Ammonia smell in coop-first time owner

[Plum]

Good news how exciting, go and find your electric screwdriver

[stehaggan]

Well i could not wait, Could i fit the 5 boxes in my fiat punto, could I hell!! So out of the boxes the bits came, down went the seats and the safety of driving, base frame on the bfs knee in the front and it all fit!! wahey!!1

 

Took about 20 minutes to put it up (we didn't buy the run) and now its up - its amazing!!! I love it, its soooo bright. I have now ordered some more omlet shades - all in different colours to funk up the WIR a bit!. Already had a few people come over to me to say how good it looks and easy to clean.

 

I've already planned where the added red eglu classic will be going when i want to get some ex battery hens hehe...

 

I still need to attach the grub and glugs and make the dustbath and a tiny patch of the roof where I ran out of weldmesh but I will do all that tonight and then pick up the chickens tomorrow afternoon. I have a sonic scarer on its way off ebay so that mr fox stays away so fingers crossed it will be all good.

 

Here is the cube ready to go... I will post all the pictures in an album when its all finished and I have some hens

 

I cannot wait!!

[chicken bark]

You are right it is VERY bright.

 

Have fun tomorrow.

[Mollie333]

That looks fantastic! Orange Cube goes nice!

Brilliant that you want some ex batts!

[thenewchick]

That looks fab!! Can you make me one??

[Eggasperated]

Hi,

bit off topic but what are the blue hoops you've got over your veg? - I could do with something like that to net my brassicas to keep the pigeons off.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Glad you asked that, I was wondering too . I use old plastic curtain rails but they look rubbish . Those look much neater .

[Tutti Frutti]

Are they hoola hoops?

[Blackrocksrock]

I think its blue alcathine pipe (spelling?) from plumbers merchants - can use it to make a frame like a polytunnell and put over either plastic or fleece to protect your seedlings and let them grow.

[stehaggan]

Got my chickens today and love them to bits already!! They have already mastered the eglu super glug which i was very worried about. i will post some pictures soon.

 

Haha no worries,

 

At first i was trying to make teepees from canes but they were rubbish and soooo hard to use. The tubing is called polypipe, they sell it in b & q but its very expensive but i got mine off ebay on a 25 m roll for about £25 i think and cut them into pieces of 2m lengths. I can't remember the thickness so i'll have a look tomorrow and let you know but i would definately recommend it. i use garden netting from b & m or pound land and tent pegs to hook it into the ground. Worked out a lot cheaper than buying the cloches from garden centres.

 

I ordered off ebay and had to pick up from plumb center but when i priced it i actually got it off ebay cheaper than I could have bought it from plumb center myself.

 

On another random.... My asparagus crowns have started shooting when i thought they had died.... Purple & green soooo roll on next year

 

If anyone wants to know anything else give me a nudge

[Eggasperated]

Thank you stehaggan,

 

I will be sending my OH shopping for polypipe now.

 

Glad to hear about your asparagus crowns - unfortunately two bad winters here have put paid to two thirds of mine so I'm not really sure whether its worth replacing them.

 

Good luck with your chickens - they've certainly got a lovely home .

[capper]

Stehaggan you dark horse, you never told me about your chicken des res when we met - it looks absolutely fantastic and I can't find anymore pics (you will have to tell me how to download pics!) to see your girls - I hope they are well into laying now still gives me a kick when I cook one for breakfast! My 3 are doing brilliantly, they are worse than dogs for following you around and getting under your feet. As we suspected Kev has fallen in love with them and is the official egg collector. He still won't eat/cook chicken as he says it reminds him of Betty's bare bottom (poor luv I am sure she will grow some feathers soon). Hope Stu is OK and you really must give yourself a great big pat on the back for the fab WIR. I am just getting prices now for ours as I can't keep getting on my knees to get feeders/drinkers out of classic run!! Take care and hopefully speak soon. - Hen party Ange :)xxxxxx

[stehaggan]

Hi Ange,

 

Nice to hear from you glad the girls are doing well. You should get kev to build one only took us about 3 days in total to build and ive never made anything in my life hehehe...

 

Stu and i are fine, bit stressed atm, i've got 2 of my 3 final exams for my chartered accountancy and stu has his stock take so its a bit stressfull but other than that were good ta. Glad kev has fell in love with them haha.. who wouldn't they crack me up when we feed one of them a worm and they chase each other round trying to get it hahaha.

 

We have 5 laying a day now, Tikka is taking her time but we don't mind. We went to happy chicks in poulton le fylde a few weeks ago and saw the ex-batteries, it was soooo cruel to see them like that. As Stu said we are glad we wont be buying battery chickens again and im converting the family hehe...

 

We love having the chickens, we want to move house now to get a big garden so we can have them at home rather than the allotment and then we can get more but for the time being they seem pretty happy where they are hheeh...

 

have you got piccies of your girls on here now? i havent been on much with my revision to keep an eye out.

 

If you can make a WIR id recommend it, we got quoted about £600 for one smaller than i made and in total mine cost about 200 but its pretty huge. I made it in panel sections so it was really easy then i just screwed all the panels together so If you want to save a bit of money id recommend it, plus you can tailor it, I made a stable style door on so i could just chuck goodies over without them coming out and also I made a door at the back so I can pull the poo tray out without having to go in . plus when i move i can unscrew the sections and make it to the shape and dimensions we need

 

great hearing from you ange....

 

ste & stu x

[docsquid]

That run looks wonderful. I love the chessboard, although I go along with the view that when the chooks get their little feet going on it, it will be a bit less tidy than in the photo. The orange cube is really

[stehaggan]

hhaha @ doc... this is an old pic ive had the chickens about 2 months now i think and there is no greenery left or purple unfortunately:-p but i do have a nice bit of red (a classic) just in case they get locked out of the cube due to the automatic door i put on hehe