4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Chook n Boo Mum]

DH is looking at ways to make the WIR more winterproof, I know felt on houses is a nono as far as the dreaded red mite is concerned, but would it still be a problem if it was 5-6ft above the chooks & not touching any of the houses? At present we have corrugated plastic sheets but are going to need to buy more and rearrange it to make it water-tight, so he's thinking of other routes which may be better

 

Thoughts as always welcomed.....

 

Sha x

[abwsco]

I wouldn't use Sha it given that red mite WILL live on WIR's. We have the plastic corrugated sheeting on ours.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I thought so too, he's now suggesting that we get a friend to fibreglass it Heaven knows what the chooks would think...be high as a kite I'd imagine !!

 

Sha x

[abwsco]

ROFCWL sorry

[Lewis]

I think Janty has a felted roof?

 

Our current WIR isn't covered, but I thinkwe'll use plastic sheeting on the new one

[Janty]

We do have a felted roof. I do keep a vigilant look out for the dreaded mite but haven't seen any sign of it. When I was doing the research, I read somewhere that because the run was open to the elements, then there would be a reduced risk of red mite. It's not like a shed where it would get warm inside.

[Cooks]

I have the corrugated metal roofing Sha and it works a treat

[Jools]

It's not so much the felt that attracts red mite, but the fact that it's laid on top of something, usually plywood, and the gap between the two is the perfect hiding place.

 

Personally I wouldn't risk it. But then again, I have the temerity to risk several wooden houses!

 

Whatever works best for you is the answer really.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Just at the moment absolutely anything is a good idea...the poor little girls had a mudbath rather than a run this afternoon...I need to go to Ikea & get more shower curtains as there are now 6 on the WIR & one on the & rather too many gaps in between Thankfully I hadn't put any hemcore down until the roof was fixed, but I had a bale of bark chips which I was going to throw in as an interim measure, but it's gone manky, so I shan't bother, I'd rather mud than mould any day and risk landing on my botty rather than the girls health !!

 

I had 17 very wet & unhappy chooks all crowding round me trying...and succeeding ...in getting the message across that they were not happy..the 4 babies in the nursery were fine thankfully...I just hope I don't have sneezing Bufflings tomorrow, they've never been as wet I even left the back door open so they could go inside to dry off a bit if they waded through the flood in the porch to get there

 

All the Omlet doors are snuggly shut tonight so they don't get chilled, bless their little feathered hearts

 

I am just about dry now having changed clothes 3 times between 4.30 & 6 & staying in the last set of damp clothes for Cubs

 

Sha x