Ammonia smell in coop-first time owner

[SnowWhite]

Ok, so the cube arrives on Thursday

 

The plan is that our cube with 'dock' with the walk in run, so that we can collect eggs and close up the cube without going inside the run itself.

 

I'm curious to know how you guys have set up your cubes.

 

-Is your cube 'happy' sat on the grass?

-Do you have problems keeping it level?

-Have you put in on a hard base?

-Have you had to tether your cube, to stop it blowing away?

 

Any advice you can offer would be great!

[The Dogmother]

I think that other people with a similar set-up have stapled the cube to the big run.

[Jules.]

My cube is butted up to the run, & I don't need to tie it in place as it's so heavy it won't shift.

I have mine on soil, but have the slabs to put down for it to stand on when I get time. If i need to change the height I just put slivers of stones under the legs!

[chelsea]

mine is at the bottom of my signature inside the walk in run.

 

We have it on a level surface...no tying to anything to stop it from running away We have boards around the bottom of the run to stop the aubiose getting kicked out everywhere.

 

hubby is always tinkering with the run, he has built a door/ hatch on the left hand side of the front door so we can keep the main doors shut and have the hatch open so the girls can go in and out. We also have a mini hatch beside the cube door opener so we can go along the side of the cube (without entering the run) and open the door of the cube.

 

We have double doors on the front of the run as we found the cube so large it was easier to get out the run with 2 doors!

[bellekatz]

Mine is like Jules., just butted up to an opening in the mesh in my walk in run. Not had any problems with it moving and it is juct on soil - did weigh it down with bricks and tether in with bungees last year when they threatened hurricane winds but it didnt move .

[Snowy]

Mine is the same - pushed up tight to the mesh. Initially I used short bungee cords around the legs to hold it against the mesh, but it doesn't seem to need it. I can just about pull it away from the mesh for cleaning (you do need to be able to detach it as you need to be able to slide the roof forwards to get into the back for cleaning) so I don't think a fox would be able to move it. Mine is on slabs, only because it sits on the patio.

[SnowWhite]

Thanks for all your advice!

 

I'll post some pictures once we are all set up.

[helenmb]

Hi Ellen

I get my cube tomorrow too and I am going to butt mine up to my walk in run for just the same reasons.

 

I did notice though that the cube lid slides forwards for easier cleaning so wondered - all you Cube owners with walk in runs - do you pull your cube backwards so you can then push the roof forwards (gosh, that sounds a bit back to front!) and if so is it pretty easy to move weight wise?

 

I have a gravel area round where I'm going to site the cube and will put slabs down under each corner to keep it level as the gravel with shift too much I think.

 

I kept a note of this post too as I thought it showed well how Jules has made it work for her http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=30889

[Jules.]

I use bellekatz's tp to take the back off the cube. Put one of the wheels down, so that the cube slopes backwards from the run, & then I have just enough room to slide the roof forward & get my hand down the back to unfasten the back bolts. Take the back off, then put the cube back on its legs so it's level for cleaning out, then reverse the procedure to put the back on again.

 

No cube moving needed!