Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[bouldercroft]

The WIR is complete - huge thanks to my poor suffering husband who built this amazing thing...

We had to modify it after realizing that the roof didn't have enough pitch - but it was only a day to remove the roof and re-pitch it.

I did sustain an injury...I somehow managed to staple myself in the stomach - not quite the tummy tuck I had in mind

 

The run is free-standing and is next to garage which gives us access to power and storage. We had to build up a ground level a bit but thankfully Bouldercroft lives up its name and the grounds provide us with plenty of rocks.

We buried weldmesh into the ground to stop the small critters from getting through the rock foundation.

 

Next weekend we'll build a platform for the to get it off the ground and free up more space for the girls. We'll also add some branches for perching and climbing. I also need to build a more permanent glug/grub holder - for the moment I've re-purposed the door off the run

 

Here are some photos...

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

Edited April 11, 2011 by Guest

[ThinkingChickens]

Hooray! This is exactly what I want for my Go and later for my cube. I might just have to copy this whole design. Do you know about what the wood cost was or was it recycled? Thanks for sharing!

[bouldercroft]

Do you know about what the wood cost was or was it recycled?

 

$360 on pressure-treated wood and the hardware cloth (weld-mesh) from Lowes - $170 for the roof panels which were ordered from a company called Sequentia

 

It ain't cheap - but you could save lots of money on looking for s"Ooops, word censored!" lumber on freecycle.

 

Also, you probably don't need to build the roof with as much support as we did - we were considering the 70" of snow that we had this winter!

[ThinkingChickens]

Whoa! 70" of snow! We had maybe 30" but it didn't all stick. So really maybe 18" at a time. LOL

[Egluntyne]

..I somehow managed to staple myself in the stomach - not quite the tummy tuck I had in mind

 

Oh heck! hope you are OK. Very amusingly written. I laughed, but for the right reasons.

 

The WIR looks lovely .. and so do your hens.

[teacake]

looks great! we're builing our WIR at the moment, hadnt thought about snow weight, we've had loads the last 2 years, but its unusual so fingers crossed it won't happen again.

[Plum]

Looks great and good to see the ground again. I kept sweeping the snow off the roof but that's going to be quite a bigger job for you than me - only 19 ins. You are going to find it so good to use.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That looks fabulous . Well done . Very pretty girls too!

[bouldercroft]

it's so nice to be in the run with them....and they seem so happy to have height - first thing they did was jump up on the roof of the - can't wait to get the perches and climbing frame in next weekend

[bouldercroft]

That looks fabulous . Well done . Very pretty girls too!

 

Imitation is the highest form of flattery

 

I'm sure you've noticed that your run was my inspiration...

And in watching the rain pouring now I definitely need to add gutters too!

[Omletina Kyckling]

Wow that looks lovely and your girls are gorgeous!

[bouldercroft]

Poor hubby was set to work on modifying the run so the is on the outside - and didn't he do well!

I love the new set-up as I can collect eggs without side-stepping the poop and the girls get extra room too.

The is extra space on the platform for a second which will be fitted in once my new girls arrive and they pass quarantine.

 

What a fabulous hubby I have....even though he didn't want anything to do with the chickens he's now building runs and talks to them too - definitely a keeper

 

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

[Egluntyne]

Marvellous. I like the forward planning re the extra space on the platform.

 

I'd hang on to him ... he seems useful!

[Angie]

love the WIR bouldercroft, well done the hubby for the hard work, i'm thinking that bench has just enough room for an extra eglu hmmm me thinks morehen disease may be on the horizan...

[Omletina Kyckling]

Love the set up, it all looks so neat and tidy!

 

Love your painted wooden house too, reminds me of the houses in Sweden when I lived there, it's a similar red colour. I have only managed to aspire to a red painted tiny shed

[bouldercroft]

Love the set up, it all looks so neat and tidy!

 

Love your painted wooden house too, reminds me of the houses in Sweden when I lived there, it's a similar red colour. I have only managed to aspire to a red painted tiny shed

 

thanks omletina - that's our painted garage but the house is painted the same color too - very pretty until it needs repainting and then I yearn for the simplicity of brick built houses

[Omletina Kyckling]

I have a friend in North Carolina and it took them weeks to paint their wooden house....I was being all romantic about it all, saying how lovely it was, until she told me about the maintenance! Perhaps I'll stick to my little stone cottage!!!

