Poorly chicken

[Redwing]

Please keep us up to date on your progress Jules, it will be very interesting to know how you get on

[Ain't Nobody Here]

T'was me who regretted not slabbing the whole run

 

Can I ask why? Does the soil get yucky quickly or is it because it's harder work to keep clean? I plan to do as I do at present, dig over the soil every 6 weeks or so, remove an inch or two, Stalosan F & garden lime it, and new bedding. Would that not work?

 

The experience of folks like you who already have runs is invaluable!!

[Angels4]

My ideas for a walk in run have changed dramatically throughout these past winter months. Originally my walk in run was designed to be like Jules except I would have a peaked roof rather than flat. Due to this brutal winter weather I've had to rethink my ideas a hundred times. One of the things I've had to consider is with the amount of snow we have had it has been nearly impossible to get the pooh tray out of the Eglu as often as I wish.

 

Freezing water has also been a major concern, I've tried two types of electric waterers and both have failed in the coldest part of the day and I've come home to frozen water, not to mention some eggs which have frozen solid. I feel bad about the eggs because the girlies have been laying an egg a day since they started and they work so hard at producing them it's a shame to come home to ruined eggs, although I do scramble them up and feed them back to the girls.

 

 

What I've decided to do is build a 7' x 8' shed, the shed will only have three sides (think, a bus stop shelter) I will have the shed electrified in preparation for next winter I will place the Eglu and cube side by side inside the shelter (I think I might just add some additional nest boxes to accomadate my growing flock). The floor of the shed will be dirt except I'm going to use paving slabs to prevent tunneling. I will also have room to store all my chicken related needs all in one place.

 

Attached to this "shed" I plan to have a proper walk in run in the same design as Jules (flat roof and all) which can be winterized by attaching pre-made wooden panels. I will extend the paving slabs through out the run sides, and leaving a 5x5 section of dirt in the center for dust bathing.

[Adams Egg]

Just thinking about snow on the roof, it can weigh upto 20lbs per square foot, no wonder my eglu run was struggling!

[Janty]

We are planning our walk in run at the moment and our ideas change constantly.

 

 

I want the cubes inside the run definitely. Part of the reason that we want a run is that my vandalising chickens have trashed the garden and we want to provide an area where all the chicken 'stuff' is totally self contained. We also need double doors so that we can wheel the cubes out if need be. The run size is also measured out and sorted - 4mtrs x 7mtrs.

 

We were going to have an area sectioned off within the run for the quail but we have decided not to do this now as I want the chickens to have more space.

 

We want to fasten the run to either a concrete base or paving slabs but can't decide on which. We are going to bury wire from the run into the ground to prevent anything from digging in. We are also going to have railway sleepers all around the run for the same reason. In front of the run we are having a double layer of railway sleepers with a sleepers width gap in between (if you get my drift?). We are going to plant up this gap with low growing lavender.

 

It does sound like we are more sorted than we thought but we are changing our minds about things all the time.

[Falkor]

This is plan 128......

 

The run will be 9ft x 9ft.

Enclosed on three sides by fence and shed.

Three weldmesh panels to front. 16f 1" x 1"

Paving slabbed floor

Two eglus inside the run.

One eglu on floor and the other on table directly above with ladder.

Bottom Eglu will have the eglu run attached initially for introductions.

Eglus to be on "lazy susan" style turntables (challenge for FIL) so they can be butt up against fence with access to poop tray

Front sloping polycarbonate roof

Single 3ft outward opening lockable door.

Chicken pop hole built into bottom of door.

Guttering to front aspect running into water butt.

Slab path all the way along front - will plant rosemary and lavender in pots.

Shelf for chicken stuff

2 Lights - mounted on shed wall inside run, wired into shed and controlled from shed.

Solar path lights to guide me up the garden in the dark

Perches and logs for playing on

Tubtrug dust bath.

 

I think that's it! But please point out errors/potential problems!

 

Only thing I am struggling with is how to mount grubs, glug and S.glug. I don`t want to cut the 1" x1" weld mesh and did think about buying some the same size as the omlet run but can`t find any. Any suggestions?

[Redwing]

Crikey, that sounds well thought out! I saw that someone on here has used the little squares if Eglu run that go under the Eglu stuck on the side of the run to hang the feeders on which I thought was a great idea

[abwsco]

T'was me who regretted not slabbing the whole run

 

Can I ask why? Does the soil get yucky quickly or is it because it's harder work to keep clean? I plan to do as I do at present, dig over the soil every 6 weeks or so, remove an inch or two, Stalosan F & garden lime it, and new bedding. Would that not work?

 

The experience of folks like you who already have runs is invaluable!!

 

Vicki, ours is straight onto soil and was originally just covered on the top.

 

Due to the sideways rain that we often get here it now has the corrugated plastic on 4 out of 5 panels from the wall to the roof plus we've also put clear plastic coming down the front panels as well - but not the door. I've gone the old fashioned route of deep litter by filling it with loads of large woodshavings and it's working really well. I've been told that this will only need taking out twice a year. I also throw stalosan and diatom into the woodshavings. HTH

 

Just realised that that pic shows our exbatts the day after we got them venturing into the run for the first time

[Cooks]

funny you mention guttering Palmer as, hubby is adding it this time around to our run as the water just hits the ground otherwise and splashes into the run

 

I want to find a small water butt, not the huge type, but haven't found one yet.

