My eco solution to rat problems

[Chickens'r'us]

My run cover got shredded in the recent winds - not sure what fabric but it has clearly been degraded by UV light and become very fragile.

 

I was about to purchase a replacement from the Omlet shop but was put off by poor reviews from other Omleteers - it seems that my cover has lasted longer than many (over 2 years)!

 

So I have ordered a 2x1.5m piece of heavy duty waterproof nylon from Pennine Outdoor (http://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk) for a little over £20. It's the sort of material they make rucksacks from, so should be pretty durable.

 

Thought this might be of interest to others with the same problem as me.

[Laura & CTB]

Hi Steve and welcome

 

There have been quite a few moans about the short life of the run cover. Before I had a walk in run I bought a clear tarpaulin - rainproof and yet still lets the light through.

 

Lots of people have bought clear shower curtains to do the same job

[Egluntyne]

Welcome to the forum Steve.

 

It looks an interesting site.

 

I use clear plastic sheeting from Dunelm Mill.

 

It works well and lets an huge amount of light in. I hadn't really considered before how dark it was in there!

[Chickens'r'us]

Up to now I have used a large sheet of bubble wrap fixed with garden wire ties. But every time the wind blows, the wire ties tear through the plastic and it ends up on the other side of the garden.

 

So I'm hoping that the waterproof nylon will be a more permanent solution to the problem.

 

Some shade inside the run is not necessarily a bad thing - especially in the summer when it is hot. My chickens seem to dislike heat more than cold, although my wife worries about them in the winter and wants to knit them tea cosies!