Finally finished ones hen run

melons · Post by **melons** » 16 Sep 2007, 16:52

Sheesh, we're shattered, we've just spent 3 days; staining, up-rooting, leveling the ground with sand, patio-ing the bottom, roofing & generally faffing about with the new all important chicken area, I wanted it turned round the other way in the garden, they've got a sand pit / dust bath area, a bark chipping area, a dry outside run & bedroom place.
I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with it, as are the girls :-D

I have to confess to pinching ideas from the Willow & Wendy households :oops:

I love what you both have, so................. I brought the chicken run from a guy off e-bay... what a star he was

, it cost Â£200, I couldn't make a fox proof & weather proof one for less than Â£150, so thought let someone else have the hassle.

Post by **Richard** » 16 Sep 2007, 17:03

(re-sized for you)

Great run Melons - proud owners indeed!!

Post by **wendy** » 16 Sep 2007, 17:08

Woooo... A veritable little palace. I am sure they will be very happy in their new home.
Good Job
Wendy

b_cos_1_can · Post by **b_cos_1_can** » 16 Sep 2007, 17:19

wow its like a palace for them!!

do you still have his details incase anyone else wants to copy your idea?? :wink:

tis very nice indeed! i think all that hard work has been well worth it! good on ya mel!

melons · Post by **melons** » 16 Sep 2007, 17:44

Thank you Richard, my pic's keep turning up huge, I think it's my camera setting. :oops:

This is another thing on his e-bay page

CLICK HERE

or this is his e-mail, which is how I contacted him, he is a real sweetie, & made it for 1/2 the cost of others who had quoted me, Â£400 from another hen run supplier :shock:

elliejackevans@yahoo.co.uk

The price was for it to be delivered & built, that was from Telfrod to Cambridgeshire. I know I'm lazy, but if my girls had been eaten by a fox if I'd made it, well now I can't have that blame on myself :-D

I can't stop loooking at it, it's like playing houses :-D

b_cos_1_can · Post by **b_cos_1_can** » 16 Sep 2007, 17:51

mel,
what size mesh is it because the ones on that auction site have big mesh?

Post by **Richard** » 16 Sep 2007, 19:41

I could live in some of those!!

melons · Post by **melons** » 16 Sep 2007, 20:01

The mesh is Aviary mesh, about 2 cm width ways & 1 cm deep, he asked me what size I wanted, the bigger stuff on the e-bay site is generally for dog pens & stuff.....I think, it isn't what I have.
Mark is a one man band, so I waited for him to get hold of the mesh I asked for, he is a dead genuine guy, he called me every day with an up-date on it's progress, it went pear shaped a couple of times with his mesh delivery, but for one which was sooo much cheaper than every where else, I waited & stuck with my order, I think the whole thing from ordering to delivery took about a week.

There's a part of my brain which would like to have seen my effort which I costed up to make. :oops:

AnnaB · Post by **AnnaB** » 16 Sep 2007, 20:39

melons
That is a very good price - if you look at the one OH made it was getting on for Â£700 for all the bits and pieces. It is lovely to be able to walk into them and not have to crawl on your knees!

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 17 Sep 2007, 08:16

That really is a lovely run.. All you need to do now is fashion some perches for the ladies and some higher platforms with ladders - they love them and will surprise you with the height they like to perch at.. :mrgreen: )t'

That is a good price, what are the dimensions?

melons · Post by **melons** » 17 Sep 2007, 08:20

As much as I've hated this years wet wet summer, it has given us several trial runs in getting their area as I want it, all I now have to do is get some perspex for one end of their outside roof & we're in business, they hate the rain & one in particular is frightened of the wind, then we're finished :-D

Thank you every one for your kind comments.

melons · Post by **melons** » 17 Sep 2007, 08:27

ooo willow, how did you do your ladders etc, that is another thing I think they'd like :-D

I'll carry on tweeking it to give them some variety.
The measurement are 16' long x 8' wide by 5 + 1/2 ' high, as I'm only a shortie, & I didn't want it sticking up above the hedge line to catch the prevailing wind direction.

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 17 Sep 2007, 08:59

Hi Mel.... I made the ladders with odd bits of 2" x 2" just screwed together, the platforms and roosts / perches are made with anything I had around.. One is a plank!

I used the uprights and cross pieces of the run to fix them to and made legs out of 2" x 2" to give stability.. a bit of 2" x 2" fixed between the legs makes another perch and stabilises the legs.. I also used some old logs, they love to sit around on them..
If your run is not going to be moved, then you could sink some upright posts into the ground and secure a variety of perches etc to them...

It seems a shame to have such a lovely big area and not let the girls benefit from the height at all, just think of the hero worship in their eyes when you turn the run into a 'jungle jim...'
)t'

melons · Post by **melons** » 17 Sep 2007, 10:26

thank you so much, I've got lots of old wood around, we sadly lost x2 apple trees & still have the trunks of those, they were already going to get those, I had just run out of time to put them in. I'll do some shelves & bits for them, & once again pinch your ideas if that's ok, the run is roofed over so giving them extra height wont be an issue.
The run area wont be moved, I wanted it on patio slabs to prevent anything from digging under it, they still get to go out in the garden for grass etc. The whole thing can be dismantled if we ever need to, it is only in x6 8' panels.
It has kept our brains exercised recently, it has been really nice to do, my OH has been an absolute treasure with this & has also worked his back side off to get it nice :-D

If I get bored I'm a nuisance, so this keeps me out of the way :razz:

Thanks everyone

Post by Mo » 18 Sep 2007, 16:47

Well, I was just thinking "they won't jump out of that", then someone suggests providing them with ladders!
You might need to net the top then. One of mine certainly jumps 4'.

What a palace though.