What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[MissPug+Chooks]

Hi Guys!

 

After giving up horses after nearly breaking my neck (long story!) i have sold all my horsey gear and can now afford a nice new WIR!

 

I was going to get hubby to build it but unfortunately he can just manage a light bulb

 

So i have opted for this beauty! http://www.thecotswoldwoodcompany.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=69_122&product_id=101

 

I'm hoping to get 6x6x9 run for my 3 girls so that they can stay in there more as they ruin the very little grass we have! What are peoples opnions on the one above? Ive not ordered it yet, but i want to make sure its a fair price and good quality!

 

My questions are these : what do most people do about a floor covering? I was planning on putting slabs down and then aubiose over the top, or is it better to just leave it on woodchip? Thats what they are currrently on in their run. Secondly, what coverings do people use to protect the run against the elements? I saw 'aint no body there's plastic coverings - where do you get these from?

 

One more question - i have 3 chooks, 2 gingernut rangers and 1 warren in the at the moment, can i squeeze another one/two in? At night there seems to be a lot of perching room for them as they all squah up in one corner, leaving one corner and the perches by the door free....if possible, would it be a good idea to introduce new hens when the others go into the WIR for the first time as in effect it will be neutral territory? Im planning on branhes and wooden boxes up turned to make it a bit more dynamic!

 

V excited! Sorry for the essay!

 

Xx

Edited February 20, 2012 by Guest

[Ain't Nobody Here]

We quite understand your excitement . Congratulations on getting your WIR, it looks great although I don't know that company so can't comment on the quality! I use Easibed in my WIR, just on bare earth but you could easily use it on slabs too.

 

I've put acrylic panels round part of the bottom half of mine. Not cheap but the glassclear tarpaulins just ripped so weren't particularly good value in the end .

[MissPug+Chooks]

Ahhh! Ok then! Thanks for the advice! How is 6x9 ft for size? And what do you think about adding more chickens? X

[Mum]

6'x9' is equivalent to approx., 2mtrs x 3 mtrs = 6sq mtrs.

 

The "advice" is to have 1sq mtr per hen; so, with that size run, 6 would be the optimum. That means, if you have 3, you *could* have 3 more. However, those measurements mean free floor space. You need to deduct the sq mtrs of floor space taken up by the Eglu, glugs, grubs, dust bath etc.

 

My WIR is stood on a slab paving around the perimeter with earth in the centre, covered by Auboise. The elements are protected simply by a winter eglu run cover on the side where the wind/rain is most prevalent to give the girls a wind-free, partially rain free environment. I do have corregated plastic roofing over the whole WIR to protect against rain from above and this is surrounded by guttering so I can capture any run off into a water butt and I use that to top up the glugs.

 

I amalgamated my two flocks via free-ranging/socialising *before* I got the WIR. When the WIR was set up, the quarantine period was definately over and the girls were already familiarised through free-ranging, just hadn't slept together. They were all put into the WIR at dusk, when they were at their sleepiest, but not asleep. New girls *must* be quarantined for a few weeks before adding them to your existing flock because you need to be certain (as much as we can be ) that they do not harbour any diseases and worming is carried out. Also, allowing them to free-range together prior to mixing does reduce the overall issue of hen-pecking (I stipulate "overall" - because it *will* happen no matter what precedures you take).

 

My attitude to purchasing a WIR was always with a view to extending it; not total occupancy of the size I'd purchased. That is because I know my weaknesses - by that I mean, I began with one ex-batt; then I moved to 3 bantams, then added 4 more; foxy took most, that meant "replenishing" - which in chook terms meaning buying more than I lost. Then I had more knowledge of what I really wanted and bought more again then someone was selling some and I couldn't see them homeless!! = severe case of Morehens Disease for me

 

You have 3, you're now thinking one/two more ... trust me, the urge to add to that one/two more will surface So: can the WIR you are thinking of be extended? How straightforward would that be? Do you have the space to extend? Could you afford it? Do you even want to? All these things need considering.

