What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Miss Millies Chicken]

I'm putting together my wish list for the walk in run that OH and a friend will build for me They hope to start once it stops raining and the ground dries up. So if it doesn't stop raining soon it could be months yet

 

I have room for 6' x 9' run and its going to have a solid roof. I have decided on weld mesh but dont know what size hole to go for. Options are 1" x 1", 1" x 1/2" or 1/2" x 1/2". Has anyone any thoughts on which would be the best size. The 1/2 x 1/2 sounds a bit small.

 

The plan is to site it on top of concrete footings. OH thinks this will be easier than trying to level up pavings slabs as the ground slopes. The run itself will be on earth. What depth footings do you think it will need to prevent foxes digging underneath and getting into the run.

 

The plan is to attach the cube and classic on the outside of the run.

[jennie186]

Hi.

I am building a WIR at present, although work has been very slow because of the weather!

I have mesh ready to go on this weekend (fingers crossed)

I went for the 1 inch x 1 inch in 1.6mm thickness. I got square as I thought it would be easier to put up either way - horizontal or vertical!

Like you I though half inch may be too small. I got it from Hills of Devon. Price was good and delivered next day included in price. I did phone them to order to check I was buying the right mesh. They recommended the 1.6mm thickness wire for fox prevention.

I have 2 buff orps, but am hoping once they are in their new home I could get another chicken. I think 3 is a better number.

[jennie186]

Also-

We are going to mesh down and skirt out (like the classic run) and then back fill with earth. I am also going to mesh underneath the run and top with membrane and a thick later of sharp sand and aubiose mixed 1:3.

 

So even if the fox does tunnel past the skirt he still wont be able to come up inside the WIR. That's my plan any way.

 

We have put the roof on already. I chose coroline which is bitumen corrugated. Looks really nice but is a bit smelly when new. They do different colours - I got green. From B & Q. I know some people worry about light with a solid roof but as my WIR is quite tall it seems fine. Best to avoid felt roof though as red mites can live between wood and felt apparently!

 

Hope that helps.

[UKMARCH]

Hi we have a similar set up with cube and classic on the outside I have 1cm square and think its fine and will keep mice/rats out we haven't had any foxes so have no experience of them but have now paved around the outside anyway so this would stop any digging. I imagine foxes could dig quite deep so the footings or weldmesh would need to go down quite deep or weldmesh could go under the soil base but would need to be quite deep also as its amazing what the chickens do dig up! Our roof is meshed with clear corrugated plastic from Wickes on some foam supports its done well as has been up for at least 4 years and with all this wind has stayed in place and is near a neighbours beech tree so has nuts falling on it regularly I have been worried as someone had problems when acorns were damaging theirs.

[Miss Millies Chicken]

Thanks for your replies.

 

I will most likely use roofing sheets similar to coroline and will check out Hills web site for the weldmesh.

 

Ukmarch did you attach the classic & cube directly to the walk in run. My plan is to attach them by there runs.This would give me the flexibility to segregate hens if need be.

 

Still not sure whatt to about foxes digging underneath. Might think about having a single strand of wire running around the WIR at low level which can be electrified. Which would act as a deterent similar to electric netting

[UKMARCH]

We have attached them directly but have a stable door between the two halves so can use as one run or separate into two as and when the needs change. They are on tables and the eglu table is meshed at the bottom too to create a bit more space under and this is separated by a small door so we have another area if we need to separate one for any reason. We kept changing bits and pieces for the first couple of years but I'm happy with it at the moment so hopefully will keep it as it is although I've been hankering for some Australorps for some time but can't seem to find any!