My eco solution to rat problems

[Redwing]

Well done ANH that looks absolutely amazing!

 

I can't believe you fixed it together so quickly, how keen are you?! It all looks so beautifully made too

 

This pic is of my progress so far (managed to sneak in one of my raised beds which I am very proud of )

 

the rail on each panel is over the wire to keep it on and there is also a second layer of tiny chicken wire below the rail to keep small beasties out, there are three planks over the mesh at the bottom too to keep it all neat

 

The electric saw broke half way through the day so I had to do a lot of the sawing by hand

 

A couple of slabs need tweaking and there isnt a straight line or right angle on the whole run (Mr Cookie Monster would need a cup of tea if he saw it! )

 

I am very very tired now so I have screwed a plank across the end to keep it all together till I can get back to it next weekend

 

The door is made but I didn't have the energy to fix it on

 

[Cooks]

I told Mr CM and he was impressed that you are doing it on your own, so he wouldn't judge at all

He wouldn't say no to the tea though LOL

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thanks, all of you . It really didn't take that long (although that's probably because I had help!). We did an hour or so last night and didn't start till about 1.30/2ish today and finished by 3.30ish. (Didn't really note times!)

 

Yours looks fabulous . I couldn't have made a run from scratch like that . I like the boards on the bottom - they come up much higher than mine which will be really good for keeping hemcore in and winds out .

 

And your raised bed is rather splendid too .

 

We are going to have a problem with the beams for the roof which don't match up to the same level (partly due to the path which I think can't be level and the fascia which seems to be squint ). I'm hoping my DIY friend will come up with a solution tomorrow .

[Falkor]

Looks great Tasha! I am very impressed

 

I can see your slabs!

[Redwing]

I can assure you I took eight photos and chose the one with the least slabbage!

[Guest]

That looks so smart what a great run...nearly done...good pics

 

Love the big dust baths

[Olly]

Well yesterday went a bit pear-shaped due to traffic jams (A12 ) so when I finally got in at 12.15 am I went straight to bed ... but ANH your run looks FABULOUS!

 

Top marks to brother and I am very excited because it looks huge, and 2.5 x 2 is exactly the size I'm planning - I've been stressing because it didn't look big enough but that looks fantastic. I bet the chooks are loving it.

 

I'm also humbly amazed at your run, Redwing. You built that yourself?! I am so impressed, I know my limitations and wouldn't dare try. The raised beds look pretty wonderful too ... did you build those from scratch, too?

 

I'm going to try and get some more ground cleared today for where the slabs are going to go. My niece's husband has offered to come and lay them for me, if I can find a free weekend when they can come over. Unfortunately I think the chances of that are so remote, I'm going to end up doing them myself.

[Seagazer]

Redwing - your run looks fantastic. Well done you for doing it yourself.

 

Thanks ANH for the hemcore/aubiose question. I think we will just lift a couple in the middle so they can have a scratch about. Next weekend we are going to lift the paving slabs to higher it to the concrete level. Apparently hubby spent a sleepless night trying to figure out what to do with it

 

Just got my date for the run being delivered and constructed - 3rd April - yipee

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Long way to go yet (roof, translucent sheets, guttering, etc) but I have come across a small issue which I will share with you all so you are forewarned .

 

Because my run is built on a path and has a soil base, anything that needs to sit in a corner on four legs (ie the grub holder, the eglu table and the garden bench) needs to be propped up on the leg that doesn't sit on a bit of path.

 

Also, the ground interior needs to be fairly flat or things won't sit level. All the extra turf in my run is making it very uneven which isn't helping. I think when it's all built I might remove most of the turf and put hemcore down.

 

My floor level is also a good bit lower than the path level so putting the grub holder right in the corner makes it too high for the girls to reach. So I need to raise the level of the floor up to the slabs or put the grub holder in a bit from the slabs (wasting floor space ). It's a work in progress .

 

Good news on the delivery (and construction ) date, Seagazer .

[mostin]

Looking good ANH can't wait to see it all finished with roof and all, but it looks fab so far .

 

Redwing, so impressed with you , It looks really good, your girls are going to vote you best chicken mummy ever .

[Redwing]

You built that yourself?! I am so impressed, I know my limitations and wouldn't dare try. The raised beds look pretty wonderful too ... did you build those from scratch, too?

 

 

I did Both OH and I are inept at DIY but I have a pratcical streak where he has an XBox thumb!

