Tinman 0 Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Just spent a couple of days knocking up my chicken run! I thought I would upload the images to see what you guys think? Just about finished but I need to put some pond netting over the top. Tinman [/img] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrycatcat 31 Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 That looks just the job, well a very good job it puts mine to shame Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrycatcat 31 Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 I just fetched mine yesterday, 3 brown hens and a fkin big cockerel. They are a bit scatty yet so I am giving them a day or so to adjust. You need the netting on the top becuese when I fetched mine they went up like rockets when released. It also stops other birds eating the food. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest buster321c Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Nice mate , whats the dog ?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tinman 0 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Thats my lurcher Seth, he's a collie Greyhound/Bull Greyhound. He's 14months olds. Looking to get my netting in the next couple of days, hens on friday all being well. This section of THL is brilliant. Picking up loads of tips as I have never kept chickens before. Tinman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest buster321c Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Well good luck with the clucks mate , and the dog looks a cracker from what i can see of him , might pop over one day for some eggs if your only in Rudgley , was over there a couple of weeks back , we ( my lad and his mates ) played you rugby , behind a church . ATB Buster Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dawn B 212 Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Thats excellent, well done! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Countryboyo Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 nice one lad how many hens you putting in? looks like you have plenty room if you want to extend in the future. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest smelly nelly Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Looks brilliant! Good to see you have buried it also, how deep you gone? Good welded mesh used also, must have cost a bit. A job well done i would say, built to last. Some interesting closeups of the corner? Foxs could still get in over the top if they really wanted, prob rats too. I know your putting up netting, would it be strong enough? An overhang can be enough to put them off. But well done. Im impressed. Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest smelly nelly Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Good looking coop also. Did you build that? How many hens you keeping? Once the grass has been eaten up, if theres enough hens, have you though of using a deep litter system? To keep parasites down? I take it your not planning to move it? Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest smelly nelly Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Sorry me again, You want to watch out for humans also. It quite common for people to steal them. A lock on the gate and a motion sensor light wouldnt go amiss.IMO. Cheers again Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tinman 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hi Neil I haven't a clue what a " deep litter system " is! Can you explain please? I went down a shovel and a half then placed hardcore in the trench, then filled in to hopefully stop fox's digging in. I plan on using good quality pond netting which will be cable tied into place, I also have hooks on the posts. I might do an overhang yet! I didn't make the coop, I paid £70 for it, Its very well made. Holds up to 8 birds which is the amount I plan on having, I made the run bigger than intended just in case I decide I might need more. I have never kept chickens before so all advice is more than welcome. Cheers Tinman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the_stig 6,614 Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 looks a grand job, nice setting you have , i`d fit a middle rail in between the posts if it was mine just to take the slack out the wire .. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest smelly nelly Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hi Neil I haven't a clue what a " deep litter system " is! Can you explain please? I went down a shovel and a half then placed hardcore in the trench, then filled in to hopefully stop fox's digging in. I plan on using good quality pond netting which will be cable tied into place, I also have hooks on the posts. I might do an overhang yet! I didn't make the coop, I paid £70 for it, Its very well made. Holds up to 8 birds which is the amount I plan on having, I made the run bigger than intended just in case I decide I might need more. I have never kept chickens before so all advice is more than welcome. Cheers Tinman Hi Tinman, I am very impressed with your handywork, Well done. £70 for the coop is a very good price, I built mine and spent near on to that on materials. But i obviously deigned to my needs. The most usefull thing i added i would say is a slide out floor, make cleaning out sooo much easier. I am really pleased how it turned out a well, didnt know i was capable of it. The deep litter system is usually used in huge barns on a more intensive system (not as much as battery) and this is where you get 'barn eggs' but you can adapt to a smaller outdoor system. What you will find is after a while (how long depends on breed) your hens will probably scratch every living thing growing in there and turn it in to bare earth, when it rains you will have a mud bath on your hands, your hens will be filthy and unhappy and it can cake on to there claws in to a solid lump, the only way to remove is to soak in warm water. You will also 'poison' the soil and have a high build up of parasite (you will need to keep up a good worming routine what ever system you use if kept on the same ground, 'flubenvent' is a good wormer). If you keep a very generous layer of straw (6"ish) or something similar on the floor of the run to keep the birds off the bare earth and soak up waste it will help to stop it turning in to a mud bath, your hens will be very happy for it also as it allowes them to scratch about to there hearts content, which is what they do naturaly, this will stop bullying, pecking, feather plucking and boredom in general. Try to avoid bare patches as this is where they will get caked with mud. You can keep topping up the straw when needed until it reaches the point where you need to clean out. Cant say how often as this depends on what hens you have what number, what area, weather etc. but once every 6-12 mths maybe? When you clear it out you will have a HUGE pile of the best garden compost you can possibly get, it will be half rotted and wont take long to finish off. If you dont want it any half descent gardeners will be fighting each other to get there hands on it. Then put a sprinkle of lime on the bare earth to neutralize the soil and deter parasites. Then start again! I dont want to find you more work to do but i would personaly, if i had the means put a roof over the run, no walls, just to keep the litter dryer as it will last a lot longer. Any feeders and drinkers i would hang babove the litter to prevent from contamination. Oh and you want a dust bath somewhere, with protection from the rain. sand soil or something similar, your birds will bathe in it and this keeps external parasites down. Maybe a couple of perches in the run, just for interest, say 2.5-3inch wide depending on size if hens (smaller for bantams) flat with rounded edges. Hight depend on breed again, not too high if heavy breeds as this can cause 'bumble foot'. Or if you can be arsed and have the time, resources, cash and space you could build another run like the first. Have one resting and growing while the other is in use. This are thing you can do in an ideal world, and you can use bit of these or not. I would wait maybe and see what damage they do, atleast i hope i have given you a few ideas. Hens have for years survived quite well on less ideal conditions. I think you have done bloody brilliantly with what you have done so far, you obviously are going to take good care of your birds. So take what you like from what i have said and feel free to ask again. Katie thear is a good author if your looking for books, she does allsorts of animals/livestock elf-sufficency etc books. But i like how her books are set out, pictures diagrams etc. But i am no expert on chicken book. Hope this helps a bit, Keep up the good work Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tinman 0 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Neil, Thanks ever so much to taking the time out to write your post, Its brilliant advice and I plan on using it! Cheers Tinman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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