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We're all planning walk in runs! Let's share!

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ANH what a BEAUTIFUL lawn! Definitely not the lawn of a chicken keeper!! I always think it's funny that everyone who posts a pic on here has 'evidence' of chicken keeping in the distinct lack of luscious lawn!

 

My WIR is all finished now with a roof and everything. I've been working the last two days but did get the girls moved in yesterday once the hemcore arrived. As soon as I started to put the hemcore in (I've never used it before) Doris went bonkers and kept laying on her back in it, dust bathing like crazy with her eyes shut - she was truly in chicken ecstasy! I even wondered if it was the cannabis effect from the hemp in it LOL! She was bonkers!

 

Anyway, I made a ladder from a strip of laminate flooring I found in the shed, and used my old wooden roosting bars to make rungs for them (laminate flooring is a bit slippery for their little claws!). If the weather is OK tomorrow I will try and paint the run and then get some pics on here. The wood is stained in a reddish colour though, so I don't know if it will pick up the lovely blue/green coloured woodstain I've got? Then it's a case of digging over the horrible compacted mud which used to be my lawn and raking it over in readiness for grass seeding again. I'm considering putting some kind of pavers or pebbles or something down near to the run in the heavy-use area of the grass where the kids will be in and out to see the chooks. Hmm, I will sleep on that idea I think.

 

Night night, and I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with pics of my finished run, roof and all!

 

Kris

 

Oooh Kris can't wait to see pics of your run

 

Loving the pics everyone!

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Wow what a fantastic idea for a post... sounds like you all have been very busy!!

my dh has just agreed to have a walk though run down the side of our house where nothing much grows and just gets filled up with clutter, I came up with the sugestion of a gate at both ends so if needed we can acsses the back gate ( at the front of our house.... which we hardly ever use!)

he has also argeed to geting a cube or a couple of eglus! :clap: we have three girls at the mo but would love more.... I just wondered what the best option would be as it is quite a narrow space (185 cm) but really long. 300 cm.

so would two eglus be ok, hoping to get another two-three chooks when all compleate and our girls are settled.

how would they be with two homes would hate for it t cause problems but may be the best option for space?

thanks

Emma.

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how many chooks do you have at the moment? Most people with two Eglus report that five or six hens will pile into one to sleep, even though they have a choice!

 

If your area is 1.85cm wide, then I'd think very carefully before getting a Cube. It's 1.2m wide, so you wouldn't have much space either side, and if you want to close the door you need room to pull the handle out. And of course the eggport is situated on the opposite side to the door handle, a design flaw in my view as it means you need access on all sides.

 

Of course you could put the Cube sideways in the run ... that way it's only 85cm, but you still need room to pull the poo trays out (70 cm, I measured today for my own plans!). Either way it doesn't leave you a lot of room.

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Here is my WIR progress with pics (whether you like it or not :wink: )

 

The front frame built by FIL, painted by me

Picture005.jpg

 

The four paving slabs for front frame to sit on.

Picture007.jpg

Gordon (cube green) seems to sneak into all my pics these days :roll::wink:

 

The whole run will be slabbed in the long term but the first four have gone down ASAP so that we can get it built ASAP as I have a date with Cookie Monster and some new hybrids :D

 

I have just got back in from digging the holes for the frame posts. FIL wants to concrete them in so WIR is never moving. I have told OH is WIR is fixed then we can never move house again. :D

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lots of busy carpenters...good chunky wood palmer..I think it looks the permanent type..

 

noticed the hybrid comment :?: cos i am nosey parker

are u going to Thornes tomorrow... :?: Let us know what birds u get(he had some lovely lacy things..those big emu things come back with one of them hilarious :lol:

 

I keep looking at my old dog kennel and I have a small old run..debating whether to go back next week to Thornes to pick a couple of hens up...feeling very impatient

 

indie

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:D FIL chose the chunky permanent wood. I was going to 2x1 panels that would would be put together but could also be taken apart just incase it needed to be moved :roll: But as FIL in building it for me and only asking for a Sunday roast or two I think I will let him get on with it :D

 

If we do venture over to Thornes tomorrow I won`t be buying hens as although I have spare housing i don`t have spare run at the moment. (hurry up FIL!) Will obviously report back on all things chicken if we do go to Thornes though.