 

I spent about £500 on all the materials and tools for all the raised beds (there are eight of them) and the run; included in that was a £20 table saw and a £50 drill/driver which were really handy! All the wood on the raised beds and run is one of three sizes and all the measurements are easy to measure e.g half a board, a quarter of a bar etc... (girlie measurements!) that way it stays very simple and edges should match up

 

ANH - could you attach the Glug/Grub holder to the panels somehow? maybe with fence clips or something?

[mostin]

We finished our WIR yesterday and I thought you lot would like to see the photos . We made the roof out of a tarpaulin OH found in the gargarge. And the back wall is covered in a black and a clear roof panel we salvaged from rubbish the previous owner of our house had left behind.

 

 

 

Shaun cut a door into one of the wire sides and put their favourite fence toy into the run. We attached two super glugs to the fence panels with loops of tie wraps. They can be lifted off for cleaning.

 

 

 

From another little part of left over fence panel Shaun attached some chicken wire and made a free standing grub and glug stand.

 

 

 

The girls were finally let loose in their new home, we put a pile of bedding in and let them play king of the castle, or should that be queen of the castle .

 

 

 

Two of the girls made their way into bed ok but the other 5 had to be shown the way . Hopefully tonight they will all find their own way .

 

We think the total cost of the run was about £120 with the panels and a few door fastenings and tie wraps etc. So pleased as with OH's new business I never thought it would happen this year

[Chickvic]

That looks great Mostin, well done to you and your OH

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That looks great . Such a huge run for so little cost .

[Redwing]

That looks brill and really weatherproof up against the hedge and with the tarpaulins

 

I love the Grub and Glug stand - how resourceful is that?

 

Money well spent Mostin what a smashing huge run

[Seagazer]

Well done Mostin and Mostin's husband - looks brill

[Guest]

you have done a great job i had looked at galvanised dog run panels but found them too expensive..would be good if we could get something in galvanised panels but of a smaller size for the chicken world ...as mr fox would never get in...what a lot of room you have for the chickens..I kept looking on ebay but they sell like hotcakes

This looks brill

 

lucky hens

indie

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Whew! Friend and OH and daughter have left (after 3 hours ). The run is attached to the garage and the roof is on . It's far too windy to attempt the plastic roofing so he's said he'll come back another time and help fix that (I tried to insist I could do it but he wouldn't have it!)

 

[Egluntyne]

Wow all round! I haven't ventured into this thread fr ages. Congratulations ANH and Mostin/ShaunW.

[laurmurf]

well well Mostin and ShaunW - that is the most fantastic DIY run! Well Done!

 

I adore the idea of giving the girls the pile of hemcore and leaving them to make their own beds - great chook-parenting skills!

 

Your girls will be so happy and ShaunW will get his lawn back!

[Yorkshire Pudding]

Lucky lucky chickens! Fantastic job that man and woman.

 

Your girls are living in the lap of luxury now and I love the - orange is the best colour ever!

 

We have bought fencing panels and gate to put across our garden to replace the wire fence - watch this space for pics - and will be planting 3 or 4 fruit trees in their end of the garden to make a 'chicken orchard'.

[Falkor]

Wow, ANH and Mostin they are great!

 

Well apart from a few final flourishes like hanging the glug, mounting branches and cube for the girls my WIR in finished

 

Too dusky/dark to take pics now but will do tomorrow.

 

The Orps are in there tonight and had to lend a hand when it came to going to bed. I actually WANT them to sleep in the nesting box as they look lost sitting on the bars They are not happy about their Eglu eviction.

[mostin]

Thank you all for your very kind comments, I will be going up the garden in a half an hour to see how many of them have managed to put themselves to bed tonight.

 

I think it will be alot easier for them once the old eglus are dismantled, cleaned and put away as they keep looking longingly down the garden at their old home . Typical chooks, spoilt to death and still not happy .

[Yorkshire Pudding]

just when they were settled into the eglus, you built them the Ritz!

[Falkor]

Thank you all for your very kind comments, I will be going up the garden in a half an hour to see how many of them have managed to put themselves to bed tonight.

 

I think it will be alot easier for them once the old eglus are dismantled, cleaned and put away as they keep looking longingly down the garden at their old home . Typical chooks, spoilt to death and still not happy .

 

Exactly same thing is happening here although, two orps pacing the WIR looking at the Eglu. Well they will have to keep staring as that is where th newbies live for now.

 

Two orps in a cube do look a bit lost