Sooo much pooping

[marmite+toast]

Have just finished spending the OH's pennies on a run extension and an omlet winder shade, I was going to buy the shade extension to keep the whole run dry so that i can put down some hemcore in the run but I am now worried that this wil lmake the run too dark, also the omlet covers don't cover the side completely and the rain seems to get in underneath. Would I be better to buy something like a clear shower curtain to cover the rest or are there better alternatives?

[Nicho]

I have just bought a tarpauline from poundland which was 1.8m x 2m (I think). It does the job just as well as the omlet covers. Just added a few bungee cords to keep it in place (andother £1 bargain). I'm going back in the week to get some more to be ready for the winter.

 

Bought mine because of the recent rain the run was getting absolutely soaked and had some very muddy chickens.

[The Dogmother]

Do you have an eglu or a cube?

 

If you have an eglu then a clear shower curtain, cut to fit, will work fine. If you have a cube, then I'd recommend getting online to Tarpaflex and measuring up for one of their glass clear tarps. I have one on my extended cube run and it really is brilliant.

[Mercedes55]

I think the clear tarpaulin idea is great, just had a look on the website and I think they look very good. Can't seem to find a clear shower curtain, they all seem to have patterns on them or they are white

 

My only reservation is would the hens be too hot in the Summer heat with just that on or do you put the Winter shade on top. I don't want my hens feeling they are living in a polytunnel

[The Dogmother]

Mine are in the partial shade anyway, but you can easily put a sun cover or old towel under the tarp, or take it off completely in the hot, dry weather.

[Mercedes55]

My run is in the far corner of our garden and does get the sun at the hottest part of the day, which is why I have put the shade on that came with the Eglu and also the Winter shade. I had no idea it would affect their egg laying with them being in the shade so much

 

I guess I could buy a clear tarpaulin and put that directly on the run and cover it with the other shades if it's sunny, so the run should keep fairly dry. We haven't had any real downpours here since we got our hens, so not sure how wet it might get

[The Dogmother]

They will benefit form as much daylight as they can get, especially in the winter months.

 

Some people have needed to put a tar on the side of their run if they have a prevailing wind from that direction. So long as they have plenty of fresh air and some shade, it's fine. Mine FR for most of the day and use the run for shelter when it rains.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I didn't find shower curtains much use - our garden's too windy . Corrugated plastic sheets from B&Q or the like, about £6 each, work a treat on a eglu run and don't rip .

 

[Mercedes55]

I spoke too soon about the rain. We just had them free ranging in the garden and suddenly it's pouring down and my other half is stuck in the Summer House, 1 hen has gone back into the run and the other 3 are in the shrubs taking cover. Will be interesting to see if the run is wet

[Mercedes55]

I didn't find shower curtains much use - our garden's too windy . Corrugated plastic sheets from B&Q or the like, about £6 each, work a treat on a eglu run and don't rip .

 

 

Great idea, we have a B&Q about a mile from us, might go along there later if it stops raining

 

How do you cope with the hot weather though, do you put a shade over it

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Yes, I used the Omlet cover for shade (or took the plastic off if the weather looked set to stay nice). Be careful which length you buy, it depends on whether you have a standard run or a converter too. Mine was a run plus converter so I got the longer length but had to fill the gap at the eglu end with a bit of clear plastic.

[Goosey Lucy]

I didn't find shower curtains much use - our garden's too windy . Corrugated plastic sheets from B&Q or the like, about £6 each, work a treat on a eglu run and don't rip .

 

Also take care if it's windy. I had to weight my eglu down with two 25kg bags of sand as one night the wind was really gusty and moved it up and around through 180 degrees leaving it facing the other way and resting on an 8' high wall. Honest

 

Hens were shut into the eglu itself and were fine the next day, I was more shaken than them.

[Mercedes55]

I didn't find shower curtains much use - our garden's too windy . Corrugated plastic sheets from B&Q or the like, about £6 each, work a treat on a eglu run and don't rip .

 

Also take care if it's windy. I had to weight my eglu down with two 25kg bags of sand as one night the wind was really gusty and moved it up and around through 180 degrees leaving it facing the other way and resting on an 8' high wall. Honest

 

Hens were shut into the eglu itself and were fine the next day, I was more shaken than them.

 

We are lucky in that it's not that windy where we are. We have the Eglu with the 2m run, can't wait to get my lovely WIR, just wish I had thought it all through before I spent so much money. Our Eglu has got slabs on top of the skirt, I'm not sure anything would shift that

 

Can I ask you what you have holding that sheeting in place

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Green bungees from Whipperleys .

[Mercedes55]

Green bungees from Whipperleys .

They do so many sizes

 

I am assuming it's the largest size

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I actually got a selection. The different parts of the run need different lengths of bungee so it's quite good to get various sizes, then you can join them together if you need to .

 

I don't have that run any more but from memory you could use one large one at the door end, a medium plus small at the middle and possibly the same or two small ones at the eglu end. Can't quite remember though!

[Mercedes55]

I actually got a selection. The different parts of the run need different lengths of bungee so it's quite good to get various sizes, then you can join them together if you need to .

 

I don't have that run any more but from memory you could use one large one at the door end, a medium plus small at the middle and possibly the same or two small ones at the eglu end. Can't quite remember though!

 

Thanks for that, good idea to get various sizes, I guess they will come in useful for other things

 

I only really need them for about 6wks till my WIR is here, but now I know they need to get more daylight on them I am eager to sort it out

[Mercedes55]

Well we went to B&Q this evening and bought 2 sheets of the corrugated plastic and a pack of 6 assorted bungees, we only used 2 of them and then we've put the small sun shade back on so that the whole of the top and sides of the run are covered. Still have a bit at the bottom that isn't covered, but as it's only for 6wks hoping that won't be a problem.

 

I had a look at your WIR, looks very nice, I love how you have filled it with so many things for your hens to use too

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thanks