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

[meg]

Hi, at the weekend we finally 'properly' got started on the chicken run We brought the first lot of materials from wickes on saturday morning and got straight on with it on arriving home. The greenhouse that was in the space we wanted to build our run has now been taking by some freecyclers who are going to be using it for a community vegetable project We still have a fair bit of work to do on the site but it is work in progress.

 

Whilst OH was working on the chicken run he looked through the hedge to our neighbours garden and there was this beautiful fox dozing in the grass I know this fox sleeps in my neighbours garden most days as I have seen him quite a few times as he is not shy of people at all. He has an injured foot so I know it is the same one each time I see him.

 

We are so hoping that our ex batts when we are ready fo them, are going to be safe in the new run. One end is concrete, where their house will be and the actual run will be paved with the bark etc for covering on the top. The mesh will be the real thick stuff not chicken wire, it will have a polycarbonate roof with wire underneath for double security. The panels you can see in the picture are not finished, there is another to go above the existing ones with the trellis panels over the top on the inside. I am thinking of painting the trellis another colour so it looks nice against the green panels underneath The side that runs down the hedge will be all solid panelling as will the very back near the other hedges. The reason for this being so the fox can't look through the hedge at the chooks. If he is going to come into the garden it will be through this hedging, so we thought this would be better than mesh that he can see through. I know that he will be aware of the chickens whether he can see them or not, but we are doing our best to build a fort knox for them.

 

Here's the very 1st pictures of the run in progress, I will update this each time as work progresses.

Edited October 16, 2008 by Guest

[keyhole kate]

How Exciting cant wait for the

next instalment .

 

Sorry have to say it foxy does look very

handsome

[skye]

Looks like you're building a palace for those lucky girls The only thing I would add to securing it, if you aren't already planning this, might be to extend your paving stone floor outwards from the run by at least two paving stones' width, to stop the fox being able to dig into the run from outside. We have done this, as well as laying weld mesh under the paving on the 2 more vulnerable sides (belt and braces!)

 

An alternative to doing this is to dig a few feet down and place sheets of weld mesh vertically before back-filling. This should also foil any predatory digging attempts.

 

Good luck with it all!

 

Skye

[meg]

The fox is a beauty isn't he. I had never seen a fox before until I moved here in December 2007 I have to get the binoculars out every time one comes into the garden My neighbour texts me sometimes to tell me he's in her garden so I can look out my bedroom window at him I think they are beautiful creatures. Remind me I said that if he gets one of my chickens

 

Looking at the chicken run in the picture, on the right hand side is a concrete path, the run will be right up against that the whole length. The left hand side by the hedges, where you can see the concrete base is slabbed down the side and the very back is also concrete by the big tall hedges. The bit where you can see the assortment of rubble at the front is where the actual run wil be located and will definately need some reinforcements round the outside as it is mud at the moment. OH has already decided to take the mesh into the ground and lay slabs on the top. We HAVE to get this right first time. OH surprised me when he said about the steps he is taking to prevent foxes getting in.....I actually thought he was humouring me letting me have chickens to shut me up It turns out he can't wait either and said the run must be fox proof otherwise he won't be able to sleep at night

[keyhole kate]