Nacktschnecken omlet Cube

[fantasticjudyann]

Yes- he's building it as we speak near the compost heap. It's not got a concrete or slabbed base but will just sit in the grass /earth but its got a mesh floor to keep out foxy loxy

 

Thanks for the ideas about lights I'll have a mull I shall probably need to put in some stepping stones as well for in wet and wintry weather but I don' t think DH will mind doing that

 

The thing is ours is a very large country garden -about 1/3 of an acre and the lawn used to be meadow so finding a siutable WIR spot was always going to be difficult But I think it will be ok and as you say once the chooks are safely in I won't have to lock the eglu door at night unless it's freezing

[Cooks]

bear in mind that if the WIR sits directly on soil/grass the bottom will rot away a lot quicker (not overnight though ) is there anyway you can lay a perimeter of slabs for it to sit on?? cutting out foxy digging and rulling out wood going wet and rotten?

[fantasticjudyann]

Hi cookie

 

Tony says that the wood should last for about ten years without rotting so I am taking him at his word ( he says it's pressure treated whatever that means ) Also somewhere else on this thread somebody said they had had their run for 9 years and no sign of rot So

[Cooks]

ok as long as your happy thats the main thing.

 

my hubby is a carpenter and would never allow me to do that.... :lol: I would have to endure a lecture on wood rot.. wood can rot even if it is treated hence fence posts etc, but your right probably not for a while.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Guest

[Poached Egg]

WIR

 

On the plus side a short walk to the compost heap with any poops/old aubiose, etc and (going by some threads) less need to keep below the worktop whilst making a cuppa early doors. Good ideas re the lights.

 

Ahem - photos? You have to beat emchook's nice clear one of Tony (cooee Tony!).

 

Nice clear day here for OH (who is now off shift) to do some slabbing

[emchook]

good point Poached Egg..

 

Come on !!!!!!! photos as you go PLEAAAASE !

 

Cant wait to see it !

 

****wave to Tony ****

[DonnaS]

Hope the build's going well Emchook. I got a call from Omlet this morning telling me that my cube is being delivered on 15 March (I had to delay them else it would have been here next week!!). So do tell Tony not to forget me! I need my WIR asap (will go and source some slabs beginning this weekend). Not sure what his build/delivery backlog is right now - but hopefully not more than a few weeks....

 

Looking forward to your photos when done!!

[Cooks]

ooh you have a and a like me! *big grin*

[emchook]

DonnaS - look at previous page .. my run was done yesterday.

Fantasticjudyann is today ..

 

anyone else ????

[fantasticjudyann]

WIR now completed Tony gone. Going to put up the tarps now and put the Hemcore in Will take photos later but will have to work out how to get them on the forum

 

ANH has given some instructions

[emchook]

how big is it ?

[fantasticjudyann]

Have been working all afternoon in the rain getting the tarps up and the Hemcore in Only thing is the tarps are too long and they drag on the ground. I don't know why because they are supposed to be 2 metres , the same height as the run.

 

Any way I've pegged them down with tent pegs for the time being until I can see a better solution

 

Andrew and ANH -you're good at tarps -any ideas

 

Apart from that it looks really good and the chooks are loving the deep Hemcore esp. after I put down some corn

 

Photos tomorrow when it stops raining

 

BTW my Grub and Glug don't fit on the frame. Is that because I'v got the new style Go ones?

[Lewis]

Oh, the new design are quite different aren't they ... they seem to have more of a slope, so it could be the reason

 

I have kroken ikea rails for mine - suggested on here

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Andrew and ANH -you're good at tarps -any ideas

 

Have you got an eyelet making kit? You could turn up as much as you need and put some eyelets in to fix it in place. Bear in mind you then get hemcore/abiose collecting in the hem .

 

Or you could fold over as much as you need half way up and put eyelets in there. Then you wouldn't get hemcore or water collecting in it. You could use the eyelets to secure the blind to the run.

