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Jac and Rory

Exend cube run or go for WIR?

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I need to change my chicken set up. I have a cube with 1m exension and 4 Black Rocks. I need to move it to a new location and put slabs under whole run.

 

The new position would allow me to extend the cube run with another 2 or 3 extensions (saw some say they have 5 (?) held together by velcro in palces for easy detachment for cleaning - seems a good idea). I would only need help laying the slabs and it could all be done fairly quickly and cheaply (by comparison with my imagined cost of a WIR).

 

Getting a WIR would take quite a while - first, I have to get OH to come up with the idea himself :pray: and then there's all the planning/building etc.

 

I want to keep the chooks in the run more (permanently?) as OH mad about garden destruction and I regularly see the fox around in the mornings (and next door feeds the fox). For years the fox has had a regular route through our garden. I have a netted area but the wing-clipped chooks regularly escape over and under and I also worry about them getting out to the road.

 

I want to minimise my guilty feelings about keeping them in a run and would like to have plenty perches/boredom busters - do you think it's possible to achieve this with standard cube run/extensions? Any ideas on what to do?

 

I'm concerned that by taking the quick and easy option of extending the cube run, it will only work out more expensive overall in the long run (no pun intended!) if I end up realising the only solution is a WIR?

 

All thoughts very gratefully received!

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WIR :D

It does give them a lot more space, as they can use it vertically with tables/platforms and perches, but also you can go in with them.

 

Ours is still sitting in the garage yet to go up :roll: but they will be in it most of the time - free ranging at the weekends and sometimes after school and I wouldn't be worried about that.

Its also down to looks - our garden wouldn't really suit an eglu train, but some people have more modern gardens which wouldn't suit a wooden WIR.

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Hi

 

I currently have a cube plus 2 extensions and have got plans for a walk in run from a company that sends you panels that you then put together. I got a quote for a 15ft by 8ft (6 ft high) WIR £324 delivered, so thats what we are doing. I find it hard to clean out the cube run even with the larger door for access plus i miss my hens pecking around my feet etc (as they dont FR anymore )- cant wait to get a chair in the wir and start having little chats again!!

 

I'ms ure whatever you decide will be right for you, but i've gone from an eglu -standard run, to eglu + extension to a cube , thena cube with 2 extensions and now a WIR!!!!#

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Thanks for all your comments - it's such a help to hear from all of you experienced chicken people.

 

So, item one on the WIR plan.... plant subliminal messages in OH brain (had plenty of practice at this over whole chicken arrival but this is a big step....)

 

Thanks again

 

PS Ain't "Ooops, word censored!"ody Here - I will PM you and see if you are there!

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sounds as if you've already made a decision ... but WIR definitely, I wish I'd done it ages ago. By the time you've bought 2 or 3 extensions and had them delivered, you're probably halfway to the cost of a WIR. And you will almost certainly be able to sell your existing run - I've just sold a Cube + run, and I had far more people asking to buy just the run and the extension, than wanting the whole kit.

 

For me it's much less obtrusive in the garden, and it makes looking after the hens much easier - oh, and it's much nicer for the hens, too! :wink:

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Hi Jac and Rory and Sage. i would also say go for the WIR, I started with a cube and run then got an extension. If I knew then what i know now, i would definately have saved the money on the extension and gone straight for the run.

At this time of year the girls spend an awful lot of time in there and you can give them so much more entertainment in a WIR. Plus it makes looking after them, cleaning etc sooooo much easier.

Hope you have a good and 'succesful' day at ANH's tomorro, Im sure once your OH sees her run he will understand how much better one would be - fingers crossed for you :D

 

Sage, red mite dont wander far from the housing. i usually spray the wood of the run about 2 - 3 ft from the house with poultry shield just in case, but im just a belt and braces kinda girl :wink::lol:

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Many thanks for all your replies. I found an opportune time to show off ANH's WIR photos to OH and we are sold! :dance: Next step though is to slow down the military style action plan OH is coming up with and make sure I get what "we" want!

 

I even phoned Tony at Averies4U. He reckons if you can build MFI flat pack then you can put up one of his standard WIRs. Unfortunately OH never been good at MFI and I'll have to stop drooling over the octagon WIR (I asked the price - would need to sell every egg :( ).

 

Well, you can see I didn't need much persuasion to go down the WIR route but very grateful for the confidence all your comments give me that it's the right thing to do! So looking forward to them having lots of perches and sitting with them (bought a garden folding stool for the purpose but football seats sound a bit of a must!!).

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