[bouldercroft]

it's very pretty and the painted houses make the neighborhoods pleasantly interesting as no two houses are the same - but with wood comes termites and rot and all that trauma - although renovations are super easy because all you need to move a wall is a chainsaw

[beach chick]

it's very pretty and the painted houses make the neighborhoods pleasantly interesting as no two houses are the same - but with wood comes termites and rot and all that trauma - although renovations are super easy because all you need to move a wall is a chainsaw

 

ooh, I've got a chainsaw... wonder what I could do?!

[Guest]

wow, he's done a fab job! Well done that husband!!!!

[chicks4erin]

bouldercroft, I love your WIR and hope to model something similar to it to house a Go and a couple hens next Spring. I'm from Chicago and we get our share of snow and sub-zero weather. I think I saw your Go covered in snow in one of your posts, funny pix and I think you had said you got an egg through that, good girls. Did your hens do okay through the whole winter, I know it was a looong one? I was thinking we would have to put the Go inside the WIR to keep the snow off and winds and also shade it in summer. Do you think that would necessary or would you leave your Go out next winter as well? Also, can I ask you a question about the Go. I was originally thinking a Cube until they raised the price, now I'm back to the Go with just a few hens, plus a better way to start out I think and will add another Go later with more hens if need be. In the Go it doesn't seem the nesting box is all that seperate from the roosting area, do you get poop in your nesting box at all?

 

Thank you, I'm a total newbie as you can tell

[bouldercroft]

Did your hens do okay through the whole winter, I know it was a looong one?

My girls did great this winter. They seemed happy and healthy - maybe a little bored of the white surroundings. For the winter I had just 1.5 chickens (I count Josie my bantam as a half). There were two nights that had record breaking lows and I put them in a cat carrier in the basement - but in all honesty that was mostly for my conscience - I think they would have been fine. I gave them lots of corn to keep them fat and warm and they started laying on MLK day.

Honestly - I'm more worried about the hot summer - we've had a few +90f days already and it breaks my heart to see Korma and Mavis pant!

 

I was thinking we would have to put the Go inside the WIR to keep the snow off and winds and also shade it in summer.

I guess you could put the GO in the WIR but you'd lose floor space. In the summer they don't spend anytime in the Go - they are always in the WIR - they even sleep outside. They only go in the Go to lay. I haven't seen any poop in my Go for over a week.

It would be more convenient in the winter to have the Go in the WIR for shelter but I'm planning on adding automatic door closers for the winter when I get home long after dark.

 

Also, can I ask you a question about the Go. I was originally thinking a Cube until they raised the price, now I'm back to the Go with just a few hens, plus a better way to start out I think and will add another Go later with more hens if need be.

I don't regret starting and staying with the Go - I like having two houses. My first purchase was a Go and Run - then I just bought an additional Go. It's been essential for introductions (as you WILL get more hens!) and I like having the ability to quarantine a hen if I need to. I may also get some chicks next year as I'm pretty sure Rita will go broody again! By having this set-up I can just take a Go away if I need to.

 

In the Go it doesn't seem the nesting box is all that seperate from the roosting area, do you get poop in your nesting box at all?

Only when they were young and didn't know what the nest was for - since they started laying they don't sleep in the nest anymore

 

Lastly - you should check out this blog and maybe contact the writer - she's in Chicago too!

http://awindycitygal.wordpress.com/my-city-chickens/

 

 

Send me a PM if you have any questions at all - always happy to help spread the hen joy

[Egluntyne]

I guess you could put the GO in the WIR but you'd lose floor space.

 

Not if you placed it on a table ... which would also save your aching back, as you wouldn't have to bend to clear it out.

[Seagazer]

Great run, you have a very handy OH

[bouldercroft]

Thought I'd add some more recent pictures now that we have added the second and all the perches and shades in place

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

the chicken essentials - water pistol, hand sanitizer, mosquito spray and tea tree oil to sprinkle about when it gets stinky!

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr