Single hen

[joybelle]

I want to buy some for the WIR when its finished to cover a couple of

the sides,been looking on the web and found some at a company called

Tarpaflex. As anyone bought from them and are they any good or perhaps

another supplier as been used.

 

joy x

[bigmommasally]

Mine is from Tarpaflex and its great, I bought it last September and it still looks like new.

 

This photo is from last year when we first got it:

 

[alih]

really good, yes recommend them

[quickcluck]

Yup mines from there also

[Barkisland]

I needed a big one for my WIR, and got it from here http://www.allplaz.com/acatalog/Clear_Tarps.html

Not sure how they compare price wise, but I am pleased with it.

[laurmurf]

mine's from Tarpaflex too - just having a check around it the other day as I was a bit concerned about the edge that gets slid over by the cube roof, but no problems.

 

[Old Speckled Hen]

Tarpaflex are good

Come in a myriad of sizes

[fog_horn_leghorn]

bigmommasally

Hi There,

I've noticed you have some sort of substrait on the floor of you run, what is it and whats your cleaning regime please? We currently have an Eglu on the lawn and are moving it each day, raking and brushing up as much as we can.

 

Many Thanks

Phil.

[Old Speckled Hen]

I use Auboise (hemp horse bedding) or Hemcore which is the English equivalent.

If I can't get either of those I'll use flax bedding or Easybed

About 2-3 inches deep over a paved permanent run sprinkled with Stalosan.

The whole lot gets turfed out into the compost bin or onto the borders monthly then I start again.

My lot free range most of the day but if you keep your chooks in you might have to do it more often.

[fog_horn_leghorn]

Our chooks are still getting used to the run. We are keeping them in for 5 days on advice. We plan to let the range from tomorrow onwards. The garden is fenced all round to a hight of 6ft. Is it ok to leave the roaming all day unattended? We live in an urban with a duck pond full of ducks not 50yrds away, with a dog next door so I'm sure we dont have foxes otherwise there would be dead ducks everywhere! ... famous last words

 

We're amazed with the amount the ducks poo so they may have to go in a perminant area ... but them we're worried it'll start to smell after a few days. At least moving them around the garden doesnt give the smell time to build up ... plus the chooks get a nice clean floor each day .....

 

Cheers

Phil.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Urban foxes are everywhere.

They have snatched chooks from under peoples noses so you must be vigilant and don't let your hens free range when you are not in the garden.

Take a look here.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=24039

The ducks on the pond are OK because they can either fly away or retreat to the middle of the pond where they fox won't go.

[bigmommasally]

bigmommasally

Hi There,

I've noticed you have some sort of substrait on the floor of you run, what is it and whats your cleaning regime please? We currently have an Eglu on the lawn and are moving it each day, raking and brushing up as much as we can.

 

Many Thanks

Phil.

 

Hi Phil

 

I use Easibed, it's about £7 a sack and one sack just about covers the run to a depth of a few inches. You will need something around the edge of the run though to contain it. We used lawn edging but others have used log roll or link a board.

 

In the photo the Easibed was just changed so looks all lovely and fresh, it doesn't always look quite so nice especially when it gets wet.

 

We poo pick most days though it was harder to do so in the winter when we weren't home in daylight. We also rake it over at weekends to do a more thorough poo pick. (I think we are a bit obessive about poo picking! )

 

In the winter with the constant rain and snow we found the wet seeped up through the ground underneath so we had to change the Easibed every few weeks but when the weather is dry we can make it last about 6 weeks. When we change the Easibed we give the ground a good sprinkle with Stalosan.

 

When we first got the cube we did have it just on the grass with no substrate but the poo picking was much harder and the ground got quite smelly. We also found that moving it around the garden soon meant the whole garden looked wrecked whereas now we have it in the one spot and although the grass underneath is gone for good the rest of the garden has recovered and I think may look quite reasonable come summer.

