LJ's Chooks Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I've come up with a cunning plan to solve to mud issue.... build the girls a deck!!! Oh wont put down slabs, but he is happy to use wooden deck tiles... but i said that i would need to sanity check with 'The Forum' before i could possibly agree would this work???? it would lift them out of the mud and still be easy to move around, should we need to and i guess not totally kill the grass/mud beneath it in the spring. our extended cube (3 extensions) is partially covered to give them shelter, but not weather proof, as the girls seem to be allergic to hemcore/aubiose i cant use that for covering the floor. They do get out most days into their big free range bit, but i just need to lift them out of the mud.... Views and opinions would be greatly received... Ta x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Hi My OH built a platform out of decking type stuff and put it on wheels. Run is screwed to wood (so pretty fox proof) We have an eglu, but I bet you could do the same for a cube. It can just about be seen here http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=38792 so much easier than on grass. H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 excellent idea, anything to keep them dry....and what a handy husband... Decking is a great idea... (great pictures too Hazel)...great minds...etc (speaking about husbands.....mine did clear out the bed area of the eglu this week...but he broke my bucket, in the process...dont ask me how....???...so not so handy) In one of the poultry magazines the expert got very shirty (understandably of course) when she was commenting on the photo someone had sent in , in respect to his chickens when she saw they were on mud... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Kettle Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 The only drawback I can see is that decking often provides a natural home for rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 The only drawback I can see is that decking often provides a natural home for rats. We had 1 rat in 2 years, which we soon got rid of. The stand alone base is open on all sides (unlike decking 'proper') so maybe not as much of a risk ?? H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 May need to do the decking on wheels plan to keep the batties out of the flood water which seems to be taking over our garden! I hope the chook trio are high enough where they are & the Orpies can at least go up into the cube to keep their feet dry! I'm an so looking forward to the rain stopping - either that or we have to start our Ark !!! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Yippee... the rain has stopped here momentarily!!!! forecast is for more of the same thought Heading to b&q to get the squares... i figure that if i only lay them within the actual run they should be as safe from rats as they would be in their run normally.... can rats get in the omlet run (err other than when the door is open and hide i guess) I think that way I can leave them loose as we have sun decks in our cube run for them to sunbathe on.... they are on legs so with a then the squares will fit around the legs and mean i dont nead to cut the legs shorter.... Oh no here come the clouds again.... our village is flooded and roads were shut on the way to ds's school ... and the girls are making quacking noises ... is that normall for chickens or do they now believe they are ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenmb Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 My OH built a platform out of decking type stuff and put it on wheels.Run is screwed to wood (so pretty fox proof) We have an eglu, but I bet you could do the same for a cube. It can just about be seen here http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=38792 so much easier than on grass. H This looks a great idea - well done to your OH. My girls run and the rest of the garden in under water at the moment due to the heavy rain and snow so love the idea. My DH was supposed to build the girls a mezzanine in their walk in run before Christmas but didn't get round to it . So I had to remind him this morning when he saw the mess outside that this would have at least given some area out of the water. They are currently perched on various bits of garden furniture and equipment until the water drain away. Maybe I should get my DH to build a raft instead of a deck Edited to say - sorry forgot to say that there is a bit in this month's Practical Poultry about Mud Management where the author suggest rubber chips here is a link to a bit of info that was in the article http://www.chickenkeeper.co.uk/shop/64-mud-management.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
