Ammonia smell in coop-first time owner

[no1smiles2000]

Hi all

 

well i am getting a bit fed up with my cube run, its not easy to clean because of the little door etc so i am seriously thinking about a walk in run.

 

Only tink that bugs me is the price to get one.

[Falkor]

Hi

 

WIR's are an option but have you considered coverting your cube run door?

 

Take a look at these threads for info

 

WIR

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4703

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38922

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=45544

 

CUBE DOOR

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=54569 (I have posted links in the second post of this thread)

 

I have a WIR in which my big girls live and my bantams live in the other cube with 6m cube run. Although the WIR is easier to clean I can still scoot about in the cube run to clean (obvioulsy easier without 12 bantams helping )

 

Hope this helps

[Space Chick]

The cost of a WIR largely depends on a number of factors, some people have made them for quite a reasonable price others have needed to pay a fortune (sadly I am one of those mine cost 3 grand near enough )

 

So, questions I would say you need to consider:

 

1. Is your ground flat and even? If it is you don't have to worry about expensive ground works

2. Do you want a slabbed or earth base (slabbed would be more expensive)

3. Do you want it sat on a slabbed surround (if not a slabbed based as they prevents digging)

4. Do you want to buy a ready prepared one, or can you make from scratch with timber and weldmesh.

4. How big do you want it?

5. Can you build it yourself or do you need to get someone in?

6. Do you need any special modifications eg. cube feeding in from outside, free ranging ports etc etc

7. What type of roof do you want?

8. Do you want to rig up guttering, water butts etc

 

For mine, I needed lots of groundworks, a permanent back wall, ready made run, builder fitted, several modifications, decent roof, large size, all mod cons etc etc hence why mine cost a lot and took our summer holiday budget (although our holiday in the garden with the girls was great )

 

Hope this helps, but certainly have a good look at the threads Em has mentioned

 

Good luck and happy researching!

[Slim]

3 grand if you are handy with a hammer you could build a large 12"x 8" run for about £200 look online for fencing supplies or you culd build a run from the saftey fencing they use on building sites that is my plan if i want to fence them.

[beulah59]

I have a fruit cage, 4m x 4m for which I paid about £250. It doesn't have a roof, of course, only netting, but it's excellent value for a non-DIYer like me

 

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/product/Poultry_Cages/POL-160.htm

[Redwing]

I built mine, several raised vegetable beds, a raised hutch and have enough wood and wire left over for a couple of other projets for about £500, this included base, wood, mesh, hinges etc.. a small table, ramp, feeder holders and roofing as well as the tools I needed for construction

 

If I had built the run on ts own and had already had the tools I reckon that would have been about £200

 

The run is 3mx2m

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Mine was about £350 from Aviaries4u. I had the slabs it rests on laid while my garden was being done so not sure of the exact cost of that.

[batcatz]

I've been looking into building a walk in run.

 

I already have the weld mesh from hills of devon. Think it was about £48. I need to order the 4x2 wood now which is £4.72 for 3.6m length from Scats. I've no idea how much I need so I will probably order 18 coming to £84.96. Get a cheap staple gun, a jigsaw and some gloves to protect your hands from the weld mesh and it shouldn't cost too much.

[Gem_Seb]

Well i think i did mine cheap then! our wood cost £20 B&Q treated sawn timber in packs of 12 which i then gave 2 coats of paint, 15 meters of 1 inch wire (stronger than normal chicken wire) at £3.50 a metre - £55- we then dug stakes into the ground quite deeply and screwed the run to these to keep it secure, weve had netting on the roof for a while but have noticed a few cats balancing on this so went to B&Q and bought 2 sheets of black corragated bitcamem panels for £20 and will just slightly tilt this and let it overhang the run for water run off. The run is 3m by 2m!

 

Total cost £95 - we did re-use some of the wire and wood from our old run and already had the paint in the shed from painting the fences in the summer!

 

When the roof is put on over the weekend i will post some pics!

[rabbitfluff]

Mine was somewhere between £200 and £250 for a 2.4m x 3.6m ish run, with corrugated plastic roof and about 1/2 of the base slabbed.

 

Make sure you factor in the cost of screws, hinges, bolts, that sort of business as I reckon they were about £40 of the cost of mine and then it does start to make the ready-made run panels you can buy look more appealing!

[Gem_Seb]

Oh yea! i forgot about the screws and bolts! they are expensive and probably added another £35 to our cost!

[batcatz]

it does start to make the ready-made run panels you can buy look more appealing!

