Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[Cyber Chook]

Sorry, I know this must come up all the time, but we're very fortunate in being about to have a run built, and I'd love to hear what sorts of things people found were really useful. They're obviously a big expense and I want to get it right. I have a Cube and five chickens. I have some specific questions:

 

1) Are there any disadvantages to having the Cube sitting outside, butted up against the run, as opposed to inside it? Tony at aviaries4U advised that they do take up a lot of space if inside it. Also, the bother of having to move it out to give it a good clean puts me off having it inside.

 

2) Is a little mini doorway a good idea, so the chooks can go in and out withuot the main door being left open? Or isn't it worth it?

 

3) I thought we'd put slabs round the edge, and some inside as well, then put hemcore/wood chippings (thanks Kate ) on top - how does this sound?

 

I've looked at the photos here, which has helped a lot.

 

Anything else that's worked well, or not well?

 

Thank you

 

Caroline

[Egluntyne]

Make the Human sized door big enough that you don't bash your head every time you go in or out.

 

I was permanently concussed for about three months when I first got my walk in run.

 

Apart from that, I love it.

[alison]

I have the same run as Egluntine and still bash my head occasionally, so yes, a good point about the door.

 

Had I have thought abput it, I would have had a small hatch put in when it was made.

[moomin]

I have a hatch and never use it. I'm normally popping in and out of the run when they are out anyway, so I just leave the main door open. If you get the run from Aviaries4U the doors fold right back. (but you can knock your head on the frame!! )

 

I can't advise about the cube as I have an Elgu which is inside on top of a table. But many people on here have their cubes outside to maximise space inside the run and for ease of cleaning.

[Cinnamon]

We have made 2 hen pens,so have learnt from the mistakes of the firt one.

There are photos of both builds in my gallery.

 

As Egluntine says,have a nice big door,& pref one that opens inwards,so it budges the hens out of the way as you enter.I cannot tell you the number of times I opened the door on my first pen & they all came charging out

 

I preffer the cube outside,so I don't get Aubiosey shoes when I collect the eggs.It also syats much cleaner - you wouldn't believe how filthy the top of it got when it was in the pen,from the dust

It also keeps the flooring drier when you scrub the cube out.

We keep the cube door open 24/7,& my husband made a little extra bit so the cube butts up properly to the pen.

 

Hope this helps

[stoice]

pref one that opens inwards,so it budges the hens out of the way as you enter.I cannot tell you the number of times I opened the door on my first pen & they all came charging out

 

My mothers chicken run was built by my dad. He put an outward opening door and encountered the same problem so he put a hook either side of the door way about knee height and made a panel of weld mesh to hang on it. My mum can then step over it when she wants the girls to stay inside or take it off when she lets then out. You still have to be fairly quick as they can jump it but it gives you enough time to close the door behind before that happens.

 

He also put built in a few perches and ramps with platforms so the girls can maximise the space they have and not get too bored.

 

My run is 'on order' from dad. It'll be a belated xmas pressie. Can't wait. At the moment i have a run at waist height and it's just awkward.

[Cinnamon]

Hi,

Further to your pm, here is a piccy of how my cube butts up to the pen,from the inside.

As you can see I still use the ladder,which was non negotiable for me!

 

[Lydia]

I was permanently concussed for about three months when I first got my walk in run.

 

Oh so true! After I did it once I thought ok I won't do that again......6 months on and I still get bashed when I'm not thinking

[Cyber Chook]

Ooh, thanks so much everyone for taking the time to answer my plea . I'm feeling a lot clearer. I just didn't know where to start before.

 

I now know that priority #1 seems to be to make the doorway as high as possible. I'm 5' 9" so that does sound like a great tip. After chemo my brain already doesn't work that well . I could do without the regular concussion on top. I'm also definitely going to have the Cube positioned on the outside. I love the branch ladder - it looks like something you'd see in a zoo enclosure - for ease of cleaning I think I'll fix the Omlet ladder to a piece of wood on the built run frame, so the Cube can be moved backwards free of the ladder.

 

I've been cleaning the Cube this afternoon, in fact only had the energy to move it from its old site to a new one and rake out the old wood chippings/Aubiose. Now I can't wait for the new run to be built. No more sore fingers from trying to unclip and re-clip the frame of the run... bliss.

 

Thank you again everyone

 

Caroline