Ammonia smell in coop-first time owner

[Janty]

Janty - what a huge space your lucky girls will have

 

They will be lucky. I can't wait now. The girls hate me at the moment as they have been confined to their runs for two days.

[Janty]

Thnking about it, I bet they will hate the run too as they have been used to trashing the whole garden up until now all day every day.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

We've planned to have the eglu on a table, next to a half door to enable me to access the eggs with out going in.

 

You'll love it, mine works really well .

[LaPoule]

Thought I would share with in WIR goodness - we are hoping to build one sometime this autumn, possibly October /November (depending on how good we have been at saving our pennies ).

 

It will be about half-way up the garden, 9' x 21' (about 2.75m x 6.5m), and will be 6'6" tall (we're quite tall in this house). It will sit on a concrete base (to prevent badger digging), have an inward opening side door, big double doors at the back to get the cube out, and a pop-hole attached to their current run (which is 20m x 3m; approx 60' x 9'?), which they are only allowed into when someone is about. I thought that I would make use of the cube chook train (5 extensions) and attach it over the pop hole, and they can use that too, as a sort of veranda area - this will also increase the m2 = more chickens .

 

I had thought about using electric netting on the large current run, but our garden is very narrow, and it would be very easy for the neighbours to accidentally electrocute themselves (the garden isn't fenced all the way), which doesn't make for good neighbourly relations (particulary as these are the ones we normally ask to chicken sit when we go away!). Also, a fox could still use the woodpile or the hedge as a launching pad. I also like the idea of being able to actually lock the girls in at night, especially considering some of the horror stories I've heard and the fact that there is no security as such in our garden.

 

But how will I manage to wait 6 months And how does one go about finding someone to lay the conrete base

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sounds like a good plan, LaPoule . Six months is an awful long time to wait though . Can't you sell something to make those pennies mount up quicker ?

 

I would imagine any local builder would build a concrete base for you. My gardener built my WIR path for me while he was redoing the lawn and building a small retaining wall.

[Janty]

Our builder came back today to remove all the wooden edging around the concrete.

 

8 days to go now.

 

Not that I'm counting or anything!

[Janty]

I can thoroughly recommend our builder. He has transformed everything from the bathroom to the run base. He is based in a village outside Woodbridge, Suffolk but he travels up to us in Lowestoft and similar distances. If anybody wants his number let me know and I will pm it across.

[Chickvic]

I bet you can't wait - mine won't be done til over the summer. We're buying the panels and putting them together ourselves. We want to lay a concrete slab and have been studying it on the internet

[Janty]

We asked the builder in the end as we are knee deep in writing school reports at the moment.

[Janty]

1 week to go

1 week to go

1 week to go

1 week to go

1 week to go

1 week to go

 

This time next week I shall be looking forward to meeting Tony and having the run built.

 

[Janty]

Don't think I'm excited or anything.

 

[Seagazer]

1 week to go

1 week to go

1 week to go

1 week to go

1 week to go

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This time next week I shall be looking forward to meeting Tony and having the run built.

 

 

Are you sure you're not excited?

[Ygerna]

I have a sizing question. Can I have your thoughts on this please?

 

I am vaguely planning a WIR, in anticipation of being able to order one at some point this year.

 

I have measured up for one this morning, but wonder whether it is either way too big, or not going to be big enough. I know that people have said that a square meter per chicken is a good guide, but, i am embarresed to admit my maths is appauling and I don't know how to work this out

 

So, if I got one made that was 5.5ft, by 15ft, and 6ft high, how big would this be in total? would this be ok for 8 chickens please?

 

Sorry again to ask such a primary school question

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I think it's floor space rather than 3D space that counts .

 

Now, I am rubbish at maths too but after trying to work out mine, I've had a bit of practice. It may be complete rubbish so I'm prepared to be corrected by those maths teachers out there .

 

My run is 2.5m x 2m which is 5m square. So I could have 5 chickens.

 

Yours is 1.7m x 4.6m (I used this conversion website) which is 7.82m square. So you could have 8 chickens (bear in mind you can add extra "floor" space with perches & benches).

 

I've probably got another metre of space off the ground in mine.

[Janty]

I have just told husband this theory and then I pointed out that ours will work out at 30.27.

I won't tell you his response.

 

[Cooks]

I have just told husband this theory and then I pointed out that ours will work out at 30.27.

I won't tell you his response.

 

that made me laugh and kind of sneeze at the same time

[Ygerna]

I think it's floor space rather than 3D space that counts .

 

Now, I am rubbish at maths too but after trying to work out mine, I've had a bit of practice. It may be complete rubbish so I'm prepared to be corrected by those maths teachers out there .

 

My run is 2.5m x 2m which is 5m square. So I could have 5 chickens.

 

Yours is 1.7m x 4.6m (I used this conversion website) which is 7.82m square. So you could have 8 chickens (bear in mind you can add extra "floor" space with perches & benches).

 

I've probably got another metre of space off the ground in mine.

 

 

Ok, so, if I put in some perches, and perhaps a small mezzanine, would that mean I could have another girl or two I rather like the idea of having a raised platform, so that they can climb up and look over the neighbours fence (also like to think that I might be able to squeeze another girl in )

[Janty]

Go for it. We planned and planned ours to make sure that we were doing the right thing. I'm sure that it will look good. If you order from Tony, he could build in a mezzanine level for you.

[Ygerna]

Go for it. We planned and planned ours to make sure that we were doing the right thing. I'm sure that it will look good. If you order from Tony, he could build in a mezzanine level for you.

 

Ooh, Janty, you are such an enabler

 

I've done a deal on selling my Vespa, so, it looks like my tentative *might* be getting a WIR, has turned into a 'Yay, I am going to get a WIR'.

 

I will be watching your progress with mucho interest

[Janty]

Go for it. We planned and planned ours to make sure that we were doing the right thing. I'm sure that it will look good. If you order from Tony, he could build in a mezzanine level for you.

 

Ooh, Janty, you are such an enabler

 

I've done a deal on selling my Vespa, so, it looks like my tentative *might* be getting a WIR, has turned into a 'Yay, I am going to get a WIR'.

 

I will be watching your progress with mucho interest

 

Oooo, the pressure!

 

[Ain't Nobody Here]

My girls certainly love being up high. They are usually perched up on the high branch (watching to see if I'm getting the mealworms ready, no doubt ).

 

I've been eyeing up those pallet type box things that builders get bricks (I think!) in. You could cut away some of the side planks so the hens could go under it and it would make a nice mezzanine level .

 

I've yet to try it - after the tyre fiasco, I'm wondering if it's worth it .

 

Janty, I'm assuming your OH said "You get as many chickens as you need, dear. Thirty? Why not?" ?

[Janty]

Not quite.

 

 

He's worried at the moment...I am going on a school trip to The Norfolk Show and my group are going to be particularly interested in the poultry. I am definitely not getting any more as we do really have too many at the moment but he doesn't know that.

 

[Ygerna]

I am now officially planning a walk in run! I've sent my measurements to Tony and A4You and am awaiting his reply.

 

I've spoken to a neighbour who is handy at all things DIY and he has said he will help me lay the concrete base.

 

So, keeping my fingers crossed that my quote is a price I can afford

[Janty]

Six days to go.

 

Still not excited!

 

[Janty]

I am now officially planning a walk in run! I've sent my measurements to Tony and A4You and am awaiting his reply.

 

I've spoken to a neighbour who is handy at all things DIY and he has said he will help me lay the concrete base.

 

So, keeping my fingers crossed that my quote is a price I can afford

 

Fingers crossed for a good price.