[stoice]

As ANH suggests, or maybe attaching one end to a broom handle or cane and roll it up, secured by a few hooks either end? Kinda like a chicken roller blind?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I used some B&Q dowling to roll up my blinds and when down, to keep them in place with the dowling pushed through the hooks (get dowling that will fit through the hooks ) .

 

Don't use tarp tape to make the hems though, it peels off after a few months (even the expensive stuff ).

 

Eyelets secure things much better (even if you don't need an eyelet there!)

[fantasticjudyann]

Thanks all for your ideas

BTW have spoken to Tony and he has told me to clip the wire on the frame and the the Grub and Glug will fit

 

Emchook -forgot to say the run is 4.5 metres x 2.5 metres x 2metres high so quite big.

I wanted a big one because we can't let the chooks free range unless we are in the garden because we have foxes as we back on to open countryside.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

BTW have spoken to Tony and he has told me to clip the wire on the frame and the the Grub and Glug will fit (

 

Ah, yes, should have realised that's what you meant! I had to snip the wires on mine too . Think carefully about the height you want them at before you snip - my grub and glug are at different heights.

[emchook]

Cant wait to see the run !

I have just been messing around with my tarp as well ..it is way too long .. no way 6ft.. given up for today .. too windy ..oh and the holdons are going to be useless unless of course I cut the bottom to make it fit .. so maybe those screw hook things on top and the holdons on the bottom...

I also think that I am going to have to cut the tarp anyway as it is VERY VERY heavy all in one piece

I dont want my WIR sailing off into the neighbours either !

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I have all my blinds in 2 bits. It does make rolling them up easier and you can then roll the top up if it's nice and keep the bottom down to keep the bedding in if you have kicky chickens .

[fantasticjudyann]

Hi ANH

 

Did you get your eyelet kit from tarpaflex

 

If I cut the tarp at the bottom would the fabric be strong enough to stand being screwed straight into the into the wood without an eyelet I mean. My site is very windy so I wouldn't want it to tear

 

Alternatively I could roll it up as you suggest using dowelling How did you attach yours to the dowelling?

 

I don't need to have it so I can open it up during the summer because I only have the tarps on 2 sides to provide shelter from the prevailing wind. There would be plenty of ventilation from the open sides.

 

Thanks for all you help and advice so far. You're an absolute star

[emchook]

ahem ... is it still raining or is it photo time fantasticjudyann???

[fantasticjudyann]

It IS still raining!! but DD took some photos yesterday pm so will try to get them to you later

 

Have you decided what to do with the extra length on your tarps. I'm still seeking more advice from the wonderful ANH

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Did you get your eyelet kit from tarpaflex

Can't remember, I'm afraid . I may have got it from Ebay.

 

If I cut the tarp at the bottom would the fabric be strong enough to stand being screwed straight into the into the wood without an eyelet I mean. My site is very windy so I wouldn't want it to tear

No, definitely not. You need to reinforce it. I used some of the white hemmed edge that was left over from a cut piece. My garden's very windy too and I did have a tarp tear on the first day - I added some reinforcement (with tarp tape but the eyelet holds it in place too) and it's been fine ever since.

 

Alternatively I could roll it up as you suggest using dowelling How did you attach yours to the dowelling?

I made a hem along the bottom but open at each end so you can push the dowling through. As I've said before, the tarp tape comes unstuck fairly quickly though . I would use eyelets at the edges to create a hem (you could use a bit of tape too).

 

I don't need to have it so I can open it up during the summer because I only have the tarps on 2 sides to provide shelter from the prevailing wind. There would be plenty of ventilation from the open sides.

Mine tend to be permanently down too (they are on 2 sides). When the weather's consistently dry and warm, I roll them up.

 

Thanks for all you help and advice so far. You're an absolute star

My pleasure .

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm still seeking more advice from the wonderful ANH