welshnik Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Some advice please, Omleteers!! We have and in a and think we might need a as we are hoping to extend our flock. In the meantime, however, THIS WEATHER!!!!!!!!!!!! What do you all do with your chickens in this awful weather? We have a winter run cover from Omlet but of course it's horrible at the moment. We covered with a tarp on pegs but the tarp eyelets broke (and it was a good tarp!). Do we need a permanent cover? Advice please (and pics if you can offer inspiration) - and if you have a cube in the S Wales area that would be good tooo!!!!!!! C'mon Santa!!!!! Nik xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Nik, I am in Neath and you are very very welcome to come and see my cube PM me if you want to. Have you tried clear glass tarpaulin to cover the run? Some people use shower curtains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 I had a winter Cube cover and it was quite good as the run was in quite a sheltered place. But I have now got a glass-clear tarpaulin that covers the whole run plus one extension. The bit under the Cube is still open as is the door end, so that provides some ventilation. It is placed by a fence so that the only exposed side is on the east - where the rain rarely comes from (although sometimes the snow does!). It is pictured in This thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol U Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 When I was using my original eglu run, I found that the easiest way to keep everything dry in Winter was to cover the run with an Ikea clear plastic shower curtain. You can sort of wedge one end under the edge of the eglu and then use a couple of bungees going across the top and hooked into the wire. When the weather improves, it can be left on but with the sides folded up. I think a lot of Omleteers do this. Good luck with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 clear tarp is brill, it has eyelet holes.(easy to tie down) is reasonably heavy,(doesn't flap about) Other than that the currugated plastic roofing is good. Or move the whole thing into the greenhouse for the winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I have 4 ex-bats coming on Saturday I need to make a basic run for them this wink is going to ruin all my ideas! I ONLY CLEARED THE GARDEN YESTERDAY!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I keep the chooks in when the rain is bad. Their run is 3ft X 9ft and as well as having a roof is covered by a clear tarp that goes up one side ,over the top and down the other. That way the weather just blows in through the front but most of it stays dry. I have a few perches so that they can arrange themselves in comfort. It's been here for the last few days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beulah59 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I wanted to put a tarp on our run, but it's 4x4m and we realised we'd have real trouble with it in windy weather ... so I built them a feeding station instead ... When they're out in the garden, they find places to hide - I've put a feeder in the greenhouse for example. So I don't worry too much about the rain, but the wind, oh my! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Love it Have you got it bolted into the ground? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gelbel Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 beulah59 - does your run have roof? If not, how do you stop the little madams flying/jumping out...............as one has mine has been doing about 10 times a day when I let them out of the covered run. I think that even if I do a bit of wing clipping Grace would jump over a fence of 1.25. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 ... so I built them a feeding station instead ... Sheer genius! Love it! Good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 That feeding station is fab! My chooks seem to be thoroughly enjoying the weather for some strange reason - even if they do look like wet mops half the time! Sorry I didn't get a pic - I was too busy laughing at them (mean mummy). I've shoved a tarp over the run during the worst of it and pegged it down with cable ties and the garden furniture (the eyelets broke on mine too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stellabystarlight Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 beulah59 - does your run have roof? If not, how do you stop the little madams flying/jumping out...............as one has mine has been doing about 10 times a day when I let them out of the covered run. I think that even if I do a bit of wing clipping Grace would jump over a fence of 1.25. Hiya my run is a similar size and doesnt have a roof but they were flying over even though its 2m tall, so I got strawberry net and covered the top with this. This way they cant get out, I am slightly concerned that they dont have enough cover in all this really wet weaher tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I would recomend a permanent Winter cover. In Winter I move them to the patio right outside my back door. So, they don't get soggy feet on wet grass and I don't have to trudge all over the garden to get to them. They are under Wickes clear corrugated sheets (£6 each) held down with elastic bungee cords bought from Poundland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beulah59 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Thanks for the comments ... we have them in a 4x4m fruit cage, so it has a netting roof. The cage is reinforced with wire and wind netting, but we do live in a very windy area so they do get blown about a bit. No, it's not bolted down and it did turn over at one point during the gales, but we've weighted it down now and it's been fine since. Although they're not in the pic, they have a hanging feeder and a hanging drinker in there now so that helps, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
