Suzy Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 After great discussions and debate, we have decided to get a walk in run to give a bit more safety to our girls, and give us back our garden and decking! I've looked at aviaries4you as I've seen them recommended on the forum, however has anyone got any other places they can recommend so I can compare them with something and also get advice from you all on whatchouts and good ideas. We're not the most 'handy' so whilst we'd be able to put something together, we probably aren't the types to build from scratch (my husband's attempts to sketch out a design ended that thought pretty quickly!) We don't have a huge garden and are looking at max 15ft long by 6ft wide for the run. Thanks! Suzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Have you been following this thread? Amongst all the banter, there are some good ideas and some sound advice . Mine is an Aviaries4u run but Flytesofancy do good ones too, I believe. Getting a local joiner to give you a quote is an option too. My run is 2.5m x 2m so roughly half the length but the same width as your plan. Here's a Google Sketchup of mine in case your OH wants new inspiration . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I got mine from **Flytesofancy** and am very pleased with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Suzy if u go to the top of this forum I think its run inspiration kate has posted a batch of run photos...some of them are v grand affairs! I have been looking too indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I'm building mine today. Progress so far here. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busybird Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 atsw I am so That looks fantastic I dream of upgrading to a cube but won't do so until I have a walk in run. DS1 has promised to build me one but I have a few years to wait before that promise can be fulfilled (he is 10 years old) I do keep discussing in within OH's hearing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Blimey that looks very professional ......u make it look so easy Excellent pics indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Wow Andrew - that looks amazing! Did you buy the panels ready made or did you construct them? I wish I was that handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Andrew, that looks brilliant . It's huge . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Wow Andrew - that looks amazing! Did you buy the panels ready made or did you construct them? I wish I was that handy. I did all the ground work at the end of the garden and laid all the slabs. For the run I decided to purchase that kit form from Aviaries4U. A lot of Omleteers have runs from this company, and I can confirm they are every bit as good as they look in the pictures. Excellent design and construction of the panels, and very easy to put together. I started at 10:00am this morning. The family OH, DS1, DD1 and DD2 all helped to carry, hold and supply screws, I got it all aligned and screwed it all together. Andrew, that looks brilliant . It's huge . It's a 15ft x 6 run, so one of the standard offerings. I did have a 'free range port' added, so the girls can get in and out of the garden without having to leave the main door open. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 That looks fab! Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One_Box Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 That looks excellent I do know that Flytesofancy make excellent hen houses (We have 2) and Egluntine recommends their runs, so that may give you the comparison you seek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggienator Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Here's a Google Sketchup of mine in case your OH wants new inspiration . Thanks for the tip-off on sketch up. I hadn't come across it before and can see hours disappearing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Don't do it . Your family will never see you again . (If you do download it, try "file, 3D Warehouse, get models" and search for Omlet or eglu. You'll find a few models created by SeanW and myself!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I've finished My run is complete. Despite appalling weather today, and the heavens throwing everything they had at me most of the morning, I've finished. All I had to do today was fit the translucent roof, but that took much longer than expected because of the high winds. However, it's done now and looks great (even if I do say so myself ). It's pouring with rain again now, so the chooks will have to wait a little longer before they can move in, but we thought an evening introduction might be best anyway, then they will wake up to their new surroundings and have the whole day to get used to things. I've updated my little web-blog with a few more pictures and also put a sequence of larger sized photos into a slideshow for those would would like to see the whole build process in a bit more detail. I'll put some final pictures on-line once the girls have moved in. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 Andrew, that looks really good and is exactly what I have been looking at. Is it easy to put together? I have just had a quote from aviaries for you and wondered if it is a way of cutting down on the cost by attempting to put it up on our own. Is the wood pre-treated or does it need varnish/ staining? Thanks Suzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Hi Suzy. Yes, it is easy to put together yourself. As you may have seen in my slideshow, for us it was a family effort. You will need two people to get started, one to hold the panels up, the other to screw them together. The panels are well made and fit together extremely well. All the screws are supplied, and the instructions are just two pages long. It's easier than an IKEA cupboard! The translucent roof was harder to do than I expected, but that had more to do with the high winds today, than a problem with the design . Yes, the wood pre-treated, but I will be asking Tony at Aviaries4U if any other treatment is required in future years. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 That looks fantastic, Andrew . I'm glad to hear it's easy to put up . I can build Ikea furniture so I should manage my run . Yes, the wood pre-treated, but I will be asking Tony at Aviaries4U if any other treatment is required in future years. I'd be interested to know that too - let us know what he says . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 wow Andrew that looks great you've done a great job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 That looks so good and aren't you tidy while you work! Lucky chickens I am so jealous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Fantastic run Any more chickens on the way then Andrew Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 atsw... that looks fantastic. Im thinking about going back to work and have been dropping hints to oh about the A4U runs. They just look fab (though i am very of who-ever owns the hexaganol one on their web site ) are you a good DIY'er or was this really easy???? We have a large fenced off area with a 4ft fence which is fine whilst im around as i dont let them have access to all our garden, but i would like to put a aviary in it so that they can be in that when im at work but their free range area when im at home.... ???? Has anyone got the external cube option from them.... that looks fab and probably the route we would go...???? Congratulations on a wonderful run... I hope they love their new home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 atsw ... are you a good DIY'er or was this really easy???? I love this type of work, I find it very satisfying. As OH will testify, I am a bit of a perfectionist, and sometimes get a bit carried away on garden construction projects . For example, she says that the compost bins that I built would hold cattle, never mind compost. But I say if a jobs worth doing, it's worth doing well . With all that said, if you can hold an electric screwdriver and read step-by-step instructions from a sheet, you can build an A4U Chicken Run. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Andrew, well done, the run looks fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Yes, the wood pre-treated, but I will be asking Tony at Aviaries4U if any other treatment is required in future years. I'd be interested to know that too - let us know what he says . Tony has just got back to me on this question. His answer is that "I normally recommend that people treat the wood yearly with clear cupeniol just to preserve them even longer, the timbers are pressure treated." So, now we all know! Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
