Daisy's mum Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Thanks for all your replies everyone Actually regarding foxes.....it is mink who are a problem where I live. A friend of mine up river lost her whole flock to mink who left complete and utter carnage Then they went on to kill their neighbour's Shetland pony Some animal rights people let them out of a mink farm a few miles away and they devastate the country side, they take most of the wild duck eggs and duckling's too. I have seen a fox on the other side of the river but nothing this side so far. I always shut them in the run if I'm not in anyway. Julie x x x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clur Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I don't know if it's helpful, but I've just bought aviary panels from eBAY to start our run. It'll be 6ft x 3 ft and I'll have to buy some weldmesh, but the run was 79 quid. As they come in panels, you can order as many or as little as you like - may be worthwhile having a look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddie Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I'm NOT putting up pictures of my girls run!! Mind you , they have the run of the garden, so I dont feel they're deprived!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted April 4, 2008 Author Share Posted April 4, 2008 Gone complete full circle now ! I think we will have to put a permanent run with a floor in, I went up the garden today, they were moved less than a week ago, and there is no lawn left! I think we have one more place left were they can be moved to, then we have no more lawn!!!! I hope the good weather arrives so the grass starts growing! I'm not very good at sq metres, would I be right in saying 15sq mts is a 3 x 5 run? If so I will hopefully build one 7 x 3.5mts which should be more than big enough, and if they can free range sometimes as well, they should all be happy? The pictures of the above run in progress is great! I feel I could have a go myself now. I just want to be a good chicken mummy! Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Wow, 15 chooks must get through an awful lot of grass. 7x3.5m will be a great size run for them. There's an article in this month's P P about building runs, which recommends that a rectangular run is far better than a square run - apparently squares stress them out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted April 5, 2008 Author Share Posted April 5, 2008 Wow, 15 chooks must get through an awful lot of grass. 7x3.5m will be a great size run for them. There's an article in this month's P P about building runs, which recommends that a rectangular run is far better than a square run - apparently squares stress them out! They sure do get through the grass! I moved them less than a week ago and it's a mud bath again! I will be getting P P mag then! Why do squares stress them? I have had another rethink on a run today Let me run it past you all for comments.....I have been worried about a permanent run due to the fact they would not then be able to free range on the grass which the clearly love doing, however I have become increasingly aware we are running out of grass at a rate of nots! Anyway when it rains is the worst time as they walk around dig it up and mud is everywhere. So what to do...? I then looked at all your fab runs on here and thought great lets get me one of those! I had not realised the huge costs involved . Now I have (I think) come up with my compromise, so here goes...... If I built a run that's got a roof, and a skirt (like the Omlet runs) so fox proof (hopefully), but only build it about 60-70cm high (so less materials). It would also be moveable (by two people). Therefore they could be on the grass all the time but not get so muddy as they would be dry....? So what do you think daft idea, or good idea? General size of run would stay the same as already talked about. Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 I will be getting P P mag then! Why do squares stress them? Square rooms stress people out as well, very few rooms are built exactly square. Prison cells are usually square Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted April 5, 2008 Author Share Posted April 5, 2008 Square rooms stress people out as well, very few rooms are built exactly square. Prison cells are usually square Tessa Maybe this is why I feel stressed if there is anyone else in our tiny square kitchen with me! Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 I think you would have a lot of trouble moving a 7.5m x 3m structure with just two people even if it was only 60cm to 70cm high. You would probably also have to use so much wood to make it stable it would be very heavy (and expensive). My girls don't have any grass in the run but they love scratching around in the hemcore and get very busy digging some very deep holes. They always look as if they are concentrating really hard, with their heads buried deep in the hole and their tails in the air. When they were on grass they didn't like to use the tub I gave them to dustbathe in but as soon as I put them in the big run they bathed luxuriously in the hemcore. I dig them up a turf of grass now and then and throw it in, they'll have a scratch around at it and then go back to digging their holes But I've only got 3 so probably doesn't compare with how you would manage with 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 