Solitary chicken - need advice

[chrisevans1001]

Hi there,

Looking for some advice. I've had my chickens and eglu since December now and they're lovely - except the mess! So I've decided they need to be secured somewhere so they can't destroy the garden.

 

I seem to have two choices:

 

I can get two run extenders and make a reasonably decent sized run on the eglu. Am I right in thinking though that the only way to get into it is still to lift the whole thing up and move it? It's heavy enough without an extender...

 

Alternatively, I already have a disused cat run down the side of the house which is more than suitable - except I took the door off and I'd like to still be able to see the chickens. So I would need to get somebody to build another bit of run on the end by about 2m. Problem with this is a) cost (any ideas roughly?) and b) the floor is concrete so I'd need to cover it with something and bark chippings are pretty expensive too!

 

Input would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks

[moomin]

No idea of the cost I'm afraid but I would definitely go for adapting the walkin run. It's so much easier to clean, you don't have to heave it about or crawl in to clean it

 

If you pick the poo out often and keep the run protected from the rain a bit so that it stays dry, any floor covering you use should last a good while. I change the floor covering about every two months and give it a good clean and disinfect. I use 'aubiose' (horse bedding), very good for soaking up the poo - about 8 - 9 quid for a large bale and I don't need a whole bale each time as it's compacted. My run is 7 X 10 feet.

 

You won't regret getting a walkin run. Hope that helps

[Olly]

An Eglu with two run-extenders (or do you mean a converter and a run extender?) will be quite cumbersome. It also, in my opinion, starts to look unattractive - a bit like a polytunnel! I'd go for the walk-in run, it will save your back and also give the chickens a lot more space as you can put perches in at different heights and make use of the headroom.

 

I'm planning on upgrading to this in a few months. No idea on cost I'm afraid, people on here have built their own for what seem quite reasonable sums, but due to lack of time and DIY skills I'll be looking to buy one ready made.

[chelsea]

We started off with the eglu, then went to 2 eglus, then converter & extensions etc. We then built our own run = much easier and the best thing we did, you can clean it easily, loads of head height for humans & chooks and with the addition of a proper roof it keep the hemcore/aubiose dry = saving me money!

 

You have to weigh up what suits you, the eglu & runs/extensions are transportable/moveable whereas the walk in run is a permanent addition.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I am with the others. Walk in

[MaggieMcHen]

Me too - walk in any day

[Phoebe]

I have a cube with an extra metre run (so 2 m in total). It needs 2 people to move it, my son on the back pushing, and me lifting the run and making sure he does n't run over the chickens. It is awkward though to move stuff like grit feeder and dustbath - usually we run them over and tip them over by mistake and have to poke them out through the gap under the cube with a cane.

So whilst you can move cube and extensions around, its not ideal !!

[chrisevans1001]

I see.... walk-in it is then! Thanks for your input.

 

Going to have to get it done quickly... the three of them are getting bored rapidly me thinks.

[chrisevans1001]

Does anybody know of a person who builds aviary's etc in Kent?

[tom123]

http://www.aviaries4u.co.uk/index.htm

 

Apparently these are BRILLIANT loads of people have got them on here and they are always singing there praises. The do deliver for extra cost.

 

Here are some pictures of the runs he has built...

 

 

 

Good Luck

Tom

[chrisevans1001]

Had a bit of a think and actually think devoting a section of garden to them may be better as then they're are still visible. I don't really want to hide them away. I've ordered a run extender whilst I contemplate what to put where etc and will just continue to let them out until it's complete.

 

My thought is to section off this part of the garden and just put stronger shrubs and well grown plants to help prevent the chickens demolitioning them. That would also give them earth etc to scratch around in and saves me have to clean it out. It's also a much much larger space.

 

What I do wonder though... chicken wire is all well and good but how high are they likely to jump? I was wondering whether a thick hedge such as this: http://www.gardens4you.co.uk/index.php?/Hedges/Berberis-Atropurpurea-x-10.html would be suitable. Or would they just jump over it instead?

 

Chris

[laurmurf]

well they could jump over it while it was a small growing hedge, but even when fully grown, and no matter how closely you'd planted, they'd still be able to squeeze through the gaps between hedge plants; it would also screen the chooks from view I'm not sure it would achieve either of your aims, I'm afraid!

 

But I'm speaking as someone who has cube extensions and free ranging; rather than a walk-in. Although from today for about 6 weeks the free ranging is going to be more limited as we intend to put an Omlet chicken net across a section of the garden to keep the girls off the somme-like devastation that was our lawn while we try to reseed and give some recovery time in the bad weather months (so that'll be 'til September... )