3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[Lorax]

Good morning everyone

 

Well, I should have known, back in September when I was getting my Cube and doing lots of research on this site that I'd end up getting a WIR eventually.

 

At the moment our set up is this: Cube, four hens, run that the cube came with plus 1m extension and some Omlet netting.

 

The netting is useless now as our hens just fly over it, so we don't even close it. They have free run of our large garden but it's not ideal because there is poo everywhere and we have children who like to play in the garden. Plus my youngest is frightened of the chooks since one pecked at her. So I think a big walk in run would be ideal. That way they can be let out to free range for an hour or two every day if necessary, but they have enough space in the WI.

 

Do you think that sounds sensible? I have to admit that, after letting them free range in an acre, I feel really mean shutting them up. .

 

But where do you get your WIs? I've seen Aviaries for you mentioned. Any advice about size, where to site it, etc would be most welcome.

 

I know there are lots of threads on here already, I've done a search, but I'm on an iPad, but whilst it throws up the other threads, I can't click onto them for reasons only known to iPad technology, so apologies for asking again.

 

Many thanks.

[Plum]

Yeh mine jump over the netting. You'll enjoy the WIR and the safety it gives them .

 

Get as big a run as you can afford and have space for. With your 4 I would look at minimum of 9ft x 6ft. When I put mine up I considered where the wind was coming from so the back can face that way and the front is open most of the time.

 

Mine came from Bay Animal Housing http://www.bay-animal-housing.co.uk/Products.html they'll erect or send on pallet. Easy to screw together and you can ask for kickboards, extra doors, port for cube etc.,

[Lorax]

I've got to ask...what are kickboards for? I saw them mentioned lots on the thread about Omlet's WIRs.

 

Also - if this is relevant - I'm in Suffolk, just over the border from Essex.

 

In lots of the pics of WIRs the floor isn't grass anymore. I'm presuming that's for a reason?

[Plum]

Yes cos I put concrete down For me its at bottom of hill and would be a mudbath. The kickboards are to keep the horse bedding in the run. It's absorbant and makes a good flooring for the girls to rummage in and absorbs their droppings

[Olly]

Get the biggest run you can fit in- mine is from Aviaries4U, and I have 3m x 2m, but get as large a one as you can (just in case you feel you want to add more hens ). Mine has a side hatch to allow me to get the eggs out without going into the run, although to be honest I hardly ever use it, partly because it requires squeezing up the side of the greenhouse. I also have a 'stable' type door, and that is really useful because I can open the top half and chuck in treats, lean over and refill the feeders etc without getting muddy feet.

 

As for siting, I would consider drainage - I need to do some work on mine this summer as there were a couple of times recently when a corner of it was flooded. I went for the 'ring of slabs, earth in the middle' approach and I'm happy with that, I couldn't face laying a full floor of slabs but it might have made cleaning easier.

 

Whenever you're planning something like this, think how it will be in the winter - how far is it from the house, is there a solid path to it, how far will you have to carry water/feed, can you get the hose up there to clean it out or will you need to wheel the Cube out ... it all seems much easier on a bright sunny day but when you're shivering with frozen fingers or tramping through mud just to go and check on them, it's a different picture.

 

Have you considered the new Omlet WIR?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I didn't have a lot of choice where my WIR went as my garden is so small but I'm another satisfied Aviaries4u customer (you'll see it in my signature link). I went for the "ring of slabs" as well and am very happy with it. It does get damp round the edges when the weather's bad but it soon dries out. I have a stable door too and use it every day.

 

I have a path round the WIR (the slabs it sits on) which makes going out to it very easy - I can even go out in my slippers .

 

An inward-opening door is a good idea to prevent escapees when you go in . I also have guttering which collects the water from the roof and goes into a waterbutt.

[Omletina Kyckling]

Have a look at these threads, I know they are long, but I read through these to see who had got their runs where and got good ideas such as having the door opening inwards etc.

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38922

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=45544

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=73995

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4703

 

Here's the thread on my run

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=69929

[Henergy]

Lorax - I'm in exactly the same situation, except I've a wooden coop. So I shall be re-reading this post with great interest tonight. How did you get on ? Any further with your ideas ?