Poo help please!

[daisymay]

Hi

 

I am trying to work out whether to get a cube with a run from omlet or whether to buy/build my own run. I am trying to get the cube sorted quickly and fingers crossed should get one v soon.

 

My husband and I don't have much spare time but he reckons he can build one that is much better than the omlet one and for cheaper.

 

I'd very much appreciate advice, does and don'ts and any essentials e.g. wire specifications etc that we would need to get also any recommendations for places to buy the ready made runs or components.

 

I know I've already emailed a couple of you asking for some info on your lovely runs but would be grateful to hear from anyone....dilemas dilemas! The clincher has been when one of my new girls did a vanishing trick this evening and was hiding in the bushes roosting up high. I need something where they can sit on branches rather than at ground level I think.

 

Who would of guessed that 4 weeks ago I was chicken free....not long and they take over your life!

 

[Janty]

They do take over your life...and your garden. We have two cubes and each cube has the standard run plus another two mtrs of run. I still feel guilty about leaving the girls in during the day so we are having a 4 mtr x 7mtr run built (hopefully in the summer).

 

Then we are hoping to reclaim the garden.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

[WitchHazel]

One of the reasons that the Cube run is expensive is because it uses an excellent quality weldmesh, which is then powder coated.

 

For your home run, you need to use Weldmesh, don't be fooled into buying "chicken wire", as that is for keeping chickens out of things, it's useless for keeping foxes out. Welmesh comes in different guages and different mesh sizes. The tougher the guage, the more expensive the wire; the smaller the mesh, the more expensive the wire. 16 guage is best for chickens. Mesh size is up to you; omlet uses 2 inch by 1 inch. we chose 1 inch by 1inch for ours.

 

Hope that helps.

[Gallina]

If you have the skill to build a really safe strong run, then I think that with a Cube inside is the best of all possible options.

 

The Cube itself is so easy to clean, and being off the ground is less likely to attract rats, and allows the hens space to shelter underneath. And you won't have the "How do I get into the run" problem.

 

I don't have the skill, so I have two Cubes, each with the standard run and one extension, which is bankrupting (but looks nice).