 

Hope this helps Phil

[Guest]

What brill tarpaulin will def get one of those didnt know u could get this..I only thought they blue ones...look fab on the run

indie

[fog_horn_leghorn]

Thx for the detailed reply bigmom. I'll see how things go moving every couple of days for a month or so. We are also raking and sweeping the grass and them hosing down. As I said though we do intend to free range them when we're home so that may cut down a bit on how much droppings there are in one area.

 

Thanks Again

Phil.

[charliechick]

Hi Lauramurf and bigmammasally. think thats right?

 

Was just looking at ur tarpaflex covers. Are the 3x2m? What size did u order? I want one to cover my cube run completly, with the 1m extention.

 

Cheers

[bigmommasally]

Hi charliechick

My Tarp is 3m x 2m. I have the standard run plus 2 extension. If you have 1 extension then a 2x2 tarp should fit your run like mine in the picture.

I'm sure I saw foghorn leghorn saying he was selling his brand new tarp as it was too big for his eglu run. I can't find the post at the moment but will keep looking for you.

[charliechick]

Aww thank u for that, but I bought one yesterday!! Never mind. I ordered a 2x3, so hopefully that will be fine, the lady said I could send it back if it was the wrong size etc.

 

I'll try and put a photo on when its all up, we've just bought some extra land at the back of our garden so the chooks will love that ( not to mention us ) and so got to do odd jobs first including flagging the run. We have a major problem with rats and I have totally been beaten by the things, no matter what Ive done they still seem to be sticking their tongues out at us!!!! The run is in one place with bare earth and bedding so the rats over the last few months have made all sorts of tunnels into it. Not for much longer tho!

 

Thanks for replying

 

Charliechick. xx

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Just thought I'd post a photo of how "glass clear" the glass clear tarpaulin actually is . I was very pleasantly surprised . I've been cutting the tarpaulin to fit the various parts of the run and this is the first one to go up.

 

 

[sandyhas3chucks]

i just ordered a pack of 5 from tarpaflex. choose the small ones as I think easier to do what ANH has done, which I think is brilliant. I cannot believe the postage so reasonable & for only a ltlle more got next day delivery. Got a walk in run under carport which WAS going to move down the garden for summer but due to losing 2 of my original 4 and now got disables so don't know, The real disabled girl gets hrself into a corner & I think what ANH has done with the blinds is just what she needs to be out of a draft on nasty days.

Hubby just finished a sort of Day run 4ft high abot 8ft by 4ft. which is for being in run on grass in the sunny spots safe so we don't need to stand out with themAnd am going to use some on that 2 and the tiny run too. Quite excited no more bits of plastic, also order eyelets tape & bungees. Going for the ANH look rather than Steptoe's yard

[Phoebe]

I got mine from toolspot.co.uk. If you order by the length you require, you'll find its wide enough. (if that makes sense)

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thought you might like to see my latest glass clear tarpaulin creations . It's been so wet here recently (and windy ) I decided not to wait till Autumn to make them.

 

It looks a bit like a greenhouse but they are all easy to roll up so will only be down if the weather is foul ( ).

 

The little flower mirror is so that we can see from the kitchen whether the door's open or not (it's not easy to tell!)

 

I had to put them on the inside of the door because of all the door furniture.

[Jennyhenny]

Just been looking at the clear taupaulin on Tarpaflex, does anybody know off hand the size I would need to cover a standard eglu run - Its raining again outside so don't want to get wet again measuring up

 

Can this be left on during summer or will it be like a greenhouse

 

Jennyhenny

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I would definitely take it off in the summer. Alternatively you could put the Omlet summer shade on top for a bit of shade. Depends how wet it's going to be .

 

For a standard run plus converter 3m x 2m would probably do it? (Not had one myself so not sure ).

[Jennyhenny]

Thanks ANH

 

Jennyhenny

[miffy]

Clear tarp looks great, better than my tatty shower curtains do you still use bungy cords to secure them?