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

[AndyRoo]

Finally got the thing built and in place, and hopefully from next weekend we'll have our little flock of 5 joining us!

 

They have their sand dirt-bath under the cube and when I had the trees from the garden removed the other day I salvaged a few bits of stump and a few thicker branches to make some (albeit fairly low down) bars to play on. At some point over the next week - maybe even tomorrow - I am planning to make them a chicken swing too!

 

I think if you click the images, they get bigger!

 

 

 

 

[mollyripkim]

Wow that is fantastic, lovely set up.

[Blackrocksrock]

Wow, its huge - well done it looks fantastic

[Alis girls]

Wow - des res. Love it Andy and I am sure your girlies will too.

[Willow]

Wow that looks great Andy. I've waited last few years for OH to build me a WIR, we even have the mesh

[mullethunter]

That's properly smart

[AndyRoo]

Wow that looks great Andy. I've waited last few years for OH to build me a WIR, we even have the mesh

 

Thank you!

 

You have the parts for the WIR? From Omlet? Honestly, it isn't too bad - I essentially did the run myself as my OH was busy. I suppose I have the advantage of being quite tall, I might have struggled if I were shorter!

 

Buy 300+ cable ties, and go for your life is my advice!

[AndyRoo]

I know the building it sits in front of is pretty ugly, but we're paying a company in the new year to rip off the fascia, change the windows and doors and replace the roof and then it will all look like a decent garage.

[Alis girls]

Don't think the hens will worry, so long as they have food, water and love the view won't bother them.

[Cat tails]

Looks awesome! Some lucky chickens you are going to have!

 

From a practical point: it looks like their is a sort of pergola above the run? Couldn't you cover the run with a few perspex plates, corregated plastic or something? Will probably last you longer than the clear covers.

[AndyRoo]

Looks awesome! Some lucky chickens you are going to have!

 

From a practical point: it looks like their is a sort of pergola above the run? Couldn't you cover the run with a few perspex plates, corregated plastic or something? Will probably last you longer than the clear covers.

 

I did contemplate that - but the pergola is being ripped down in spring along with the fascia of the building, so it seemed pretty pointless building a more 'permanent' structure.

 

Plus the tarps were actually pretty cheap, much cheaper than the official ones anyway.

[Luvachicken]

That really does look fab.

You must be really proud of yourself.

 

Looking forward to seeing the photos of the chickens next

[AndyRoo]

Well, depending on where and when we can get them, it may be as early as Wednesday.

 

We're specifically after some Legbar based hens for the blue/green eggs. There's two places locally: one that sells Cream Legbars, and one that sells a Legbar hybrid... so it's really going to depend on who has those in stock first. Plus the place that sells the pure breed Legbars closes for the season at Halloween, whereas the place that does the Hybrids continues to stock through the winter - albeit with limited capacity.

[chooksRCute]

Wow, things have been progressing fast in Bristol!

I bet you're feeling very pleased with the results - it'll look even better once those girls are in situ.....have you sorted your viewing seat yet?

[AndyRoo]

Wow, things have been progressing fast in Bristol!

I bet you're feeling very pleased with the results - it'll look even better once those girls are in situ.....have you sorted your viewing seat yet?

 

Haha, no viewing seat. This is all a temporary arrangement until all the garden work gets done next year, and then everything will be 'finalised' and plonked into place as a permanent fixture!

[Alis girls]

You could just have a deckchair and a cup or glass of something. Hen watching is addictive. However they watch you back so be warned. Five pairs of beady eyes watching your every move

[chooksRCute]

Despite the temporary arrangements Andy, you'll find yourself glued to the spot for many an hour...enjoy

[Willow]

No i don't have the parts from Omlet. I have a roll of suitable mesh that needs to be cut to size and attached to wooden frames to be turned into aviary panels and then assembled

[emmalou]

Looks awesome! Some lucky chickens you are going to have!

 

From a practical point: it looks like their is a sort of pergola above the run? Couldn't you cover the run with a few perspex plates, corregated plastic or something? Will probably last you longer than the clear covers.

 

I was going to mention this. We started off with secured tarpaulin and it lasted 6 weeks! Honestly any tarpaulin will tear in no time even with reinforced holes. We looked into plastic perspex covers but ended up buying a shed but the perspex will last much better, especially as you have a pergola over the top....ideal! They will be very lucky chooks.

[AndyRoo]

Thanks all.

 

We do have a garden bench which I could take down there and watch them from, I suppose. I just don't want it sinking into the muddy grass!

 

I made a few little changes today: I took the branches, and using some cable ties, secured them in a few corners of the run so that they now have a couple of perches to enjoy. And I moved the tree stumps next to each other so that they now have a little set of 'stairs' to hope up onto and off of!

 

The tarps are staying and the pergola is going. Definitely not going to build a more permanent structure around them - at least until the run rusts so much it can't be used anymore! When that day comes, we may well but a wooden run with PVC sheet roofing, but not before. Someone recommended a tarp place to us, which I've used - and by pure coincidence another friend in Bristol who also keeps hens uses the same place and had told us that her current set have lasted around 2 years... so even if I have to replace them just once a year, that's fine with me! £45 per year is okay by me!

[emmalou]

I know that my experience of tarp is not to be repeated and take peace of mind knowing I will not be going outside rescuing it in a storm or on a windy day with a huge shed now. Good luck! They flap like mad and the wind will get under it in no time. Our coop is sheltered and lasted 5 minutes. We also found that tarpaulin does not help keeping the coop dry with driving rain. That was something we didn't even think of until we had a few days of rain and there was a tiny tiny space that was dry enough for one bird from a piece of 4x4 metre tarpaulin.

[Cheeky Chooky]

Well done that man, it looks fabulous! OH said it looks brand new

 

Have fun getting your chooks

[Ursula123]

I've had my tarp for approx 2 years and paid £6 off of eBay, I lived one field off the estuary and it used to get very windy and lots of salt in the air from the sea. It still looks good with no rips or tears, so can't complain. Chickens are now in my in laws orchard and the wind definately blows there and no problems with it.

Set up looks good Andy, the girls will love it.

[chooksRCute]

I've got one big clear tarp over my omlet run well into its second year now. I've stretch some bungees over it to add security in the winds & it's worked so far. But yes I have to agree some rain will always get in but then you can only do so much unless you have them in a greenhouse!

[AndyRoo]

I'm considering that rain is basically inevitable. They are laid out so that each tarp overlaps the previous one by about a foot.

 

One of the fortunate things about the position they are going to be in is that they have protection on 2 sides of the run, and while they have the tarps for the roof, they are are also overshadowed by some large trees for a little extra protection. To help ensure they don't go far we have used both bungee cords and cable ties - at least right now it feels pretty secure.

 

Now I am just starting to stress about noise in case the chickens disturb the neighbours with noise and I have to get rid of them! Then I might go and lick a light switch after the effort I put in!