 

:shock: Tell me about it ANH!!!!! Would of be much quicker to order from tony! I got a quote in December and he said he could have it to me before Xmas! His waiting list has increased thanks to you and this thread though! Bet he loves you!

 

Cookie and I have a date later in the month to go over to Cambridge Poultry for hyrids. :shh: Don`t tell Cookie but I am going to fondle her Norman (cube green) too :wink:

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:lol::lol::lol: ANH is probably not one of his most demanding customers :whistle:

 

I have had a change of plan again :roll: I have finished my raised beds (they are looking good even if I do say so myself) and since the neighbours have built a new panel fence we now have a shady area where there is no point putting raised beds....... Well I have to fill that space with something :roll: so we are going to build a small walk in run there which will be lovely as we can see the chickens when we are gardening. The larger sectioned run will still be built to house the meat birds but it means that there is no immediate rush which is nice as there is a huge mound of soil to be dug out first!

 

The Eglu will be used for the chicks when they can go outside and I have bought a wooden house off of ebay for the girls to use short term, when the second run is built the girls will get their (red eglu) back and the wooden house will be used for the meat birds as it is a lot bigger, this is it:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=120385280820

 

The start of the walk in run base will be going down tomorrow, will post pics when started :D

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I have been following this thread with great interest.

 

Andy is building me a walk in run :dance: I am not sure what it will look like yet. Andy has ordered wood and other stuff :?:lol: It will be attatched onto the side of the workshop and then along a bit :roll: and under the trees. The base will be concreted, the roof polycarbonate sheets and the sides weldmesh (hope he remembers the door). In the winter the North side will be shielded with panels of polycarbonate sheets to shield the chickens from the artic winds. Just thought :idea: , I would also like a pop hole in the run side or the run door so the Chickens can be let out for supervised free ranging without having the big door open.

 

I would like to put the Eglu on the outside of the run so I can open and shut the door and clean the poo tray without going into the run. Andy just wants to "push the Eglu through the weldmesh a bit" :? I think it needs to be attached somehow. How can we do this and still be able to remove the Eglu top for cleaning? any ideas?

 

I am leaning towards using the red mark 1 Eglu for the walk in run as it has a wire base and then maybe :wink: using the green mark 2 Eglu for a couple of Ducks as it has a solid base :D

 

I did suggest to Andy that he registered on the Omlet forum to get some walk in run ideas but he said he was too scared :lol:

 

All excited now :D more Chickens, yippee :D:D

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Ideas coming thick and fast now :D

 

I would like guttering on the run with a couple of waterbutts. In the winter some sort of low voltage light in the run would be useful as it is dark by the time I get home from work. There is mains elecricity in the workshop and Andy is an electrician. The Omlet netting could then be electrified so the chickens have even more space to roam. If Andy says no to the power there is a solar shed light somewhere in the workshop that could be used. A row of solar lights on spikes could light up the path to the run (must tell andy I need a path to the run :lol: ).

 

I have now decided the Eglu should be raised off the ground and I hope I can buy a cube ladder for chickens to get in and out of the Eglu.

 

Now, what do I need inside the run for chicken entertainment :think:

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Alison, I think I saw somewhere that someone had connected their Eglu to the run with (and let me try and explain this....) a curve of weldmesh, like an n shame and half of its width went through a hole in the side of the run then splayed out on the inside of the run weldmesh, the bit left outside the run was attached to the Eglu using the normal bolts

 

If that doesn't make sense I am very sorry :oops:

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