4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[mdp1673]

We've just rebuilt our run to try and make it more secure after a fox dug under the old one in the one area that I hadnt secured properly. Its now going to be 4.5m by 3.5m.

It used to have bird netting on the top but we are slabbing the floor out to use auboise or hemcore and we need to cover the top.

Currently it is built from 9ft weld mesh panels that are joined together using a combination of screws, cable ties and brackets. I doubt that this is strong enough to hold a roof but I was thinking that I could create a frame inside the run made by 3x3 treated timber.

Would it be ok to do this and would it be ok for the timber to rest on the slabs?

Edited April 26, 2008 by Guest

[meezers]

Could you not buy a roll of weld mesh and staple / tie strips of it across the roof, it wouldn't weigh much and may even strengthen it all by holding it together. You could then waterproof it by placing corrugated plastic across the top, if it's longer than the run, it should balance on the frame ok, just drill some holes and tie it on.

 

Oh, and forgot to say - welcome to the forum

[FruitandNutCake]

I've just put 9ft x 2ft lengths of corrugated plastic over the top of weld mesh that is 3ft wide, supported by 9ft x 1" or 1.5" beams. The weld mesh is stapled on to the frame and beams. The corrugated plastic is just screwed to the frame and ajoining fence panels. Overal area covered was 9ft by 14ft - hope it holds together in the wind!!!

[lozkate]

Hi & Welcome,

 

I have put twin wall polycarbonate over our run. Its an apexed run so i tied two square bits togther with three loose electrical ties then laid it over the apex (one square either side) and it works a treat unless its windy! I could screw it to the timber frame I suppose).

 

You can get 3/4mm thick x 610mm wide strips of polycarb in lots of lengths from a few places online. They're reasonably cheap (don't know how they compare to the corrugated stuff). You can also get edge stengtheners, jointing tape and strips etc all sorts of stuff. Have alook here as one example.

 

http://www.greenhousewarehouse.com/Twinwall-Polycarbonate_B21NQT.aspx

 

It keeps our hemcore dryish. Goos luck with the project!

 

Loz

[mdp1673]

I did look into the polycarbonate sheeting but to cover the area we need would cost around £150

Also thought about the weld mesh but as its such a wide area at 16ft by 12ft I didnt want the lot collapsing at the first sign of snow. Our run used to be 18ft square and covered with bird netting which collapsed on the first flake

Cheers for the advice- putting an order in today for a lot of wood after about the 20th re-design of how I'm going to do it

[chelsea]

We have sheets of corrugated plastic on ours, does the job.

[mdp1673]

 

Got a few bits left to do, gravelboard round the bottom and top, need to build a couple of perches and lift up the house so its off the ground.

And fit the roof - seeing as I've got around 16 sheets of corrugated pvc sheets to fit can someone tell me the cheapest way of doing it, I don't really want to pay £1 for 10 screws from wickes with a plastic bit on- can I just use normal screws?[/img]

[mdp1673]

ok, got the roof bought today and everything needed to fix it (big box of nails and some silicone sealant)

 

Just checking with everyone that it will be as fox proof as possible.

 

The door has two bolts top and bottom, the frame is resting on a part concrete base and where there is any bare earth it will have chicken wire dug into the floor.

Inside the frame on the front and right hand side there are 3 by 2 slabs all round and the back and left side of the run has 2 by 2 slabs along the and are next to fences with concrete gravelboards.

Weld mesh panels are fitted to every side and where there is a gap more weld mesh will be nailed/stapled up.

The roof will be covered with bird netting and then have pvc corrugated roofing nailed over that.

 

Think I have covered everything off

[Egluntyne]

Very nice!

 

Welcome to the forum mdp1673.

[Phosphorus]

Can you spur my DH on please - he really needs to hang the doors to our run and put a polycarbonate roof on our run (13ft x10ft). We have 2 and half days left of time to do it in before our chooks arrive

 

Aaaaghe

 

Welcome to the forum

[FruitandNutCake]

Your run looks great!

 

Just a tip regarding the corrugated roof - try to angle it so it slopes . I just screwed mine to the fence and panel tops, but the water kind of sits for a while - then leaks! I overlapped the sheets, but I cant get to the top of the roof to seal it from above, and can't do it from below as weld mesh is between me and the roof! The only option I have to to unscrew it and redo it - but that means accessing my neighbours garden -again!

 

Another thing you may want to consider is putting another layer of weld mesh on the otherside of the frame on the lower half, as foxes can still damage chickens through the weld mesh. I'm hoping that a 3/4-1 inch gap between layers will be better than a single layer of weld mesh.

[mdp1673]

There is about a 6 degree pitch on the roof, tested it last night with a few sheets of roofing and a watering can and the water ran off ok

 

Good idea about the second layer of mesh

[mdp1673]

Its finally built. Bit of a rush job as we were on the reserve list for rescues today but didnt get a call

 

 

 

 

Got a couple more bags of aubiose to go in yet and a couple of perches but overall I think I'm done. Tested to be waterproof with last nights wind and rain as well

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum MDP1673 . That's a fantastic run you've got there - all you need is some chickens . Love the chair sitting in a prime position for chicken-watching .

[meezers]

That looks fantastic ! I wanted a blue run ( stamps foot ) so am very envious ! you'll have to get that chair undercover - you won't want to stop watching just cos it's raining !