 

I will take a photo tomorrow of the metal brackets my husband made for the glug and grub to be mounted in the run. I need a larger one made now for the super glag but these are great and work a treat!

[Redwing]

 

I want to find a small water butt, not the huge type, but haven't found one yet.

 

 

B&Q do a slimline waterbutt which looks quite handy

[Olly]

 

I'm just nervous about getting the slabs level enough for the run to sit on . I do have loads of odds and ends of slabs which I could put down on the wall side but they would just be resting on bare soil so would they be level enough? I'm probably being daft. The run would be solid enough to sit properly even if the slabs were a bit wonky - wouldn't it ?

 

This is my worry too, but I'm planning to dig out the area and put some sand down, and then lay the slabs on top of that. Not as good as if you were doing a path or patio, where they'd need a solid foundation, but if they are mainly just for the run to rest on that should be ok?

 

I like the idea of the double row of sleepers, Janty.

 

Oh crumbs, I'd thought of having guttering but my imagination hadn't taken me that step further - where's it going to flow into? Better add water-butt to my list ... the list is getting longer and the price is going up every time I read this thread!

[Janty]

Guttering is floating around in the ideas stage here as well.

 

Can't decide which side the doors are going though.

[BarbaraJ]

my run is at a stalemate at the moment. Hubby made it and we didn't have a problem with the first part but the roof is giving us trouble with leaking. We tie wrapped the plastic roofing to the wire mesh but as the run is not exactly straight the snow has melted into the middle of the run and dripped throught the holes for the tiewraps. needs taking off and adding a gentle slope.

 

we have brushed the snow off twice now but it keeps freezing on the roof chickens have been sitting on the ladder to the cube when they have had the run of the outer run think they want to explore their new home but its just too muddy inside the run to add aubiose yet. Hoping to get it sorted next week

[Cooks]

that's looking good Barbara

[Seagazer]

No - its no good I'm still confused and I still don't know what to do for the best

 

All I know is I want a big walk in run, cube on the outside. Where it will go is on a concrete base and at the front of that is the slabs that we laid for the cube now. I'm worried if they are just in the run all the time they will miss out on scratching in earth. I was going to try to do a little covered extension that they wouldn't have full access to (for fox safety) with the slabs taken up and then they could scratch but I have no idea if I can fit it in and still be able to get to the cube.

 

My head really hurts....... I have to get it right, OH will go mad if I change my mind once we've done it.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Barbara, your run still looks fab - I'm sorry you're having problems with leaking . Hope you manage to sort it .

 

Ann, I'm the same . Would you believe I couldn't sleep last night (until about 4am ) as my head was full of my walk in run . Probably has something to do with the Excel diagram I spent ages on yesterday with measurements and positions and possible options . Looks good if I say so myself but I'm definitely taking this far too seriously .

 

I've had an idea of asking Tony if he can do a stable type door . That way I could open the top to get to the egg port (and if he comes up with a Lazy Susan, the poo tray too) and open the bottom when I want to get the whole eglu out for a clean. Would also give the girls another access point too.

[Seagazer]

Vicki - I'm so glad its not just me

[Cooks]

I've had an idea of asking Tony if he can do a stable type door . That way I could open the top to get to the egg port (and if he comes up with a Lazy Susan, the poo tray too) and open the bottom when I want to get the whole eglu out for a clean. Would also give the girls another access point too.

 

that's a great idea!

[clueless chick]

Tony at Avaries4u made our run and it was delivered a few weeks ago

the spec we gave was for the cube to be on the outside and as the run came

in pieces OH and I could put the door where we wanted and also the cube.

It is so much better than crawling around. The cleaning of the cube is much easier and

Tony has used the run on his site. (our girls are now famous) . OH put up a guttering and we have 2 water butts , as one filled within a week, he bought a piece of tubbing so the water from one butt would overflow into the other.

[Janty]

I've just looked at Tony's website. I like the Apex roof that he has used on the aviaries. I also like the wooden roof that he has used on the octagonal chicken house. Might make it a bit dark though. I just want a lovely, neat structure with chickens all self contained so that we can start making the garden nice.

 

I love my girls but I would like the garden to look neat again. You'll see what I mean if you are coming to the coffee morning next Sunday.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Tony at Avaries4u made our run

 

I've spent ages gazing at all those runs - which one is yours ? Can we see some photos on here too ?

 

Did you build it yourself or did "Tony" do it? I'm worried whether I'll be able to put it together myself (OH is a DIY numpty, I'm only a little better ).

 

I've just noticed that he uses Night Freight for delivery . Doesn't inspire me with confidence .

[Cooks]

ask him to come build it for you ANH, it saves the worry that way. The octagonal one is what I would give to have a garden to pull that one off.

[Redwing]

If you click on Custom Runs the top one with the cube and two Eglus is my dream run - I would be a happy lady if I had one of those

[Cooks]

I cant work out the door area bit it's a lovely run a agree!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Loopy, I can't get him to build it . You've got to be within 100 miles . I'll have to trust NightFright to deliver it unwrecked too .

 

That run is wonderful . I think that small bit at the front has been added on - there's another door going into the main bit - the small bit is presumably for introductions/hospital wing etc.

 

PS How come they've got 2 green eglus and a green cube, yet they've got one orange eglu door ?