 

Congrats on your WIR - it's exciting times for you (and your girls)

[Duncan08]

Looks great!

I had so much fun designing and making ours.

I was going to slab under mine but was dreading it after doing a load of landscaping last year, was fed up of the mud in the Run.

Someone on the forum suggested a thick layer of gravel covered with a thick layer of easibed. So this is what I did.

This is working perfectly. Because the run is covered the bedding stays pretty dry and the rain that does get in dries out quite quickly. The girls get to do lots of digging, but I go in and poo pick each week and give it a good rake over. They enjoy a good dustbath in the easibed too.

For the sides to keep out the weather I have two omlet shades on the prevailing wind side and a shower curtain on the other sie as a temporary wind break in the worst of this winter weather. It is held on with the bungee hooks off omlet.

I am going to grow some climbers over it in the spring so will be putting some acrylic sheet about one metre high along the side so the girls can't eat the plants as they grow up.

 

Oh and I bought them a bale of straw at the weekend, £3.50. Sprinkled with some corn or meal worms they love scratching in it, and they love to sit on it and watch the world go by in the afternoon.

[Purplemaniacs]

That is great news I had to wait a long time for my WIR but it was well worth the wait, OH surprised me and made it himself, I did not know he was that clever.

 

Ours is on paving slabs with Easibed or something similar on top, this seems to work very well. I do need to improve the protection from the rain on the sides as the wind can blow the rain in sideways. At the moment I have a couple of Omlet shades but they are better at giving shade in the summer than keeping the rain out

 

Like Mum ours was designed so that it could be expanded and has had an extension built already to give an area that can be seperated for introductions not used it yet as the ex batts are still in the but they will have to move soon if I am to get some bantams this spring.

 

Chrissie

[chestnutmare]

I had my and run straight on the ground (in a paddock) which was fine in summer but quite messy in winter! Since moving mine have been in a WIR on concrete and it's the best thing ever in my opinion - concrete. No more mud.

I was using woodchip from B&Q for the floor but I was struggling to get it so now I'm using Rapport (which you might be familiar with being a horse-person). I was worried it was going to get soaked and go like mush but although it's got a bit damp from the rain coming through the WIR at the sides, it's still lovely and scratchable.

I have a clear plastic roof, which overlaps the WIR quite a bit, but nothing on the mesh/the sides. They have a wall directly behind the run.

[MissPug+Chooks]

Thanks for the advice guys - all sounds great!

 

At the moment, I have one chook (i have posted about feather pulling with regard to her) that is 'one-legged' due to survivng a fox attack last year and she copes really well with it still laying, bright red comb etc...but she does get pecked so for the moment i am planning on just keeping it to the 3 of them for the time being so that there isnt any more 'cramming' in of birds which result in the 'middle' chicken taking it out on her!

 

But yes, i probs will end up with quite a few! After these girls (and i promise im not wishing them away in the sightest!) i would like to try some bantams of which i guess i can put a few more in?!

 

Im quite keen on the concrete idea for the run so that when it comes to cleaning out I can sweep it all up, throw it away and hose/disinfect the ground. How many bales of horse bedding to people use? How much would you reccommend in 6x9ft?

 

In terms of coverings, I too would like to grow some climbing plants over one side a) to make it a bit prettier and b) a bit of protection for the girls. The location of the run will be in the corner of our garden our grass area is only about 9mx6m (with the garage and fence lining one long and one short side, so those sides will be protected), its just the front and side of the WIR i'd be worried about...

 

I cant wait to have our garden free of holes and poo so we can use it in the summer !

 

Also what size wire is best? 1" 19 gauge is included in price but the following are extra - 1" 16 gauge is £34 extra, 1/2" 19 gauge is £28 extra and 1" x 1/2" 19 gauge is £28 extra... No idea!

 

Xx

[MissPug+Chooks]

Hey Guys,

 

Does any one know about Mesh size as in my previous post?

 

And how much aubiose/shavings do people uses? Few inches worth?

