My eco solution to rat problems

[atsw]

Yes, I asked Tony and he replied that an annual treatment was 'best practice', but not actually compulsory. All the wood used in his A4U runs is fully pressure treated and should, therefore, last well without needing too much lavish attention. I guess, to some extent, it depends on how open to the elements your gardens are.

 

Andrew

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's good . Stick a big tarpaulin up and that's it protected from the elements .

[hillfamily]

that's good to hear :D

[ali-s]

I now have a door on the run Andy came home early to make it

 

I like ANH's glug and grub station and I'm going to use something like that.

 

The Eglu will be going inside the run for now as Andy hasn't got time to cut the wire and fix the Eglu to it this week. He casually announced today that he is going to Denmark (work related).

[Blackrocksrock]

It looks great so far so more pictures when you can and how are the newbies?

[ali-s]

The newbies are doing really well Susan. They are all growing new feathers already, their combs are getting pinker. They are still eating vast amounts of food I am filling the grub up daily and on a couple of occasions I have had to re fill in the afternoon as it has been emptied.

 

More pictures of the run tomorrow, hopefully with the Eglu in place. The solar lights I bought from instore today are working and look very nice, although not enough light from them for me to see my way to the WIR. Maybe they need a full day charging to get the best effect.

[Redwing]

That run looks great Ali It looks big to me - how big is it?

[Blackrocksrock]

The newbies are doing really well Susan. They are all growing new feathers already, their combs are getting pinker. They are still eating vast amounts of food I am filling the grub up daily and on a couple of occasions I have had to re fill in the afternoon as it has been emptied.

 

Glad to hear they are doing well - hope it continues and I am sure you will have eggs before long at that rate

[ali-s]

Not much progress on the WIR today and I had hoped to have Lily and Bubbles moved in there tonight.

 

This afternoon I tried to rig up something to hang the glug and grub on. I took one of the Eglu run door skirts off and then 2 long poles from the now unused mark 2 roosting bars. My idea was to fix the skirt panel onto the roosting bars and then nail all of that onto one of the support poles in the WIR, easy peasy in theory. First I tried using a staple gun but the staples were not long enough , then I found some industrial strength u shaped tack thingeys and a hammer. Brilliant , only not only did the tack thingey go through the roosting bar it also went into the shed floor This is why I have a practical husband I am useless at DIY and I do try my hardest to be good at it.

 

I also found out today that the wind whips through the run. I saw some brushwood/reed panels in Instore which could be nailed using the tack thingeys on the lower part of the run to keep the wind out. I think I will buy them and leave the rest to Andy.

 

Oh, I did put in the shallow tubtrug dustbath, but don't think that warrants a photo.

[RosemarysBaby]

Finally got the run built took ages my poor brother must be exhausted as i know i am feet are killing me after 6 and half hours of standing

 

so progress pictures here we go.......lol

 

 

Still got to build a second chicken coop which will be placed outside and i am gonna cut a hole and have it placed perfectly flat against the wire so no space to get in and secure it in place the eglu will be going in but at present is staying outside so i can integrate the other 2 silkies we have decided to get coz i found a breeder just around the corner from me and she has EVERY colour so all in all 6 chickens

 

collecting my original 4 on saturday at break of dawn and the silkies on monday coming

 

even got little mirrors for them to gaze lovingly into it (the lovehearts hanging on mesh)

 

haven't got my sand bath trugs in yet and still have to add frames i made from part of the eglu run to hold the glub and grub on

 

woohoo 4 days til chickies

[RosemarysBaby]

Not much progress on the WIR today and I had hoped to have Lily and Bubbles moved in there tonight.

 

This afternoon I tried to rig up something to hang the glug and grub on. I took one of the Eglu run door skirts off and then 2 long poles from the now unused mark 2 roosting bars. My idea was to fix the skirt panel onto the roosting bars and then nail all of that onto one of the support poles in the WIR, easy peasy in theory. First I tried using a staple gun but the staples were not long enough , then I found some industrial strength u shaped tack thingeys and a hammer. Brilliant , only not only did the tack thingey go through the roosting bar it also went into the shed floor This is why I have a practical husband I am useless at DIY and I do try my hardest to be good at it.

 

I also found out today that the wind whips through the run. I saw some brushwood/reed panels in Instore which could be nailed using the tack thingeys on the lower part of the run to keep the wind out. I think I will buy them and leave the rest to Andy.

