Part 0800.0005

[ChickenPoopGarden]

So eventually, by putting out a plea to other chicken owners on facebook, we discovered that there was a man not too far from us who supplied second hand, reconditioned HERAS fencing (security fencing).

We have bought four panels and a gate for a princely sum of £15 a panel and £45 for the gate. Not bad! Although I had to pay another £45 for the delivery because the small problem with security fencing panels is that they are so huge they only fir on builder's lorries! ah well. £150 all-in is not too bad for a run which will be slightly larger than 12.25m squared. I have about a million concrete slabs laying around the garden which we can build a floor with and some chicken wire to put around the bottom part and make an anti-dig skirt with. just need to see if there's enough wire for a roof or if we can sort out some corrugated stuff and it'll be just the job.

What do people cover the floors of their WIR's with? Bark chippings? shavings?

Any other WIR related advice?

[mullethunter]

Not bark as it absorbs too much water and can contain mould spores. Most people use hard wood chips, horse bedding (such as aubiose) or sand. Good luck

[ChickenPoopGarden]

excellent, I can get all that from countrywide. Perhaps the wood chips would be more fun to scratch about in? i will have to update with photos when I have it all set up. Eep! excited!

[ChickenPoopGarden]

Well, the run is now set up, and fully fox proofed (I Hope...) so the girls are really enjoying the extra space. They can go under the coop, dig about in all the pine needles for bugs and generally enjoy a bit more freedom.

I am REALLY pleased with the fence panels. Obviously we had to put chicken wire around them to stop the chickens poking their heads through and to make a skirt to prevent digging, but all in all they are so strong and quick to put up that I can't fault them.

We now have chicken wire around the whole thing AND over the top, a big concrete slab in front of the door and a few big rocks on the mesh at intervals to stop it from lifting.

Any other tips?

We haven't seen any sign of a fox, and we don't let them free range unsupervised.

[Blackrocksrock]

Sounds ideal but I thought chicken wire was not fox proof as a dig under skirt I may be very

wrong there.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sounds like a great setup . Any chance of some photos ?

 

I tend to agree with Blackrocksrock though and make sure there isn't space for a fox to grab at a chicken through the gaps in the fencing, I'm pretty sure chicken wire can be bitten through by foxes.

[ChickenPoopGarden]

Ugh... Just when you think you are winning...

I'm pretty sure a rat has found our super-cool set up as there is a little tunnel all the way under the dig-proof skirt (yes, I know).

Since I am pretty sure the only rat proof run would be a disused nuclear bunker (which we don't have) I have admitted defeat and will now just have to remove all food and water for night times. There's also a container with some poison under the decking.

So annoying! Especially as I'm sure the rat comes in the day, too. How do I keep him out of the girls' dinner?

[mullethunter]

Not sure you can whilst he's still on the scene - unless your whole set up is on a concrete / slab base

[ChickenPoopGarden]

I feared as much. Saw someone build a run in an old, concrete, coldframe base. I was intensely jealous.