HELP aggressive chicken

[Mrs_B]

My family are kindly buying me a 21x6ft WIR from Cotswold Wood Company.

 

I have a couple of questions!

 

I'll be placing my Cottage Hen House from Flyte So Fancy outside as it won't fit in the run itself, and I am worried about it not being secure enough against a 'pop hole' made on one WIR panel. What do others do with their coops/eglus? I just can't imagine putting the house against the WIR is enough to stop mice, rats or even a fox? What do others do with any gaps?

 

The runs come standard 1 inch square weld mesh, with the option of making it smaller. Will the 1inch by 1inch be enough to not let mice/rats through? Or even a fox paw?

 

I placed the current wood house with its run on wooden sleepers which are a few inches in the ground to stop foxes and rats from digging through. I really liked this method, but think it may be very difficult to get a perfect level for the size of the WIR. So would weld mesh sheets placed on the ground (a skirt both sides) be sufficient? I have foxes and rats visiting the garden, so this is really important to get right. Also - the WIR will be placed on levelled soil (which was once the lawn!) and not on concrete.

 

Has anyone experience of Cotswold Wood Company, and if so, what are your thoughts?

 

This also means my girls get to be one flock again, and my lovely flighty girl gets a high perch to sit securely on (she LOVES sitting in trees if she has half the chance ) I was thinking that my eglu and run will act as an intro run, to place inside the WIR, does this sound OK or does it not offer any newbies enough protection/feeling safe?

 

Thanks everyone - I'll probably be back with more Qs!

 

x

[good_egg]

Congratulations! I have been looking at the same company for WIR, got a lot of positive comment on my post about Cotswold v flyte so fancy (somewhere in this bit of the forum not too long ago). Hopefully someone will answer questions, we are putting concrete down for base, but flyte so fancy do sleeper and wood chip kits if you did want that...

[LottyJ1]

One inch by one inch is OK for foxes but not for vermin - you would need a smaller hole to keep mice and rats out.

 

I have 19g weld mesh panels 1/2 inch by one inch and then the floor is covered by 19g 1/2 by 1/2 inch.

 

If i was starting again I would concrete or slab the floor as it would be easier to clean and ensure a fox defiantly can dig under.

 

No experience of putting a house up against the run or the company but i'm sure someone else will be along soon as many do.

 

You must be very excited planning this - it will be fab!

[libby22]

Hi

 

I had my run from the Cotswold Wood Company recently and it is brilliant - very sturdy. The only thing I would say is that I couldn't get through on the phone, realised I should leave a message and when I did, they rang back within 30 mins and said it was due to be delivered that day! I had only ordered 2 days before. They were good as gold with the delivery and brought it right into the back garden.

 

Myself and my other half put the run up and it took a good couple of hours but was pretty straightforward.

 

I put my own mesh flooring in, covered with soil and then sawdust and it has kept the mice out. I had the half inch mesh. I also added my own plastic roofing as well.

 

I have put a mesh skirt around the pen, and dug slabs down around it to stop any digging in.

 

Hope that assists

[mimi5]

Hi Mrs_B,

 

Not sure if it's the kind of set up your thinking of but if you look on the Flyte so Fancy web site they have a kind of mesh skirt (like omlet's system) for their wooden WIR. Might help you visualize what you need?? Or maybe just good for other ideas??

 

SO exciting!!! Enjoy.

[Mrs_B]

Thanks so much everyone - I really appreciate your advice!

 

Well, my mum and dad got in contact with someone who has done loads of work on the house and asked for him to do a quote for us to make and build a WIR (similar to the one we like from Cotswold Wood Company). He is a really fantastic guy and gets the chicken thing, so I am excited to see what he comes up with. He recommended drilling the coop to the WIR to stop anything pushing its way through into the WIR. Mum, dad and OH are doing the ground work, and the builder has let them know what to do with concrete blocks around the edges for the WIR to sit on as well as other advice.

 

Also, we're not going for a concrete base but doing the same thing we do now, which is doing Newland Poultry's 'mud-free' management which you can find here: http://www.newlandgrange.com/CHICKEN-RUN-MUD-MANAGEMENT(1720020).htm

 

good_egg - We went through so many different options and I have to say that the Costwold Wood Company looks fantastic, and great value for money too for what you're getting. I always go to Flyte So Fancy first because their products are wonderful, but if we don't go with the builder we're definitely going with CWC! I did the sleepers and woodchip on the wooden coop and run and it's been amazing keeping bits in and rodents and foxes out. Are you going to get a WIR soon? Or are you waiting for permission? Exciting!

 

LottyJ1 - Thank you! I think I have made up my mind and going with what you suggested, at least 1/2 inch size and 19 gauge weld mesh. I have mice coming into my potting shed where I keep my chicken stuff and I am going to put weld mesh down in there too. I am seriously excited - I can't imagine it done and think it'll sink in when everything's here!

 

Libby22 - Hi, Libby! I appreciate your feedback on CWC, and really pleases me to know you were happy with them. It sounds like you currently have what I will end up doing with concrete around the edges and weld mesh. Thank you for posting

 

Mimi - I have got some of those sheets before for the Eglu Go house because of naughty rodents and they worked well. I'll be keeping you all updated, don't worry lol

 

Exciting!!

 

x