Solitary chicken - need advice

[Cooks]

as some of you know I have been having problems with my back and one option is to change my beloved eglu to a cube and have it on the outside on the run so I can clean it easier and not have to move things around and bend etc.

 

Do any of you have any pictures of your runs where you have added the cube to the outside? and also how did you secure it so that a fox couldn't get inbetween the wire and cube etc??

Edited January 10, 2009 by Guest

[Jules.]

take a look at my flickr pages, its on there.

My cube is just butted up- its so heavy nowt can move it.

[Cooks]

thanks Jules,

[BarbaraJ]

This was very helpful to me as i was worried what hubby was going to do so that i could pull cube back with ladder attached from run, had a nose at your pics and voila ladder attached to frame brill idea, why didn't i think of that thanks

 

how did you attach the water container?

[Jules.]

Don't need to move the cube to take back off- just stand it up on one wheel & the upwards angle is just enough to undo the bolts.

 

Superglug is attached by a wooden bar which has little thin metal bits slicking up from it to hook the hooks on. No idea what they are called, my friend made it for me.

[Cooks]

Sorted now thanks...

[Cooks]

As I am getting my cube without the wheels and it will sit on it's purpose built area, will that hinder me in any way?? opening closing and taking off all all bits??

 

Norman the is being dleivered on the 26th January so I want to be sure. I didnt order the wheels as I really didn't think I would move it around at all, not with my bad back. So there was no point in having them really.

[Jules.]

Not sure. All that you need to take the back off is to be able to push the cube roof forward a little, say around 6 inches max. Someone has a cube with a very clever llittle curved slot in the weldmesh for this very purpose.Can't remember who.

 

Norman is a great name

 

Did you think of getting a reconditiuoned cube, as there's a £50 saving off a "new" one, & you wrote that you will be saving £50 as you're not buying the wheels? You might save £100 in total..........

[Cooks]

there are no reconditioned ones though..

 

I have to be sure I can take the back off, as I have a bad back, I wont be able to lift anything heavy/

[Egluntyne]

Don't need to move the cube to take back off- just stand it up on one wheel & the upwards angle is just enough to undo the bolts.

 

I have never had to do this! I just undo the bolts and slide the roof forward.

[Jules.]

Ahh but isn't your cube inside your run?

[Egluntyne]

It is...but I'm still not clear why you would need to tip it back?

[poachedegg]

It is...but I'm still not clear why you would need to tip it back?

 

I may be wrong - but I think it is because the roof won't go too much forward as it is butted against the weldmesh.

[bellekatz]

Yes, if you butt it up against the run you cant move the roof forwards. BUT, if you put the wheels on ( or just one) it tips it back slightly and you can push the roof just enough forward to slip a hand inside and undo the catches for the back without moving the cube. I showed Jules. that trick! ( if you move it back you leave a big hole in the mesh and your chucks escape )

[Cooks]

I have searched through all the photos on the run inspiration and come across this one from Rich & Ange 's run (I hope you don't mind me using it for an example)

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/familyimages/0803140004.jpg

 

It shows how far the roof has to go forward, so that makes it easier for me to understand what people were meaning , sorry! DH has said it will just need a little thought but he can work around that so it will be able to slide whilst still butted to the run, I cant quite see how, but he's the builder not me..

[BarbaraJ]

Ah i didn't think of that well i will have wheels and surely you won't need to open the back more than once a week as you can access the nesting box through its door? i presume the top/back coming off is only to get to chickens or for cleaning?

[bellekatz]

I have searched through all the photos on the run inspiration and come across this one from Rich & Ange 's run (I hope you don't mind me using it for an example)

 

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f293/polishedbliss/familyimages/0803140004.jpg

 

It shows how far the roof has to go forward, so that makes it easier for me to understand what people were meaning , sorry! DH has said it will just need a little thought but he can work around that so it will be able to slide whilst still butted to the run, I cant quite see how, but he's the builder not me..

 

 

Mine never moves that far forward!!! You only need as much space as slipping your hand in - i can sometimes do it without moving it more than 2 inches

[bellekatz]

ok - just went out and took some pics of how far I move my lid forwards..........

 

 

 

 

 

That is as far as I need to go to slip my hand in to undo the catches.

[Cooks]

thanks for those!

[Cooks]

I;ve driven hubby and myself crazy looking at so many of your photos on here, we've now decided that it's probably best to stick the cube in the run after all. It can be cleaned in there just as well as outside and I don't risk hurting my back in any way.

 

I can also then put a lock on my walk in run door rather than just a bolt, which I have been wanting to do for a while, but not found that right one, this would of course be useless with the cube outside.

 

Thank you all for your help, you are wonderful

[bellekatz]

No problem

[Cinnamon]

Here is my set up.

As you can see, the clever man of the house has built a sort of box thing between the cube & the hole in the mesh, which works well.

One the Cube is in position there is no moving it.

The one downside is that the bit where the hens walk over to get into the cube does get messy, so needs a regular blast down & a sprinkle if Staloslan.

The ladder is attatched directly onto the pen rather than onto the cube.

 

We also have an Eglu on a stand with a hole cut into the mesh. The whole front of the Eglu is pushed into the pen a little, so the mesh comes further back.This might be a cheaper option for you

 

[Falkor]

Any chance of a pic of the Eglu from the inside of the run? As this is what we are planning to do and would be interested how others have done it.

[Cinnamon]

Me?

Sure, but I will have to brave the evil cockerel from hell, who hates me more than anything in the world

Give me a day or so & I will dig out my lion tamers chair & whip

[Falkor]

Me?

Sure, but I will have to brave the evil cockerel from hell, who hates me more than anything in the world

Give me a day or so & I will dig out my lion tamers chair & whip

 

Sorry forgot to quote u Cinnamon.

 

Yes please

 

ooooo eeerrrr! The evil cockeral from hell!? Sounds scary! Pics of your eglu wuld be lovely but don`t risk life and limb!