chickens to have a dry area. I have a plastic clear corrugated roof over my hen house and run. 
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