My eco solution to rat problems

[freddie]

Ours have got a little run that we never use; they have the whole of the back garden(not a plant left now), a canoe to hide under, when it rains, a bush to hide in if I want them, and a stone chicken house, built in 1881, as a pig shed for their "home"; they have to run up a ladder to go in through the window to the indoors; they are fit chickens!!

When the weathers a bit better, I'll take a piccie, but it's a bit dreary out there at the mo!!

[sugarplum]

i really like all the permanate runs but can people tell me how they have made them fox proof.

 

thanks

[Helly Welly]

I've got heavy clay soil so i don't need to bury the wire. I'm shortly going to be covering the run in 16 guage weldmesh, at the moment it's just chickenwire which isn't fox proof.

 

Even though the soil is heavy, i put a double layer of bricks around the edge to discourage digging.

[Tessa the Duchess]

Mine is being built on paving slabs, so no digging by foxes. It is covered in 16 guage weldmesh including the roof. Fingers crossed it is totally foxproof

 

Tessa

[hennymom]

we have done the same with weld mesh but we have buried our wire into wet concrete and laid stone and gravel over the top and drilled the wooden sides of the run into the concrete and we dont even have foxes but if we did we have 10 foot high fencing too......

[snowcloud]

...we have almost finished building our new run. Thanks to everyone that posted their designs, ideas and completed run pictures - it gave us lots of ideas on what we wanted to do. You can see how we are getting on with it if you check our website/blog.

 

...the roof is on now, and there is just one thing to do before we fit the Eglu itself to the run, and that is pave around the edge of the run to try and discourage foxes from digging through. We are using 60cm wide paving slabs, set into the ground all the way around the frame. Hopefully this will do the job, although we have not seen any foxes or found any signs of digging around their current standard Eglu run, so fingers crossed...

[Lesley]

i really like all the permanate runs but can people tell me how they have made them fox proof.

 

thanks

 

Our permanent run has a skirt of folded over netting - the side netting comes down and then out at the bottom. We have a tensioning wire that runs along at ground level which keeps it all tight. We also have a single strand electric wire attached to a battery operated energiser.

[Mrs Frugal]

My run sits on a base of paving slabs which run around the edge. The wooden framework sits on top of the slabbed part so that nothing can dig underneath. This should also stop the wood from rotting. It has a solid roof made from twin wall polycarbonate panels.

[*mummy_hen*]

Now my house is ready with it's enclosed run attached for when we aren't there - i can finally add it to this thread.

 

Hope i attach the picture right as haven't done this before!

 

[Cooks]

My walk in run is complete as well, I forgot to add the links here before

 

here you go..

 

 

 

[Mrs Frugal]

That's a terrific run . Your orange Eglu looks so cool inside it . I like the branch for them to climb on - they'll love being in there .

[Cooks]

thanks, it suits us fine , with only the two girls, they have ample space which is what we wanted, although they still free range with us everyday.

 

I love the orange eglu, and will never part with it.. it's just perfect in there. hubby is going to add more to the log/branch area, when he gets chance.

 

All in all not a bad run considering it only cost £40 for the wire, everything else he had in the garage or a friend had. and he made it from scratch with his own hands so thats special to me.

[Mrs Frugal]

Awwww . I know just how you feel .

[Hen Huggers R Us]

[Egluntyne]

What a super set up...and gorgeous garden.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's really pretty . Fab garden too!

[Mrs Frugal]

All added to the chicken run inspiration thread in the Eglus and Cubes FAQ section too .

[WitchHazel]

HenHugger, what a gorgeous coop and a neat run!

[hennymom]

wow what a lovely little set up you have you must be very proud!! we have spent so much time looking at ideas and designs on this section and we are really pleased with our run, but I want the girls to have more room now...so we have decided to double the width of there run.... and add a second gateway, its in the first stages at present but I'll post before and after for comparison when it's done.... it's so exciting

[Katie]

This is our little chicken set up! It extends behind the wooden gazebo as well. It's like a jungle in there which the chickens seem to love (lots of places to dig and hide!) and enclosed with a good canopy cover provided by the trees. Had it like this for a couple of years now and it serves its purpose.

 

 

 

and this is little meringue, who we are currently trying to find some new friends

 

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That looks like an adventure playground for chickens - I bet they love it .

[Scottie]

Sorry - went wrong somewhere

[Tessa the Duchess]

This is my new run

 

 

 

 

 

We have made them a little door so they can get into their own freerange

area without going anywhere near the new turfed lawn.

 

 

 

Tessa

[tara]

Your run looks lovely and what a great idea,A chicken flap

[chelsea]

wow tessa that looks very very I love it!

 

we have a flap too!