Smart Door Power Options

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sounds like a bargain - well done .

 

Have a look at my WIR in my signature - it's a 3-sided run attached to a garage. Lots of high-rise hentertainment in it .

[Lewis]

hellymisscloud and I got a WIR as a xmas present for the new chooks: we managed to get one on ebay for £50 all in!

Jealous much?

That sounds a bargain!!

 

 

They're malays Janty

[laurmurf]

thanks ANH, your run has given me some ideas on making a chook playground - as well as how to attach the grub and superglug to the mesh. the 'big girls' have a garden bench to play on, so i think i'll find something similar for the monsters and for us to sit on when we visit.

 

i particularly like your mezzanine shoe-rack floor; i think we'll come up with something similar ourselves.

[chelsea]

This isn't a WIR but just wanted to show you what OH made for our ex-batt holiday makers who stayed with us over the festive season in our spare eglu.

 

[Plum]

Well feel I can post on this thread now as I am in the very early stages of planning the run and have been reading lots of posts and making notes but there is no way I can read all the way back through these two threads so may ask some daft questions

 

Was looking at the pictures thread. Are most panels 3ft, I was trying to get an idea of how the size looks.

[Lewis]

Ooh and I can post as well

 

Have ordered some WIR panels from West Hagley Aviaries which are being delivered on Thursday morning

Won't be up straight away as we have some work to do to get the slabs down, and I have exams so shouldn't really be building it

 

 

Have been looking at everyones photos for ideas about perches, benches, tables and shoeracks

[Plum]

Another idea for perches is some rounded topped picket fencing lawn edging from focus. It's about 10-12" wide would make a good perching shelf

[Lewis]

Another idea for perches is some rounded topped picket fencing lawn edging from focus. It's about 10-12" wide would make a good perching shelf

I think we have some of that behind the greehouse which we didn't use out the front ... will creosote it and pop that in!

[Plum]

Not sure about creosote being safe

[Lewis]

I mean the substitutey stuff (Cuprinol?) that does the same job, sorry!

 

Says on the back its ok so we used it on the WIR door frame and wendy house last time

[Plum]

Good to know, thanks I was wondering what was ok to use

[Lewis]

Good to know, thanks I was wondering what was ok to use

Cuprinol is fine

Theres a children and pet friendly label on the back so check for that, its what I use for everything animally

[Redwing]

Creosote (for those that can get hold of it) and creosote substitutes are perfectly safe for chickens and Creosote is the tradtional red mite preventative (some of the substitutes are also good)

 

The only thing is that the coop must be dry and fully aired to get rid of the fumes before the hens can go in

 

It can stain white hens though

 

Cuprinol garden shades etc.. is also ok and is classed as pet safe

 

Check the labels of other fence treatments first though

[Lewis]

Sorry, I know I'm really sad .......

 

The wood looks fine, the mesh looks really small but its 1x1/2 19 gauge so should be fine

Need to get the ground sorted then we can start building it

[chick wiggle]

Panels looking good Lewis, I love the colour!

[Plum]

Lucky you, can't wait to see it put together. Good colour

[Plum]

Thinking I will probably keep my cube after all and have it in the run. Has anyone got pictures of how they access the cube from outside? i.e. half doors, flap doors, access to door lock etc., thanks

[Lewis]

Can I ask a few questions please ...

 

Do any of you have 'chicken access' hatches or a little door for the chooks to come out of?

I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to make a wooden frame little door in the bottom of one of the panels to let the chooks out of to FR or just leave the big door open??

 

And also, does your door open into the run, or out and which would you choose if you could again? Atm they open in, but I'll have to reverse the 4ft door to open out so we can put the eglu's up against it then open the door behind them - don't know wether to do the big door too

 

Last one Those with 2 eglu's, do you have a coop table with one underneath, or have them side to side? The Go would have to go on the bottom for the ducks, so they can get in, and we can access it from behind + so get eggs/tray out easily.

 

I need to sit and work out where to put the wooden coop (4x4ft) - I want to keep it so that the could potentially come out for dinner chickens - and then where the eglu's would go ...

Ta muchly

[chick wiggle]

Hi Lewis, we have a little 'pophole' to open to let the girls out into the garden. My OH made the run and each panel was 3ft wide so at the bottom of the one where we wanted the pophole he just put a piece of wood across where the top of the pophole would go then made a square with mesh and hinged it at the top with a little catch to hold it open. It was probably simpler than it sounds. i will get a picture of it tomorro if you want.

 

 

The big door opens into the run, it tends to stop the girls escaping. It sort of pushes them in rather than them lurking behind the door and running out when its opened.

 

I only have the one eglu on a table so cant help you with that one.

 

[Lewis]

Thanks, a photo would be good please, ours are 3 ft panels so could probably do something similar Have had a look at Tony's too

 

Have just drawn out the run, with a 4ft square for the coop and 3ft for eglus ... I still can't work out in my head where to put them I think the coop table is the better idea - saves floor space and we can get to the more easily. I want the big door on the corner closest to the house, but can't decide wether to have it on the end, or long side either - originally the end but a lot of people have it on the long side

 

I did think about putting them outside the WIR but think I'm getting a bit carried away If it doesn't work out we can always put them outside after a few weeks of trying it.

[Plum]

Good question about the door in or out, I'm glad you asked it. That will give me a bigger run. I plan to have an access hatch but not planned it yet, don't know whether to hinge or do a sliding one.

 

Have you looked into the base yet Lewis?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

My "chicken access" door is the bottom half of a stable door. The top half gives access to the eglu.

 

My door opens inwards - I wouldn't change that, as Chick Wiggle says, it pushes them inwards and away from the doorway.

[Lewis]

Inward door it is then

 

I plan to have an access hatch but not planned it yet, don't know whether to hinge or do a sliding one.

 

Have you looked into the base yet Lewis?

A sliding one hmmm ... don't think I'm that good yet I was thinking just a little door that hinges to the side, the ones Tony does hinge up, but I'd be terrified of it slamming shut in the wind if I made it

 

 

The base for the moment is a chunk of concrete Father didn't want slabs because we have the patio at the top, then slabs outside the greenhouse, then little patio for the guinea pig then the patio by the house ....

He said concrete would be a lot easier to do too ... still doesn't get around the fact that its just a gaint slab

 

 

Can I ask other qu

My mesh is only 1"x1/2" not 1x1, so I can't really poke perches through, I think I'll make a free standing version of a perch, and an ikea rack. Any ideas how else to attach perches up higher?

I was thinking hanging from the roof or with a bolt through the mesh with a washer and nut the other side, like Raina's parrot perch

[chick wiggle]

You could always snip the wire to allow a perch through Lewis, as long as the wire is strong enough to hold any weight.

I've snipped the wire in my run to allow me to hang the glug there, its a super glug so quite heavy when full of water and the wire holds up fine, so a perch should be fine. Another photo for you tomorro?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I bought a couple of shelf brackets and screwed them to the vertical posts of the run sides for my skirting board shelf. I've also used a couple of Ikea L-shaped things, screwed in then the branches cable-tied to it.