 

Oh yeah, screws. It all adds up. I've been looking out for paving slabs on freecyle/freegle. I've missed 2 so far!

 

I guess the advantage is that once you've made a run its easy to repair yourself, and you can extend it as you like without relying on anyone else. Maybe cheaper in the long run? I hope so cos that's why i wanted to build a run.

 

Gem_Seb, The wood I was looking at was 4x2 hence the price tag. 1x1 would be much cheaper. Am off to B&Q today to have a look. Also some people use pallet wood. Free.

 

I hope this is helping no1smiles2000. Thanks for posting this! I was about to order that expensive wood from scats.

[Gem_Seb]

My local chicken farm also sells ready made panels for £13 and doors and roof panels! an easy and cheap way if you didnt want to start from scracth! It took us 3 evenings to build ours in the rain freezing cold and dark as we both work weekends as well!

[Olly]

My quote from Aviaries4U is a little under £500 for a 2m x 3m run, but that includes delivery and installation, an access hatch, stable door, plastic roof and guttering and a coop table for the Eglu that I'm getting. I'm laying the slabs for it myself, and they have cost about £30 I think - bought six at a time from Focus, over several trips, as I didn't think my car would take the weight of any more.

 

I am envious of all you people building your own runs, but I don't have great DIY skills. and more importantly I just don't have the time. Weekends are precious especially now the evenings are dark when I get in from work, and I am struggling to find enough time to dig out the base for the slabs. I think that's quite an important factor to consider if you're planning a DIY job - I know it would take me till next summer if I were to try and do it myself.

[Gem_Seb]

he wood I was looking at was 4x2 hence the price tag. 1x1 would be much cheaper. Am off to B&Q today to have a look. Also some people use pallet wood. Free.

 

Here is a link to a 15% off everything in B&Q voucher if you are still going today! And for anyone else who wants to use it of course!

 

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/discount-voucher-codes#bandq

[sallyj]

Thanks Gem for the tip about the B&Q voucher. Have just printed it off.

[Redwing]

2 x 2 is fine for uprights and 2 x 1 great for crossbars - you dont need 4 x 1 but that would be good around the bottom of the run to keep bedding in

 

Hills of Devon is good for weldmesh

 

I am trying to build most of my runs from panels (home made) as then they can be easily taken down and transported should we move or lose the field that we rent so thats useful if you move often

[Janty]

Our first run cost just short of £1900 including having the concrete perimeter foundations laid extra deep by a builder and the extra quail run. It measures just short of 5mtrs x 7mtrs though and includes a solid apexed roof and the building by Tony.

 

The second run quote is £563 but that doesn't include the concrete foundations. This run measures 4.5mtrs x 2 mtrs (at one end reducing to 1 mtr at the other - odd shape!). The run will be 6ft high.

 

I know that this is a lot but Tony's runs are amazing and we wanted a huge covered run so that if we ever had the Bernard Matthews bird flu problem again, then the girls would not have to suffer and be confined.

Edited November 5, 2009 by Guest

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I've been looking out for paving slabs on freecyle/freegle. I've missed 2 so far!

 

 

Have you registered with the Chichester Freecycle Amanda? There are regularly slabs of one description or another on there & not just in/around Chi, often Havant & Gosport/Fareham way.....just a thought

 

Sha x

[chelsea]

Ours is 15ft x 6 ft and cost about £200-250 from what I can remember. On a brick surround (bricks we had lying around at home), ready made aviary panels from a local wood merchant, and corrugated roof panels from Wickes. Guttering and downpipe going into water butt also from Wickes.

[batcatz]

he wood I was looking at was 4x2 hence the price tag. 1x1 would be much cheaper. Am off to B&Q today to have a look. Also some people use pallet wood. Free.

 

Here is a link to a 15% off everything in B&Q voucher if you are still going today! And for anyone else who wants to use it of course!

 

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/discount-voucher-codes#bandq

 

Thanks, for the voucher. Its for next week so I'll use it when I pick up some hinges etc.

[batcatz]

I've been looking out for paving slabs on freecyle/freegle. I've missed 2 so far!

 

 

Have you registered with the Chichester Freecycle Amanda? There are regularly slabs of one description or another on there & not just in/around Chi, often Havant & Gosport/Fareham way.....just a thought

 

Sha x

 

Sha, thanks. I didnt think of that. I've registered with Chichester and Waterlooville now. I'll register with some more too.

Thanks, Amanda