Solitary chicken - need advice

[Sal119]

I'm sooooooooo excited After asking advice on the forum as to how to go about it, I have finally persuaded by OH to let me have a WIR The builder over the road has put up the framework and tomorrow is doing the floor and the roof so my chooks should be in it by the end of the week. Never realised how eggciting this chicken keeping is. Only got two but by the size of the run I can expand dramatically. Yipeeeee

[Plum]

Don't forget the forum rules - pics please at every stage

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Congratulations . I agree with Plum, photos are compulsory .

[Lewis]

Thirded about the progress photos

 

[no1smiles2000]

oh how exciting!

 

I too am planning on building one, doubt OH will help! lol

 

Can i pick your brains for advice?

 

Like wil you be having a solid floor? what timber etc is OH using!?

 

BB

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Oh yes, piccies please, and congratulations on your new girlies...which will no doubt be arriving in the Springtime if not before

 

Re the run base question no1smiles2000, I started off with grass...soon converted to solid dirt, except where they dug a dustbath.........now a mud bath where the water gets in through various design errors and faults which are supposed to be being sorted

 

When I went out yesterday I noticed a tunnel under the foxproof skirt, I stuffed it full to test if it was a "live" one or one I had missed....it is live and a second one has appeared too ...........Mr Rat would have been very unimpressed that all food had been removed last night so chook chow was not on the menu ....and yes I know they eat other unsavoury items, but I'd cleared most of that up too!

 

As a result I am now searching for paving slabs to place inside the run so the little blighters can't dig up from beneath, as they've chosen this route I am fairly sure that they can't get in through the weldmesh. I'll then cover the slabs with hemcore & reinstate above ground dustbaths..no doubt my girls will be miffed to start with, but that's tough, I'd rather miffed than made poorly by a rat!

 

Sha x

[no1smiles2000]

oh rats! nasty, and they eat chicken poo?!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Apparently so, not the most discerning of palettes which should come as no surprise really

 

We built our WIR in the Spring so I suppose they've found food elsewhere all summer & now think our chooks are running a restaurant just for them for the winter season.....how wrong they are, and my chooks are now being shut into their houses to avoid late night visitors in there too as the is sitting on the ground so nice & easy to pop in for a snack & nap *euw shudders at the thought*

 

Sha x

[Sal119]

Yes I promise I will attempt to put photos on, although I've missed the first stage, the builder put most of the framework up whilst I was at work one day so didn't get chance to get my camera out!

 

He is finishing it today hopefully We had an area before for the Eglu to sit on which was a wooden frame filled with bark chippings, so he's levelled all that off as it was on a bit of a slope before and secured it and built the framework, using tanalised timber, to fit into the wooden base. He's used galvanised netting (quite strong stuff), secured very tightly, and then for the roof he had some conservatory pvc roofing left over from a job. We're going to have a small pitch on the roof so the snow etc can fall off and hopefully keep the ground inside more dry. We were going to have a full concrete floor in there and use auboise or similar, but as the rain blows horizontally across our garden we thought we may be better with bark chippings again. He's therefore concreting a couple of feet in and then leaving an area of dirt in the middle which we will fill with the bark chippings. Think the chooks will like this as they love digging big craters and this way won't be deprived of digging for worms My OH says it's about 4m x 2m in total. Thought I may paint in later with green fencing paint so it blends in with the garden a bit better. Just need to check it's safe for them. Think the materials so far have come to about £200 quid and then there will be his labour on top.

[no1smiles2000]

£200! my budget is less than that, however i only need 2 sides as am building it against the fence & shed. hopefuly that will help

 

where did you get materials from?

[Sal119]

It should cost less then as you already have two sides Just make sure your fence is high enough so they can't escape! The builder got the supplies so I'm not sure, probably the local wood yard/builders merchants. If I'd have waited for OH to build it it would have taken forever

[Sal119]

Pictures of my WIR today The floor is going in tomorrow and shelf for the Eglu. Can't wait to move the chooks in. It's so exciting, my OH and the builder both think I've lost the plot

 

 

 

 

[Olly]

Gosh, that looks huge! I love the wide opening door as well. How exciting - mine should be here in the next week or so, can't wait.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That looks fabulous .

[Janty]

Your run looks great. I like the high boards at the bottom.

[Christian]

Your run looks great. I like the high boards at the bottom.

 

Just what I was going to say. Looks wonderful

 

*must get a walk in run*

[chelsea]

That is super - I love the roof, very stylish.

[Sal119]

Well it's finished and the chooks have moved in today They were looking a bit confused at bedtime as to where the house was so I had to go out and show them the way!

 

Here's the final pics! (By the way, can someone please tell me how to change the title on your post as I had to start a new topic for this as couldn't seem to add anything to the title on my original post)

 

[Plum]

No idea how to change the title. Doesn't work for me

 

Lucky chooks, great run. Lots of space and levels for them

[Space Chick]

Looking good

 

As for changing the title, you need to edit the first post you made on the other thread, and not any subsequent posts if that makes sense. It will then change it

[chelsea]

Looking good

 

As for changing the title, you need to edit the first post you made on the other thread, and not any subsequent posts if that makes sense. It will then change it

 

 

Debs is right.

 

Would you like a mod to merge this thread with your other one?

[chick wiggle]

Looks great! Im loving the bench, somewhere comfy to sit with your cuppa while chook watching!

[chick wiggle]

Its looking great - well done

It IS exciting, dont let your OH and builder get away with that!!

I bet they'll secretly be cooing after your chooks

[Sal119]

Yes please Chelsea, thank you

[Egluntyne]

'Tis done.

 

The run looks fab. Congratulations.

 

If you want to change the title of your thread, you have go go back to the original post. It doesn't work in subsequent ones.