Non-toxic tarp?

We all use tarps, right? Right now, I want to at least partially moderate sun, rain, and wind for part of a chicken run to give more 'outdoor living room space' for the chickens (their truly indoor area is on the small side). Well, like most tarp uses, I know if I slap a woven plastic tarp on there, I will put micro-litter all over the place within just a few years. Birds will nest in it, mowers will mow it, before long I will probably eat it. I don't want to eat plastic. I want something I can reuse or compost, or at least let biodegrade in a wood pile over decades, that will be non-toxic. And during its usable life, I want to pin it to a hardware-cloth hoop house that chickens shelter under, in zone 6ish mild winters and hot and sunny summers.

What do you use for tarps that balances being strictly not toxic gick with being relatively functional and relatively affordable?

Painters canvas seems very affordable and mildly functional. More than a 100% cotton bed sheet from the thrift store, in that it is a little thicker (I guess? I don't know much technical details about all these fibers).

Waxed canvas seems far more waterproof and durable, but is also hundreds of dollars more. It seems like I could buy many generations of painters canvas tarps for the price of one high-quality beeswax 'duck canvas' like those used for primitive camping.

Fleece tarps, to put over compost piles, is something I just learned about. This sounds promising. I am in the northeast USA and it would be great to support regional wool markets. Maybe this makes sense but I'm just guessing as to how nice a fleece tarp is for chickens seeking drier, shadier space out of the wind.

Any other ideas? Any votes for or against the above ideas? Thank you!

I can't speak to the efficacy of it, but this video might be of interest to you.



I might try this project.

Interesting challenge!

Fabrics break down in the sun. I guess you could make a deal with a local motel for their discards (and handle with some care! all sorts of things go down in motels).

I'm thinking about steep A-frame structures made of wood pallets, supported by T-posts.

Shade, sheds some rain, not too toxic, mostly free, and adaptable.

Back in 1916 airplanes were covered in linen and treated to be weather and fire-resistant, unfortunatly I don't know exactly what the treatment process was but it might be worth researching if you need something cheap and light.

For something widely available I'd go with waxed 16oz duck canvas which is naturally rot-resistant.

Painter's tarp can be bought really cheap at harbor freight and then waxed but they are usually thin 7oz tarps.

Be careful with anything from Harbor Freight, I recall their wool blankets are not 100% wool.

It seems like 16oz canvas might be the best starting point, considering sheets and whatnot are just so thin.

I'm trying to decide between:

- untreated canvas which tends to be thinner and certainly not as weather resistant. Here's an example, maybe I could DIY making it into oilcloth with more natural 'treatment' using beeswax or natural oils https://www.chicagocanvas.com/product/10oz-untreated-natural-canvas-tarps/

- treated 16oz canvas which has unidentified oils and wax for weather resistance: https://www.chicagocanvas.com/product/16-oz-canvas-tarpaulins/ I could ask what oil and wax is used but undoubtedly it's petroleum-derived

This is just for an over-chicken hoop house, nothing too major, but ultimately what I put there will make its way to soil, grass, bugs, chickens, my community and my compost.

It would be cheaper to buy it by the yard on Etsy, then just melt whatever wax and impregnate the cloth in a 5-gallon bucket.

Though if you decide you want grommets the tool to add those is ~$32. It's basically a stapler.

You can certainly get duck canvas by the yard: this company appear to have some pretty heavy duty fabric, but you would need to either invevt in some pliers and grommets, be very creative or outsource making the bare fabric more useful.
Certainly canvas can be very durable, but only if it used intermittently and put away dry. I suspect that in my environment it would only last a year or so before rotting - albeit then returning safely to soil. I remember going on guide camp in canvas tents with wooden poles - looks like they still make them :) that makes me happy!

source

I have a weird, none plastic but very artificial method.
SHOWER CURTAIN -- Silicone and Glass Fiber Mat

Here's a quote from the linked  Instructible:

This is an outdoor curtain which separates a bathroom area from a patio area.  It is made of fiberglass mat material impregnated with clear silicone rubber.  The blue plastic tarps I used previously looked cheap, deteriorated from sunlight and had to be replaced every couple of years.  The silicone is supposedly guaranteed for 50 years outdoors, so hopefully this curtain will be more economical in the long run.  I used about $35 worth of silicone to make the curtain.  A friend gave me the mat material.  

Years ago I read about using boiled linseed oil as a traditional way to harden fabrics.

This guy suggests a traditional recipe of beeswax and boiled linseed oil to make "tin cloth."

(Though he cheated and used wax toilet rings instead of beeswax.)

https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/waterproof-fabric-using-tin-cloth-zb0z1303zpit/