My eco solution to rat problems

[red]

I use a sheet of clear corrugated plastic - it's fantastic I screwed holes in the four corners and attached it using little bungees just like the ones on the Omlet shades. In winter I use two side by side so they wrap all the way over and keep out the wind too I still put the summer shade on during the summer to keep the girls nice and cool in the hot weather.

[ubereglu]

My shade now has holes in, I know why though!!!

 

Starlet is naughty and jumps out of the run and digs her claws into it-GRR!

[The Dogmother]

That's so naughty Liz - squirt her with a water pistol!

[ubereglu]

 

Even then I don't think she'd learn her lesson though. Muddles used to do exactly the same thing but with the other house. But then she sprained her leg after landing awkardly and doesn't do it anymore-as she did do that twice!!!

[Tricky]

Think I may have mentioned this before.

The winter run is pretty useless considering the cost. I lost 2 following a fox attack and decided not to buy another one so I went to B&Q and brought their smallest tarpaulin which cost no more than £4. I folded it up and it covers the Eglu much beeter and gives much more protection in bad weather has has been shown with the latest snow

The run was completly dry and it would also be adequate cover if the bird flu problem worsens.

I kept the bungee clips off the winter shade and fixed them to the tarpaulin.

[Happymama]

My summer one's lasted two winters, but this winter for the first time was not under the waterproof long shade I put on (plastic tablecloth) as it went brittle and blew off and knotted itself into the apple tree.

 

Clearly the weather is a problem, also last year's winter shade was a dark DP tarp, so UV exposure would have been limited for 4 or so months.

 

Now the summer shade is starting to give round the eyelets. I shall get a new one, and keep it under a Tesco shower curtain (under a pound!) for the rest of winter. In summer, It's not so bad, I don't think

[Spuddy]

Just a follow up:

I bought a replacement (a winter shade) at the beginning of this year and it has completely disintegrated already (not even a year old ).

I've lost confidence in the Omlet ones now so it's time to try some of the other suggestions on here.

I'm off to Focus.

[Jules.]

I have a winter shade which came with my 2nd hand eglu in May. In the summer (what summer?) I folded it in half over the run door end, & now I have it all across the run. The shade has faded where it was exposed to the sun (what sun?) with a triangular patch, but the shade itself if fine & proving very waterproof in this wet weather.

Sorry to hear you have had shades that have not stood up to the elements.

I'm off to Ikea in a couple of weeks- do you want me to get you a shower curtain from there & send it to you? I'm going to get one for my girls so that they will have more light these short & dark days.

[Spuddy]

Thanks for the offer Jules.

I went to Focus and picked up a Gardman "Gard Mat" for £5.

It's a bit like a tarpaulin approx. 1.5m x 2m but green and has a tie handle in each corner. It fits the run just fine but doesn't let much light through. It looks very hard wearing though.

Time will tell.

[The Dogmother]

I bought a new big shade a few weeks ago as I use it on the bunies' run when they are out on the lawn - they need to stay out of the sun. It looks like the fabric is different.

 

I spoke to Johannes about the problems with the shades and he has said that they are going to make them out of difefrent fabric - so at least they've taken that on board. Not sure when they will be available though.

 

The IKEA shower curtains are about 10" longer than the Tesco ones and less stiff, so they don't crack when it gets freezing. I haven't seen another one like my original IKEA design I use them for lots of things - the bunnie shave one that pulls down over the front of their luxury winter hutch, and I also have one covering the dry wood pile at the bottom of the garden - at that price, it's be rude not to get loads!

[Spuddy]

Are they cheap?

(no pun intended)

[The Dogmother]

The IKEA shower curtains are only about £3.99 or thereabouts. The totally plain clear ones were 99p last time I looked. If you look in my album (linked in signature below) you can see the one I have.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I bought a length of clear plastic from Dunelm Mill (you can buy it by the metre so get it to fit your run). I put eyelets in to attach it with cable ties but 3 of them ripped in the first strong wind that came along. I now use bungee ropes which seem OK.

 

The only disadvantage is that the cover now works like a sail and my run & eglu lifted off the ground and moved 6 inches in that same strong wind.

[Hockeyaholic]

Both my summer and winter shade disintergrated after about 6 months, they were only exposed to our excellent british weather - very disappointed . Omlet kindly replaced the winter shade though, so we'll see how long it lasts.