Warning! This may get waffly and detailed, cos it's helping me keep track!
Story so far:
Saw the light, stopped working for The Man, got very lucky and landed big garden, documented here!
Researched chickens, got dead excited, joined this forum, asked some questions here!
Today I've measured out the planned area for a run. I'm going to give it another week to see which, if any, of the cheap/free sheds, wooden boxes, coops I can get my hands on, if nothing turns up then I reckon we've got enough pallets, bits of dead shed etc offered to go completely DIY on it. (I say we, OH has more joinery ambition than me!
If we get a shed, we'll build the run out from one side of it, in a long rectangle. If we get something smaller or build our own it will free stand inside the run. Total area I'm looking at now is 2m(6'6") wide and up to 10m(32') long, depending on how much mesh we can buy. We could do the run half the length for now and extend later if we got more hens, but I'm more minded to get it all done now then we can get on with enjoying it. Could cut costs by doing the nifty arched pipe run from the coop pic thread but would rather have it walk in for ease of cleaning - and tall enough for OH not just little me!
On to the pics... first one is view from the "backdoor". Which is on side of the house, same as the front one, and the only one we really use! You can see the herb garden I built - what was a lawn there will be my veg patch all round, the bit to the left, which used to be a wide path of some sort will be for the chicken run! you can see the flags we've unearthed so far and the remains of a bonfire the builders had. I'm gonna leave the borders, more or less, to see what comes through and what shrubbery has survived.
Here's a direct view of what I'm already thinking of as the chickeny bit. Sun was behind me and the house so it's cut in half by shade. It does get a lot of sun in the mornings and late afternoon when the sun completes it's journey round the house.
Next, we turn the corner to our bit of the garden. By putting the chickeny bit in the middle, the gardeny bit will be more private and enclosed, and with a bit more chicken proofing on the fencing, where they will usually free range, unless the veggie bit is ready for them to weed and fertilise! Where the run finishes, we'll carry on with a fence and a gate up to the side of the house.
Turning left a bit more, more treasure dug up from the garden (pile of bricks!), and what will be a patio area. we've chucked a few flags down just so we didn't get muddy going next door for a brew, but we're going to flag this area out level with the gate. Parasol (end of season bargain last year!) will be moved out to edge of the patio area cos it pivots 360 degrees and I'm not a fan of too much sun!
Bonus picture of Derek heading out and now I'm off to make a brew!
Thats a smashing plot no wonder you jumped at the chance. OK a fair bit of work but it doesn't need doing all at once. Reallylooking forward to seeing the progress.
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end . Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
[center]HELPING THE LITTLE BROWN GIRLS OF THIS WORLD FIND FOREVER HOMES Humble chicken maid to a happy little flock Frankii Whippers leading the way with Dorey,Prila(aka Mrs Brown),Ann-a-Lou Greta, Delphine my adorable silkie,my twin girls Lana and Boudica (aka The Jedward Twins ) ,Augustine Eizabeth(aka Pippy), Rheima, Marnie and Fleur aka little miss chatterbox[/center]
Still loving and missing Skinnie Minnie and Queenie xx
Marlene you taught me how to live and laugh again xx
Isabella my darling top hen ,you stole my heart xx
Porscha my sweet little girl ,you left so suddenly xx
What a fantastic plot of land Really looking forward to seeing how it all the progresses
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
Wow! Great space - I'm really looking forward to seeing it develop.
Sara
"Harm no living thing"
Brilliant hubbie, 2 great teenagers, Sasha the elderly dog and Fin, the evil but loveable cat! 3 chickens; Dottie, Gaia, and Buttercup Night night Rhoda xx
Thanks all! Not a lot of progress this week owing to weather, however got quite a few offers of timber and sorted out a load of DVDs I don't want to sell to off set the cost of decent mesh!
I've just got back from football - load of rubbish, ah well - and hit up on a new ebay search "wooden playhouses" - 2 mins off getting one for a tenner! They're basically just small sheds!
Today we more or less cleared the area for the run by doing most of our patio. We also went shopping and bought layers mash, layers pellets, mixed corn.
I didn't see any diatom but I wish I'd a proper root round the shop for it - had a look on the internet and can find it at wildly varying prices but with massive P&P.
Not sold on DVDs yet but I scanned them all in to see what music magpie would give and they total over £50. Given that music magpie offer 29p for your average 1 disc DVD, I'm sure I can get £100 for them by going to somewhere local. £100 will get me all the mesh we need plus wood screws, bolts etc.
Also got some treats for the cats. dried anchovies. They're not keen, the swines. Oh in other news Clive (fraidy cat) actually came outside today!
Well done Clive Sounds like you're well on your way to being organised when are you hoping to get your girls? Hope the weather improves so you can get on with your plans
The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have Woody Allen
Wow, what a fab plot of land you have there Eclaire, plenty of room for lots of happy chookies
Bev x Our family: my-Lovely-Hubbly and I, Benny and our two little Ladies - Betty and Gloria. RIP dear little Ladies - Lottie, Cottie, Elsie, Dottie, Hilda and Margie. You may have gone, but are never ever forgotten.
I'm on the reserve list for any cancellations from fresh start for hens on 30th March and will find out this Thurs if I'm getting any. Otherwise, Lucky Hens Rescue in Wigan are having more re-homing days around the same time. They've got leghorn crosses as well as little brown ones!
Might get some from both but will wait to find out how many if any from FSFH first. Lucky Hen Rescue have free wood chip if we take a big bin bag on rehome day!
So far I have got:
-lots of timber -bits of things for interest in the run- small wooden ladder, tires, big wooden hoop, -layers mash -layers pellets -mixed corn -grit -a large plastic bin with lid -various ideas for feeder and waterer
I will be getting - A big bag of bedding a horsey friend is bringing me when we've built the coop. Wood chips and ACV from Lucky Hens Wire mesh from Hills of Devon Diatomaceous Earth Hens! Bolts and padlocks and screws and nails and stuff.
Brilliant news Claire will look forward to hearing about your ladies. My April has been free 1 yr on 31st it was the best thing iv done for a long time getting my batty girls Lindaxx
And then there was one, Again!!!! Jemima xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Little Angels Free For Ever Honey,Lizzi,Peggy-Mitchel,April,Hope,Faith,Blondie, Sorrel,Scarlet, Penny, Gabby, Rosie, Chick-a-Dee xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Remembering Our Beautiful Foster Boys we are so sorry that we couldn't keep you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
