Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[nin-chicken]

Hello knowledgable chicken lovers, I hope you can help me... I'm planning on getting a pre- loved cube and attaching it to the outside of a wooden walk-in run. I had my heart set on one from aviaries 4 u but I am outside if their delivery area! I am now looking for a supplier closer to me in the south west. I have found someone who makes runs which will attach onto a cube but I'm not sure if the mesh she uses is strong enough as urban foxes are prolific here. She uses 19g 25mm galvanised wire which she says is very strong but I'm sure other people have mentioned weldmesh. I would really appreciate your advice or maybe a suggestion for another supplier similar to a4u.

I really want my girls to be safe.

Many many thanks

[good_egg]

Can't remember on weldmesh - think that's ok but if you search it has been mentioned on here before... Cotswold wood company made my WIR and its fab. They delivered up here so will deliver to you.

[nin-chicken]

Thank you for your quick reply! Do the Cotswold wood company do a walk in run which attaches onto a cube?

[good_egg]

They are similar to aviaries 4 u... My cube is in the WIR but I think they can put on the outside.... Look on website and Mark is helpful and let us customise ours completely!

[good_egg]

Just had a look - there's a pic under the broadway pictures with a cube on the outside....

[Mrs_B]

I also had a Cotswold Wood Company walk-in-run and I adore it - it's very well built, great weldmesh and the people who run the company are very friendly. The guy who delivered and built it for us on site attached my wooden coop; from my understanding, they attach many different coops to their WIR - it all depends what the customer owns

 

x

[nin-chicken]

Thank you so much ladies. I would certainly feel safer getting one from a company which has been so highly recommended. I am now wondering if it'd be better to put the cube on the inside rather than the outside... What are the pros and cons I wonder... Also for 4 chickens would 9 feet be long enough or should I go for 12? They will be in the run most of the time because of all the foxes.

Thank you again!

[good_egg]

I went for cube in as it fitted the area better... I have a 9x9 run for 4 large ladies which is fine, but would go for as big as you reasonably can!! I miss being able to check for eggs without running risk of poop on feet... Otherwise I prefer in as I used to worry whether I'd put trays back in properly etc... The girls love being under the cube as well - it is where we have a dustbath, plus i was worried about security if it didn't have the run under and didn't think the run would look right randomly outside WIR..... We have bolted in the door panel instead of screwing so we can easily get cube out if we ever need to but intend to power wash every time we change the woodchip, at which point we will also power wash the slabs... Think it comes down to preference and space - what would work best with the area you have and maximise run space. Also what would suit your routine in terms of checking on them and cleaning out. Plus would it make a difference to them

V exciting!!!