 

Oh, I did put in the shallow tubtrug dustbath, but don't think that warrants a photo.

 

 

I used part of eglu run skirt bent the ends inwards a bit (about an inch of it at each end) so it would stick out enabling the glug and grub to hang on easily and attaching it later with well alot of thick nylon cable ties havent tried it yet but i am confident it will work!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That looks great, Rosemary . Well done to you and your brother .

[hillfamily]

Looking good Rosemary.......well done to you and your brother :D

 

not long to go until my WIR is here........getting very very excited :D

[Redwing]

That does look good, heck I would live there!

 

Well done, sleepless nights for you now!

[Plum]

Another fabulous run. Well done, it's a real achievement.

[Chickvic]

That's great!

[RosemarysBaby]

That does look good, heck I would live there!

 

Well done, sleepless nights for you now!

 

I almost had to live there lol the kids locked me in yesterday and quite frankly i thought maybe sticking in a bench and just staying there for some peace I feel so guilty my brother spending all that time doing that he looked knackered i hope he knows how appreciative i am and I am sooooooooooooooo happy it is finally built!!!!!

 

 

[RosemarysBaby]

Looking good Rosemary.......well done to you and your brother :D

 

not long to go until my WIR is here........getting very very excited :D

 

 

Good luck on your run excitement is overwhelming i know, don't forget progress pictures

[RosemarysBaby]

Annoyingly enough i underestimated the size of the garden and i could of fit a 12 (L) x 9 (W) x 6 (H) in there

[Falkor]

They look great Ali and RB! Very impressed!

[hillfamily]

Looking good Rosemary.......well done to you and your brother :D

 

not long to go until my WIR is here........getting very very excited :D

 

 

Good luck on your run excitement is overwhelming i know, don't forget progress pictures

 

not much to see at the mo as the newly laid base has the cube and run standing on it.......but I could show you pictures of a shed full of aubiose, woodchip and compost......ready for sprucing up the girls area

 

oh and I bought the girls a wooden child's bench from Robert Dyas so they another place to sit and snooze :D

[ali-s]

The run looks great Well done to your brother

 

Andy has sorted out the skirt panel for the glug and grub. I'm not sure how he fixed it onto the side of the run as it was getting quite dark when I noticed it had been done.

 

I am determined to get the girls in the run today after I have sorted out some sort of windbreak for the sides. Also need to arrange the solar garden lights properly or else I will never find the run in the dark. Andy is going to put up a solar shed light in the run with the switch near the door so I have a little light in the winter to see to my girls.

 

Then comes the fun bit. I am planning on making a flower border along one of the sides, this will be planted with Honeysuckles, Hollyhocks Pansys and clematis, spring bulbs will be planted in the autumn. I did this to the WIR at my old house. The Honeysuckle and Clematis grew through the mesh and into the run, it smelt lovely in the summer and gave the girls some shade from the summer sun. Oh, and I have seen a cockerel weather vane in Argos, wouldn't that look good fixed to the run roof Lots of other ideas in my head as well.

[Seagazer]

Rosemary the WIR looks fantastic. Well done to you and your brother.

 

Ali-s - the thought of honeysuckle and clematis going through the mesh is a lovely idea, might pinch that one.

 

Well today I am going to cut the grass, then later on when I have a few more helping hands I am going to attempt to move the cube onto the grass so that on Friday the space is clear for Tony to build the run - yikes

 

Oh my goodness I am so excited.

[ali-s]

 

Ali-s - the thought of honeysuckle and clematis going through the mesh is a lovely idea, might pinch that one.

 

.

 

There is a picture of my original run at our old house in the chicken section under the sticky "chicken run inspiration" It is on page one. I have just taken a look at it and thought ... I need guttering and a water butt, I need a tree branch for the girls to perch on, and I need a pop hole so I don't have to leave the run door open when the girls free range.

 

This new WIR might take a while before I decide it is finished.

[hillfamily]

Rosemary the WIR looks fantastic. Well done to you and your brother.

 

Ali-s - the thought of honeysuckle and clematis going through the mesh is a lovely idea, might pinch that one.

 

Well today I am going to cut the grass, then later on when I have a few more helping hands I am going to attempt to move the cube onto the grass so that on Friday the space is clear for Tony to build the run - yikes

 

Oh my goodness I am so excited.

 

Ann....I can feel your eggcitement Is your camera at the ready

 

I'm going to have to make a space in the garden on Sunday for the run panels.......not quite sure where......but I'll find somewhere