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

[beanie3]

Hi!

 

Okay - we have four chickens and there run is not under cover....with the naf weather (apart from today) the ground is smally and boggy - how do other people get around this problem?

 

some people say put bark down to get rid of the muddy bog - but what about the smell.....any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance? Gill.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Cover it .

 

Seriously, I sprinkle Stalosan F down (a disinfectant which should help with the smell) and a thick layer of Hemcore.

 

I also have a good cover on the run - it stays perfectly dry .

 

[moomin]

I would definitely cover it. The wetter it gets the smellier it will get, plus it can't be nice for the chickens to constantly have wet feet!

 

If you can't get hold of the corrugated plastic that ANH has just buy a cheap shower curtain and tie it down with bungee cords.

 

Your chooks will be a lot happier and smell great (well, great-ish )

 

[Ain't Nobody Here]

True, you only really need heavy duty corrugated plastic if you live in a windy area (I do and lost a few shower curtains )

[Bexiboo]

I like the look of your corrigated roof but was wondering if it was a little warm for the chickens in the summer?

[Hen Watch]

Hi Gill, you don't say what set up you've got. Is it an eglu, cube or other type of housing and what type of run do you have?

 

I have an eglu run and in winter I cover with a shower curtain and put Auboise bedding on the ground. The Auboise soaks up poos really well and the shower curtain keeps the worst of the rain off. Although I do find that on really bad days (like we had here on Monday with 1 months rain falling in 1 day) even that doesn't cope.

 

At the moment I have taken off the shower curtain so it doesn't heat up too much in the run, but I still cover most of the run with the Omlet Winter Shade.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's the beauty of it, I take it off when it's sunny. It's held on by a few bungee ropes which are dead easy to take off.

 

I'm hoping to be able to leave it off for a while now .

[beanie3]

Dare i say - i dont have a eglu (will i be chucked off the site!) They live in a little wooden house with quite a big run - i would say 7 foot square and 7 foot high so i am not sure i can cover it.......

 

I wonder what free range farmers do as there land must get boggy.....

 

I am not saying i am a farmer - te he - but i am not sure covering it is something that i can do.......

[chelsea]

yes I would also recommend that a run has a cover of some description.

 

Especially in the winter, to help with maintaining dry conditions in the run, this helps the chickens and the owner as it keeps the bedding in the run dry = less expense!

 

in the summer you could go for something like ANH with perspex and then take it off on sunny days and/or use the omlet shade. Chickens like shady areas and not direct sunlight.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

You're more than welcome here even if you don't have an eglu . As long as you love chickens you're OK by us .

[beanie3]

thanks - i certainly love my girls......they have a little cover in the corner so can get out of the rain/sun......oh i just dont know what to do for the best......i am sure i will think of something....

[Tigerlily]

Why don't you post a piccy of your run?

 

I'm sure the kind and wise omleteers on here will come forward with suggestions for you - it might help a bit?

 

BW x

[Bexiboo]

That's the beauty of it, I take it off when it's sunny. It's held on by a few bungee ropes which are dead easy to take off.

 

I'm hoping to be able to leave it off for a while now .

 

 

Ahhh of course! I hope you are able to keep your rain roof off for lots longer

[Hen Watch]

Dare i say - i dont have a eglu (will i be chucked off the site!) They live in a little wooden house with quite a big run - i would say 7 foot square and 7 foot high so i am not sure i can cover it........

 

A picture of your set up would be great.....I love seeing the different types of housing for chooks.

 

What about some sort of tarpaulin from a DIY shop that would be breathable and if it comes all ready with eyelets might be easier to attach to your run than a shower curtain. Don't know what your run is made from but I use bungee cords (which I got cheap from a Poundland shop) to hold the cover down. It definately helps keep the Auboise bedding dry so I only need to change it once a month.

[Egluntyne]

I used plastic sheeting from Dunelm Mill, held on with luggage cords. It worked well.

[chickenanne]

Half of our run is covered, half is jsut wire mesh top. I use bedding in the run, and clean weekly. If the weather is bad then I pretty much empty all the bedding out of the uncovered bit of run. Occasionally I move the run aside and dig over the ground underneath, removing any nasty bits.

I've had mine since Sept last year and no nasty niffs yet...

[Abbey Road Girl]

Do make yourself at home here in the forum, no Eglu required!

 

You say your run is 7' high but someone reported seeing a fox climb an 8' wall. Just another reason to cover the run.

[beanie3]

Its got a wire net cover - but i know for well if that damn fox wants to get in it well......

 

I will try and take a picture so you can all have a look (I am not very technological minded though!)

 

Thanks to everyone for the advice - i have a feeling i know where i may of gone wrong.....the wood chip has been there since winter and i havent raked it over - i feel like the most evil mum to my little chickens...i am gonna make it priority.

 

(Honestly my little ones are thoroughly spoilt - and well cared for - just the above little blip - which i will put right straight away......)

 

[ajm200]

We've got the corrugated perspex on the roof of our cube and have put the omlet shades on top of it on hot days to provide shade.

 

Our girls rarely spend a whole day in the run though as I'm a full time mum so they are out from mid morning to late evening and spend most of there time neck deep in the compost heap dustbathing or under a shrub rooting around

[Abbey Road Girl]

Its got a wire net cover - but i know for well if that damn fox wants to get in it well......

 

I will try and take a picture so you can all have a look (I am not very technological minded though!)

 

Thanks to everyone for the advice - i have a feeling i know where i may of gone wrong.....the wood chip has been there since winter and i havent raked it over - i feel like the most evil mum to my little chickens...i am gonna make it priority.

 

(Honestly my little ones are thoroughly spoilt - and well cared for - just the above little blip - which i will put right straight away......)

 

 

Don't feel criticised, Beanie, we're all on a learning curve. I'm sure that you are doing the best for your chickens.

[TAJ]

I have done the same as 'Ain't "Ooops, word censored!"ody here' two bungees and two £4.99 sheets of corrogated plastic - when it's hot like today the roof comes off and a rag rug for additional shade goes on instead in a minute.

 

Keep the run dry with a good bedding material and it remains a good surface for the chickens and very easy to clean out.

 

Tracy

[Snowy]

I have a large run, 2m x 4m and started off with it mesh covered. However in winter it got disgusting - wet, boggy and smelly. So it now has a corrugated plastic roof. I do wish I had made it removeable for the summer (but I think the mechanics of that would have been a bit beyond my poor hubby). But it has made a big difference to the state of the run floor. When it gets too hot and dusty I turn the hose on it - it still needs some moisture as there are plants in there.