Single hen

[tonywig]

As with many I am sure, the bad weather over the last few months has left my grass looking more Somme-like than garden-like.

 

Despite my efforts to keep moving it about all that accomplished was to deatroy ALL the garden rather than just a bit of it.

 

Luckily (?) I had already decided to build a new home for them. Advice from this forum helped loads (thanks all) and it is now done.

 

The cube butts up against it and my three now have a lovely 9' x 6' "cage" in which to live most of the time (free ranging whenever I can be home in time) and their cube to sleep and lay in. It's also more than 6' tall which means I can get in it - massive improvement.

 

It is built over an old path so imagine the 9' x 6' floor being two strips 9' x 3' of ground, one strip of old gravel path and one of old garden (was grass some months back).

 

I have added some home-made perches at various levels for them and there is stuff to scratch around in and under (mostly some old pits of brick and tile and garden stones).

 

They have (thanks to a bit of heath-robinson use of old cube run) the GRUB and GLUG as well as another water drinker.

 

I want to give them plenty of interest so does anyone have ideas for "activities"?

 

Also, does the floor sound OK or should I be looking to put something else (woodchips or sand or something) in there for them?

 

Many thanks in advance

[C&T]

Wow, sounds fantastic!

 

I'll ask first, before anyone else does - where are the pictures!?!?!?

 

Our run (eglu run) is in one place, and they have Hemcore down. This makes cleaning easier, and less frequent, as it absorbs all the poo that they create. But it does need to to be sheltered from the rain, as otherwise it just absorbs that instead... Wood Chip would (I guess) be a weather resistant alternative if it isn't covered?

 

 

Sure someone who knows more will be along...

[quickcluck]

Exactly, where are the pics?

[The Dogmother]

Come on Tony!

 

Woodchip would go very soggy in the rain. I'd advise that any run needs covering to give them somewhere dry and sheltered to play.

[tonywig]

OK OK OK Pics on their way (as soon as I tidy the garden )

 

Run area has a (sloped) roof on it. Is that cover enough or would the 6' high mesh sides let in too much water?

[The Dogmother]

Ahhh, so it has a roof - that'll be fine then. Only worry about covering one of the sides if you have a prevailing gale from a particular direction.

[tonywig]

OK - 1st attempt to load pics so here goes ...............

 

 

 

In my defence, these were taken DURING construction so much of the mess is as a result of me building it.

 

 

Hope the size is OK - struggled to mess with them on photobucket (old age perhaps )

[The Dogmother]

That looks great Tony!

[quickcluck]

Looks great, how long did it take you?

[Guest]

ohhh WIR very nice and looking good am obsessed to see cubes butted up to runs so good to see .

Hope to get mine on the go again weather permitting but that looks really great and roof looks good too

 

Looking gooood

[meezers]

Looks good How about a dust bath in the run ?mine have a large seed tray filled with sand . Correction - mine HAD a large seed tray filled with sand, they now have a mostly empty seed tray and a very sandy run floor but they do make good use of it.

[The Dogmother]

I use a vintage enamel bowl with potting compost, wood ash and Diatom in it.

[Seagazer]

That looks lovely, well done. I've saved a poor departed Camellia bush (well the stems anyway) to put in my run. I've also got a couple of perches on order for them. I'm going to get a ball thing to put treats in for them as well.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That looks really good, Tony .

 

I've just picked up an old tyre (car was in for its service today!) which I plan to fill with soil, sand and diatom for a dustbath. I'm also going to put in an old garden bench which they love to sit on. Lots of branches too if I can work out how to fix them in place .

[westleigh]

That looks really good, Tony .

 

I've just picked up an old tyre (car was in for its service today!) which I plan to fill with soil, sand and diatom for a dustbath. I'm also going to put in an old garden bench which they love to sit on. Lots of branches too if I can work out how to fix them in place .

oh no i have just thrown out our old garden bench,never thought of putting in thier run

[Ain't Nobody Here]

What a shame . Can't you get it back?

 

Here we have some synchronised preening, supervised by Maisie ...

 

[westleigh]

What a shame . Can't you get it back?

 

Here we have some synchronised preening, supervised by Maisie ...

no cant get it back as we have taken it to the tip,oh i could kick myself,your chooks are having great fun on yours only a little bit

[atsw]

I'm also going to put in an old garden bench which they love to sit on.

We put our old bench in my run and they absolutely love it. At first they were not sure, but after a couple of days Fifi lead the way and now all three are always on it, constantly on the look out for humans who might be heading up the garden baring treats .

 

Andrew