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Staffordmum

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Staffordmum Frequent Layer

Staffordmum

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OK, so we made the mistake of not slabbing the entire base and now it's awash with mud. Roll on a dry day when we can address this mess ...

 

The next thing on the agenda is the possibility of having the Cube and Eglu outside the WIR. I know that some of you have already done this (Cinnamon).

 

Is there an easy way to adapt the existing wire mesh panels (I don't want a costly mistake!) or should I just order new panels to fit?

 

Also, can those of you with this adaptation please let me know the pro's and con's of this set up?

 

Thanking you all in advance,

 

Pat & Steve

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Falkor Feathery Fanatic

Falkor

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If you look at page 19 of this thread viewtopic.php?f=4&t=45544&start=270 you can see both Cookie and my cube run butt up situation.

 

My panels are standard 0.90m wide with extra horizontal wood bits to make the pop home access and Cookies very talented OH altered pre-existing panels :D

 

there are some (red eglu) butt up pics in the first planning WIR threads but not sure where as there are 97 :shock: pages!

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Cinnamon Cocka-doodle-loopy

Cinnamon

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Hi,

Ok, my set up is very similar to the one photographed above.

Can't really advise on how Hubby cut the holes, but he is very practical & great at doing things like this, in fact he built the entire run from scratch.

 

One thing I can say is that having had a pen with the Cube/Eglu inside & now with them outside, I would never look back - having them outside is so much easier all round.

 

2008_03250001.jpg

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Staffordmum Frequent Layer

Staffordmum

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Keep 'em coming guys - am getting the hang of it now. And OH is starting to understand prescisely what is required ...

 

 

I can't help being somewhat in awe of all this lovely clean flooring :oops: ours is awash with mud and I can't get it clean and dry quick enough ...

 

Thanks to everyone who's responded so far - me thinks revision will occur this w/e - weather permitting :D

 

Kind rgds,

 

Pat & Steve

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Jules. Eggcentric Egluowner

Jules.

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I can't help being somewhat in awe of all this lovely clean flooring :oops: ours is awash with mud and I can't get it clean and dry quick enough ...

 

 

The middle of my run is on soil & has a skirt of slabs the run sides rest upon.

Around the edges ( on the slabs in fact ) is mucky & muddy, but that's not surprising considering the rain we have had these last few days. The middle of the run always stays lovely & dry!

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Staffordmum Frequent Layer

Staffordmum

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I can't help being somewhat in awe of all this lovely clean flooring :oops: ours is awash with mud and I can't get it clean and dry quick enough ...

 

 

The middle of my run is on soil & has a skirt of slabs the run sides rest upon.

Around the edges ( on the slabs in fact ) is mucky & muddy, but that's not surprising considering the rain we have had these last few days. The middle of the run always stays lovely & dry!

 

Thanks for this - was beginning to think we'd made a HUGE mistake. That is eggactly what we did - thinking the girls desereved something "natural" inside the WIR.

 

I think our mistake was perhaps the delay in covering the roof. I thought it more aesthetically pleasing without - and then the rains came :oops::evil:

 

We collected a trailer full of co"Ooops, word censored!" wood chip yesterday and intend to either top dress or have the whole lot out. I suggested slabbing the middle section though OH suggests we see how we get on before spending anymore money . :roll: ...

 

Do you use anything to retain the middle? We used log roll to stop the girls flicking bits through the wire. It's fun to watch them all perched on it :D

 

Kind rgds,

 

Pat & Steve

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Ain't Nobody Here Eggsistentialist

Ain't Nobody Here

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Good luck with your plans, Staffordmum :D . It's really exciting seeing things come together (albeit a bit scary when you can't decide what to do for the best :lol: ).

 

I can't advise about butting a cube up to a WIR (all those other setups are just brilliant though 8) ) but I just wanted to say that I have no problem with any bedding getting kicked out (although I fully expected it). The run floor (soil) is a bit lower than the concrete path round the edges so when they kick, it doesn't make it as far as the outside of the run. It's brilliant as the rest of the garden stays lovely and clean with no poop or hemcore anywhere 8) .

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Staffordmum Frequent Layer

Staffordmum

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:dance:

OH spent all day Sunday on this - I am so-o-o impressed! (he could've been watching the bike racing!). HAs been promoted to "Daddy Chicken Keeper" :clap:

 

He dug out all the muddy rubber chippings and we made a vain attempt to hose them off. Not very successful, to say the least :(

 

We sprinkled Adsorbex and another stable management product on the ground to neutralise the ammonia etc then laid a membrane (should've done this in the first instance - hindsight is a wonderful thing!)

 

OH stapled the membrane to the inside of the log roll border - we walk around the concrete slabs the run stands on.

 

The rinsed rubber chippings were replaced, topped off with a layer of co"Ooops, word censored!" wood chips. "Simples" - and it looks amazing.

 

Finally, we bit the bullet and decided to have the Cube o/s the WIR - which meant cutting into the wire mesh. I was very hesitant at this point, what if I changed my mind? Anyway, 'tis done now and we're very happy with the days' achievements.

 

I took the opportunity to give the Cube a thorough clean (something that really has to be done o/s the WIR) - got the Karcher out of the garage and cleaned the Eglu too! All this talk of Red Mite makes me paranoid since the majority of our girls are currently "off lay" so to speak ...

 

Finished! and so are we ...

 

Thanks for everyone's assistance/comments, etc - you've been an enormous help!

 

Kind rgds,

 

Pat & Steve

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Jules. Eggcentric Egluowner

Jules.

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Staffordmum this is how a run loks like when it has been in use for a while :wink:

 

3791120149_15cdfc5d1b.jpg

 

And I don't use anything to keep the woodchip in the middle.

 

I have a double layer of wood around the run case to keep the woodchip in, but since there are small gaps underneath the run it defeats the object!

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Jules. Eggcentric Egluowner

Jules.

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I like the idea of putting an edging around the woodchip/bedding in the centre of the run.

Log roll sounds good, but the green plastic roll edging is really cheap to use- do you think that would do the job as well?

A membrane liner is a good idea too!

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Staffordmum Frequent Layer

Staffordmum

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Staffordmum this is how a run loks like when it has been in use for a while :wink:

 

Thank goodness for that! I was beginning to think we'd got it REALLY wrong :(

 

The girls have had great fun mixing the co"Ooops, word censored!" woodchips with the rubber chippings. I guess this has assisted with the drying out process too.

 

The new Tub Trug we filled with sand is now full of chippings too - not that it matters since they are all dustbathing in the woodchips! What "wonderful" sight.

 

Still only 3 eggs yesterday tho' :( ...

 

Hey, you know you've totally lost it when you are blow drying a hen in the kitchen :oops:

 

MaryAnn is lame and so she has been seperated from the others for some rest and re"coop"eration :lol:

 

OH thinks I am completely mad ...

 

Kind rgds,

 

Pat & Steve

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