Falkor Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I wouldn't use the fence as a side unless you are planning to still cover it with wire as foxes can rip open wood I have two fence panels and one shed side as walls for my WIR. But they are good quality fence panels....give me two mins and i will post a couple of photos Here you go and a pic of Molly "helping" with the build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 What a turmoil you are in! Totally agree with everyone. when I was using a cube and run we covered it with a tarpaflex and or ikea shower curtain. If you allow ventilation I also cover the door end to stop the driving rain. Stalosan or I now use biodry which is fab. Plus bokashi from wiggly wigglers a handfull per grub plus garlic powder from a horsey shop a tspspoon per grub which is brill for smells, I dont notice smells at all. What part of the country are you in? If we know people may be able to recommend places for you to shop ecomonically.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1smiles2000 Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 i'm in Norfolk thanks for the photos, they are fab! I see you didnt use the shed as a side? is there a reason for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 wow great thanks I am really tempted to have ago at building one myself. i will take photos to show you the area. its against the shed & fence so do you think i could use the fence as a side? We built our own WIR - I say we, I drew up the plans, dad built it , I supervised I have a fence on 2 sides, but though it's handy for shelter , I didn't use it in place of panels as it would be awkward if we wanted to replace the fence, or if we should have gale force winds that took out the fence. Weldmesh and timber came to under £100 and I spent another £90 or so on corrugated plastic for the roof - but that was enough to cover both my runs, so it would be less than that for you. If you do make your own run, a tip that I would pass on is to make the door in 2 sections , like a stable door, with the bottom section low enough to step over - great for getting into the run without the chooks making a break for freedom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 this is mine made with panels that are screwed together to form the desired size as you can see I sould have used the fence on two sides but with this way of building it it can come down and go up in another area if needed, or (in my case) be taken down to lay the concrete slab and then put back up again after being repainted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1smiles2000 Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 oh wow lovely! did you buy the panels ready made or make them yourself? If i did want to buy preassembled pannels can anyone recomend anywhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 well my hubby made mine (carpenter) but you can buy them... let me go find someone who knows where to buy them.. *pootles off* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Try Avaries4u or flyessofancy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 well my hubby made mine (carpenter) but you can buy them... let me go find someone who knows where to buy them..*pootles off* Hello I got mine from West Hagley Aviaries - 15x6 foot and it was £256 delivered, although you can collect yourself, and as they are panels, can make it any size. Add another £100 on for a clear corrugated roof and also add on the cost of slabs/concrete, screws and bolt locks They're one of the cheaper places (some places were cheaper but used lower quality weld mesh) but I'm happy with the panels Still not up yet, waiting for the weather, but we've made a start Another place to look is CMS animal housing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 i'm in Norfolk thanks for the photos, they are fab! I see you didnt use the shed as a side? is there a reason for this? We did use the side of the shed...only the front face of the WIR is meshed.... FIL and OH built is for me. They built a Pergola type structure (four uprights concreted in and then frame for roof. Corrugated plastic on top and done I am plotting a WIR extension at the mo to bring it out to the log roll you can see in the pic and across the front of the shed....OH doesn`t know yet Where abouts in Norfolk are you? My little bro is in Great Yarmouth and gets bits from Spinney Farm in Oulten Broad, Suffolk. They lady is really helpful and will order bits in if she hasn`t got them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 well my hubby made mine (carpenter) but you can buy them... let me go find someone who knows where to buy them..*pootles off* Hello I got mine from West Hagley Aviaries - 15x6 foot and it was £256 delivered, although you can collect yourself, and as they are panels, can make it any size. Add another £100 on for a clear corrugated roof and also add on the cost of slabs/concrete, screws and bolt locks They're one of the cheaper places (some places were cheaper but used lower quality weld mesh) but I'm happy with the panels Still not up yet, waiting for the weather, but we've made a start Another place to look is CMS animal housing see I called and whoosh he replied... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1smiles2000 Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 wow great thanks I had seen that website whilst browsing. Are they good quality pannels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I made my own run from panels I built myself, its really pretty straightforward honest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I made my own run from panels I built myself, its really pretty straightforward honest! yes as long as you make them straight and not on the skew which is what I would do... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1smiles2000 Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 I made my own run from panels I built myself, its really pretty straightforward honest! yes as long as you make them straight and not on the skew which is what I would do... :lol: cool was it expensive? i'm just thinking it its about the same price or not much cheaper it might be easier/ less stress to buy I'd like to build myself but i am not bril @ diy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Its 19 gauge weld mesh which is just what I was looking for really The wood is ok, I don't really know what I'm looking for tbh - a friend of mine is a carpenter (I'm trying to convince him to build WIR's!) and he said they look good for what they need to do, and a good price The man (Harry) is really nice too I'm sure if you wanted to its easy enough to build yourself, but I don't think I could have built it for that price or been bothered to (Cross posted with tasha ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I had no real DIY experience when I started chicken stuff building Each panel probably cost about £10 so not a massive saving You can do things much more cheaply by building a frame in situ and covering it with mesh as you dont need so many uprights but its harder to take with you if you move Hills of Devon is good for weldmesh, I got the wood and bits from Wickes/B&Q but if you get fencing rails from your local agricultural merchant and the metal bits off of ebay you could do it a heck of a lot more cheaply - thats what I am doing from here on it (obsessive run builder..) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 'Chirpy Coops' have been recommended. Don;t know exactly where they are apart from they delivered to Cambridger and north of that! worth a look, sturdy and several have them and are pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 In the meantime - you say you have trouble getting in the cube run. Do you have the old small door? In which case you can do the drop down door conversion. See threads at the top of the eglu and cube section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Ohhhhhhhhhh good Idea plum, I did that it was great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Ours is just added directly onto bare earth. Nothing suppresses weeds better than a chicken! And they can still have fun with their open cast mining activities too! I just chuck a bale in the walk in run when the floor looks manky and let the girlies spread it about at their leisure. Once it is three bales deep I shovel it all out to the compost bin sprinkle with lime and start again. I think the Omlet run would be much better if you could easily detach it from the cube so you could lift the whole thing away to aid the shovelling process. It wouldn't be difficult to modify it to acheive this either. The Stalosan is a good idea too. I must get some next time we go to the Easibed shop. Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1smiles2000 Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 well thanks for all your help Due to weather & me not wanting too chickens didnt move to my parents yesterday I've decided as we're not moving i am gonna invest in the garden! I had an idea, what about if i make a base with railway sleepers the size of the cube & run, tank it with liner & fill with auboise, then sit the run & the cube ontop of the sleepers? saves the expense of patio etc Another idea is to patio where the run is and then use auboise, however how do i stop it escaping out the sides? Also does anyone keep their chickens in the run all the time? i feel mean not letting them free range but it is just causing mess with mud everywhere! sugestions from those with cubes & run greatly appreciated. i really cant afford to buy/ build a WIR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I had an idea, what about if i make a base with railway sleepers the size of the cube & run, tank it with liner & fill with auboise, then sit the run & the cube ontop of the sleepers? saves the expense of patio etc ( Now that sounds like a very good plan wish I had thought of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Remember the cube stands on the rests not the skirt or it will buckle with the weight. Looking forward to seeing it. Will make it easier to stand in for cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no1smiles2000 Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 (edited) Ok so here are some photos of my garden, any adivce greatly appreciated I'm thinking, picket fence across the patio, then raised beds from railway sleepers for veggies on the area that is supposed to be grass. then slabs where the cube & run is http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj282/no1smiles2000/photo-9.jpg http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj282/no1smiles2000/photo-8.jpg http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj282/no1smiles2000/photo-7.jpg Edited February 23, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