 

thank you! x

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I suppose it comes down to how much extra you can afford on top of the basic price and how worried you are about foxes in your area. 16g is stronger than 19g. I have 19g with 1" holes which seems to work just fine but I don't have any foxes (or not yet anyway ).

 

There is quite a lot of discussion on weldmesh on the forum if you have the time to wade through them all .

 

A few inches of bedding is fine - the deeper it is, the more chance of it being kicked out of the run .

[Duncan08]

Just a quick note on the climbing plants.

I was looking at Jasmine or Passion Flower, have since found out that the Jasmine is bad for chucks.

 

Any plants grown in and around their quarters need to be checked out.

[MissPug+Chooks]

Ahh thanks for the heads up

 

Now deciding on whether to go with the black roof, or clear roof - dont want a green house effect in the summer but dont want them in darkness in winter as 2 side of the run will be sheltered by the fence and garage...any thoughts?

 

Stupidly i bought another funshade the other day as they are so cheap at the moment, so i should be ok in terms of protecting the sides as i now have the full lenth heavy duty shade, a purple funshade and a lilax funshade!

 

At least the run will be colourful!

[Plum]

My roof is clear but in the summer I hang a shade across the run and it keeps it cool. To begin with I used a groundsheet from Asda then made a cotton one. Makes it nice and cheerful

[MissPug+Chooks]

Whoop! Run is coming tomorrow hubby started ground work today (never thought it would end!) and the chooks were helping scratch the soil and old woodchip up! Wickes are delivering our sand and paving slabs tomorrow too!

 

So looking forward to it just need to decide what to put on ground! Want to use easi-bed/ aubiose but can't decide! Thoughts anyone?

 

Xx

[Ain't Nobody Here]

How exciting .

 

I've used Easibed for years and find it works brilliantly .

[Plum]

Try them all I do. I put it a couple of inches deep and change every 3 months. Using hemcore and ossichaff at the moment. I think my favourite has been medibed because you can't see the poo whereas with some it stands out.

[MissPug+Chooks]

How exciting .

 

I've used Easibed for years and find it works brilliantly .

 

how much do you put in? Thinks that what i am going to go with!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

My run is 2 x 2.5m and one bale fills it nicely. I only do this maybe 3 or 4 times a year (I poo pick daily so it stays fairly clean). I rake off a good amount of the old stuff first, which goes onto the compost or into bags for mulching.

[MissPug+Chooks]

I have some updated pics

 

Bless my poor fiance, he has worked tirelessly all weekend to get the pitch ready for the WIR! NOT helped by the intermittent weather we've had. You can see from these pics WHY we need a WIR, our garden in tiny, on clay and the chickens have wrecked the grass! I'm hoping once its built they dont need to be out as much and we are then planing on re-turfing the lot!

 

Please excuse the state of the garden; although if anyone have FR chooks in a garden our size I'm they look pretty similar!

 

Before:

 

 

It took about 3 hours to dig this up and try and level it! This is where the Eglu used to be on woodchip:

 

 

Chooks not impressed with being locked in :

 

 

Then the rain poured ( with mortar mix down ):

 

 

The last slab was laid with relief:

 

 

I am so chuffed already lol! This is my fiance's first attempt at paving and I reckon it looks good! Can't wait for the run to be put up - its huge will update with more pics as we go!

 

xx

[MissPug+Chooks]

 

Hubby working hard at dusk to get roof on!!

[Plum]

Lovely slabs Your run looks soo good they're going to love it. Well done OH

[MissPug+Chooks]

Awww thanks! Fiancé was very happy when I showed him your comment plum!

 

He has never done DIY and I think he's done a cracking job! Can't wait to move the girls in! Got my easybed waiting to go in now too! Will take a pic in the morning as its completed now

 

Great WIR very solid and v reasonably priced too!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

You can give him a from me too. That's pretty impressive for a novice DIYer .

[Plum]

Do your chooks every play with their toy hanging in the run?

[Sam]

That looks brilliant Bet theyll love it!