Single hen

[Cinnamon]

I am investing in an Ikea shower curtain today - there are heaps on ebay.

We want to protect the Ladies,but give them a bit of light too

 

I have a question for those of you who have used this metheod already.

One end has holes,so you can thread a bungee through,but how do you secure the other end,to stop it flapping?

Also,are they a standard size?

 

Also,someone had a piccy,any chance of reminding me where it is,so I can take a look?

 

Thanks in advance

[Popcorn]

Not to highjack your thread Sarah, but can I add a question too please

 

I was wondering with the better weather soon to be on our doorstep (please please please!) with it being plastic would it get too hot for the girls underneath if we are advised to keep them covered over?

 

Clare is the expert on Ikea shower curtains Sarah. She used some sort of tape on the other side and pushed a hole through it......there are piccies in the gallery

[The Dogmother]

It's here Sarah.

 

I used a clear tape with a webbing/mesh through it and some bungee clips (both from B&Q) to secure the ends. You will need to trim it down a bit to allow for the slope of the run; taking a triangle off each corner nearest to the Eglu. Just pop it over the run to work it out.

 

Gina, there is still room under the bottom of the curtain and at the door end to allow for plenty of air circulation. I wouldn't leave it on when the weather gets warmer though.

 

Just post if you have any more questions, it's easier than it sounds

[Cinnamon]

Thanks Clare - it looks great,& isn't Rosie sweet

 

I must say I was VERY tempted by the colourful jelly ones on eBay (no Ikea near us yet!),but stuck with a plain transparent one.

There was a clear orange one that would look fab with your orange Eglu!

 

I will get some bungees,or I may pinch the ones off of the Omlet winter cover

 

I MUST get Cleo one of those cute pink T-Shirts for when we take the hens to the local carnival this summer

Edited February 21, 2006 by Guest

[The Dogmother]

Thanks sarah, I will tell Rosie!

 

The webbing tape is a must though as it stops the curtain from ripping, it is clear and has thin white threaded webbing through it, the roll is about 3" wide and it's super strong.

[Mel (& Paul)]

We used plastic IKEA curtains but were far too lazy to do as Clare did - so ours are held on with plastic clothes pegs - the eglus are in a shaded part of the garden so they dont get blown off.

Once the weather gets warmer and drier (yeah, right, that's going to happen in England.......) we will take off the shower curtains - it would make the runs too hot I think

[Cate in NZ]

I've got the Ikea shower curtains too, but am not as industrious as Clare . I have the perforated end up at the door end of the run, and secured in place with sandwich bag ties through the curtain hole and run mesh at that end. The curtain is the perfect length to cover the run fro eglu to run door and is secured at the eglu end with a bungee clip thing from Halfords (usually used to hold stuff on car roof racks), this just clips onto the run mesh on both sides and goes over the shower curtain and run to hold it in place. There is space at the bottom of the cutain for air to ciculate at the sides, especially at the door end of the run wher the run is wider.

Sorry, does that all make sense? I heven't got any photo's at the moment to show how it all works.

I agree though that I don't want to use this arrangement when the weather gets warmer, hence my plans to move hens into the garden shed if necessary/

[The Dogmother]

Sounds just the job Kate.

 

I am wondering whether there could be a market running up clear run covers for people who don't want to do it themselves - name your price.....

[red]

If you haven't got an Ikea near you and can't face ebay then you could do as I did at rig up a corrugated PVC affair. I've had mine on all winter and I don't know how we would have survived without it! The bark stays much dryer and the hens are protected from the harsh elements (and the wild bird poops if you're worried) and yet get plenty of light still. They seem much happier with this arrangement than when they were only partially covered (in bad weather that is). Its very easy to maintain just hose it down when you're doing the elglu (or if in my case! ). It withstands all weathers including very hard frosts etc.

 

Mine will be in the dappled shade of some trees once the summer comes and the trees are in leaf so I'm thinking they won't get too hot if am forced to keep the cover on due to flu regs. I think I posted some pics somewhere ... (will have to have a hunt ..)

 

If you go for this option I'd suggest you check out your local builder's merchant before just popping down to B&Q because the sheets were about £17 in our B&Q but we paid just £6 at our builder's merchant and they are exactly the same!

[Mel (& Paul)]

ALWAYS go to builders merchant / anywhere before B&Q

[The Dogmother]

Great idea Red, there are a coupl eof people with corrugated plastic over their Eglus and it works well.