If you want to put a couple of chooks at a time in a 2mx1m movable run to make best use of the grass, then that would be a solution of sorts, I guess. There's reasons why moveable runs don't come bigger than that though, as mentioned above. If you are thinking of doing a big fixed run only 1m high, just think of your back when you come to clean it out. A run is a big expense, the biggest outlay of chook-keeping aside of housing. You can't do it on the cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 If you are thinking of doing a big fixed run only 1m high, just think of your back when you come to clean it out. I think I must be missing something, why would I have to clean it out? Aside from just pressure washing once/month Once moved the grass would be fresh, so not sure what else there would be to clean? Or did you mean a run set in one place? Then you are right a run less than 1m high would be madness ! Have I missed your point? Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HasSumAmi Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 7x3.5m will be a great size run for them. There's an article in this month's P P about building runs, which recommends that a rectangular run is far better than a square run - apparently squares stress them out! Do you mean the April issue? The one with the Wyandotte feature? Can you let me have the page reference - coz I can't find it and I want to read it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 May edition - page 46. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Or did you mean a run set in one place? Then you are right a run less than 1m high would be madness ! Have I missed your point? Michelle Yes, that's what I meant. A run in a fixed location. I was slightly the worse for wear when I wrote that last night and wasn't making much sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 Yes, that's what I meant. A run in a fixed location. I was slightly the worse for wear when I wrote that last night and wasn't making much sense. Oh Good, I'm glad that's what you were meaning as I knew I was missing the point otherwise. Was the worse for wear alcohol, or sleep needed? We all have days like that, I have a baby who is theething really bably again at the moment, and I could really do with twice the sleep I'm getting! Still I wouldn't miss it for the world . Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pearsons Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 I have two runs at present and plan for a third. Each run is 12 metres by 4 metres by 2 metres high. We have no paving etc in the runs they were rough pasture grass. I say were with good reason! At the moment I have 11 big hens. My DH and I made the runs with 10ft long round poles (£5 each from the saw mill) and a roll of chicken wire (£41) from the farm shop. The gates into the runs were roughly knocked up with s"Ooops, word censored!" timber we already had. There is no roof to either run. The chicken wire is attached to the poles with wire staples. The hens have been in run one from late November until last week and have got rid of the rough grass and weeds. We have now turned the ground over and will plant potatoes and other veggoes in there. Chicken wire will support climbing beans and peas very well. Once the harvest is in the hens can clean up the remains of the plants. The hens told us they were assisting in the digging over of run one but DH got fed up of almost spearing them with his fork as they grabbed worms so I had to confine them to run two. Unfortunately they know quite a few swear words and insisted on telling him where he was going wrong with the digging so there were threats of roast dinner coming from run one most of the afternoon..... They will stay in run two for 4 months when we will move them to the yet to be built run three. Run two will be dug over before the winter and the potaoes will go in there next year. Please ask me anything else you need to know about our enclosures.... They aren't pretty but they do the job. Being pretty doesn't matter so much here in the country and the beans and peas will hide the run over the summer. Helen in Hume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 The point about bird flu is that if there is an outbreak and you are in the exclusion zone (as has happened with some people on this forum already), you can still let your hens out if your extended run has a roof, because they will be under cover. I would have a roof if I had a proper run; but then I have Cochins, which mustn't get wet feet. I think if Omlet designed a beautiful walk-in run there would be a demand. Something shaped like an elegant pagoda would attract me, but I can imagine the amount of money it would cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrandMrsG Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 We are in the process of building a permanent run because we're fed up with the girls trashing the garden! We will however let them run free under parental guidance! Will show you piccies when it's all done (weather permittimg!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HasSumAmi Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 May edition - page 46. Thanks. No wonder I couldn't find the article. Will pop out and get a copy. Only just got the April edition and haven't even read that yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
