4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Phoebe]

I have spent the weekend laying paving stones, attaching lawn edging all round the run, buying easibed and raking it into the run, covering the run with clear tarpaulin and securing the lawn edging with bricks to stop the easibed falling out.

 

All this because moving the run round the field was not working - too muddy and nasty for the hens to stand on.

 

Have I got the right set up now, please ? The girls look happy enough but I'm getting slightly discouraged by getting what I think is the ideal set up, and then having to change it all again (although it does provide lots of shopping opportunities !!! )

[Egluntyne]

Fingers crossed.

[tara]

That all sounds pretty good to me my god ive just seen where your from l live in strood small world

[Plum]

I do that and change it all again. Today I have been trying the lawn edging inside the run instead. Its a bit like gardening, you can never sit and enjoy there is always something you can see needs doing.

[Falkor]

I did the lawn edging thing on Thursday, went away for the weekend and left OH in charge. Returned to find as much Aubiose out of the run as inside it!

 

Plan B......chop the girls legs off so they can`t dig and flick it

Plan C.......taller lawn edging.

 

C me thinks!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm sure it's all fab . Have you got any photos that we can ooh and aah over? I bet we'll all tell you it's really good .

 

I'm going to try to lay paving stones tomorrow (weather permitting, rain forecast ). Might come to you for advice - I've no idea what I'm doing .

[Tulip]

sounds good to me, Phoebe! Pics please

 

Tara - we've got a Medway invasion going on at the mo - whoop!

 

T x

[tara]

Well its nice to know there are plenty of us locally

[Electricbarbarella]

I found some wicker border fencing at wilkos, it spikes into the ground and I have fastened it to the run with cable ties, looks fab.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Where's the photos, come on, come on ? I'd like to see that - it sounds pretty .

[beapea]

I've used rolls of that half-log edging, 6 inches deep, held in place with hooks of stiff wire. Looks quite good and should last years.

[Phoebe]

ok, ok, camera is on charge....

 

(nice to see the increasing medway contingent here. There's hope for the "Towns" yet )

[the eggman cometh]

I've used rolls of that half-log edging, 6 inches deep, held in place with hooks of stiff wire. Looks quite good and should last years.

sounds very much like our set up. seems to work for us.

[Phoebe]

beapea wrote:

I've used rolls of that half-log edging, 6 inches deep, held in place with hooks of stiff wire. Looks quite good and should last years.

 

How do the "hooks of stiff wire work" ? - see I knew I had n't finished.

 

I have paved the area really badly; basically just laid some paving stones on the grass and put the run over them. This has left a four inch gap all round the slabs, which is filled up with easibed. Its extremely lazy, but the upside is that it gives the girls lots of digging fun, as they s"Ooops, word censored!"e away the bedding to see if there is anything exciting underneath.

 

I will have to see how this works in the long term though. (Oh for a husband who can do DIY........ ) Perhaps I should sign up for a bricklaying course or something.

[Plum]

I bet wicker and log rolls look good.

When I got home this afternoon the wretches had flung hemcore over the top of my 9inch+ edging. My fault for putting a treat ball with corn inside to keep them amused.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

(Oh for a husband who can do DIY........ ) Perhaps I should sign up for a bricklaying course or something.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a handless OH . I've often thought I should do an evening class in joinery or something .

 

Laid a bit of a path today with ES' help - looks OK so far . I haven't used sand or anything so perhaps it will disappear towards Australia, the first heavy rain we have .

[Phoebe]

ANH said

 

I haven't used sand or anything

 

 

Oh good; neither did I; I thought I might be drummed out of the forum for admitting it though I worked on the principle that the hens are too light to make the slabs to sink, but no doubt that will prove to be overly optimistic.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sadly, our path is for humans . You'll be alright, not so sure about me . (I have vision of all your chickens jumping up and down on your slabs .)

[Phoebe]

that would not surprise me, little pests ! They have had a fun day kicking the easibed over the sides, and the cat thinks the tarpaulin has been put on the top just so he can sit on it (and bend the roof with his massive weight)

[bluekarin]

We've been like this since we got our girls.

Plan 1 - have the run at the top of the garden away from the house and move the run around the garden every now and then.

Plan 2 - put them onto the patio for the winter as the grass is now mud.

Plan 3 - put them up to the middle of the garden with a temp enclosure to keep them in and for the garden to get green again (now shelved this idea)

Plan 4 - build a larger crouch in run with the house half in half out with a roof so they can run about all day and we don't have to worry about them as they are safe an dsecure.

 

I'm sure Plan 5 will make its appearance anytime soon when something in Plan 4 doesn't work

[Phoebe]

[quickcluck]

EB have you got any pics of your wicker stuff?? How long is each piece? Thanks...

[Phoebe]

and after much consideration, the answer is NO

 

1) the edging needs doing more effectively

2) I need to do the door conversion

 

oh well, dragging paving stones around the field at the weekend was the most exercise I have had for a while, so its got to be good for me !

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I don't think you're ever "finished" when you have chickens . There's always some modification that springs to mind! And when there aren't any more, well then you get more chickens and have to get a whole new run . And so it goes on .........