And wifi for the chickens.dinosaw said:
Planning my enclosure/aviery
- Thread starter rick
- Start date
rick
Active member
Haven't got the slate on yet but have covered it in a tarpaulin and quickly attached the mesh to get the chickens in and tidy up the rest of the garden (which was looking like chaos.)
Made 2 mistakes:
1. Fitted a bolt on the outside.
2. Attached all the mesh and then realised I couldn't open the door.
... Chickens on the outside - 'Ha! Sorry, we don't understand bolts.'
Made 2 mistakes:
1. Fitted a bolt on the outside.
2. Attached all the mesh and then realised I couldn't open the door.
... Chickens on the outside - 'Ha! Sorry, we don't understand bolts.'
I bet Carol laughed like a drain, seeing you'd taken up residence!
rick
Active member
Yep! Never occurred to me to need a handle on both sides.
Will take a picture when the roof is finished. Have some time to go round the reclamation yards later next week.
Will take a picture when the roof is finished. Have some time to go round the reclamation yards later next week.
rick
Active member
That's just MAGNIFICENT! What a lovely job, even a bit wasted on the chickens, but they're very lucky birds. It looks very strongly made, as well as being most attractive. Well done, Rick!
rick
Active member
Thanks! After 3 long weekends I have now collapsed in a heap! Looking forward to more relaxed summer afternoons pottering about ( cutting back some of that ivy for one) 
rick
Active member
Ah! You noticed the perch! Thanks.
Does it have a sign saying 'Please keep off, girls!'rick said:
rick
Active member
Thanks Icemaiden. I haven't found any ridge tiles with the right (rather wide) angle that would also be in proportion. Also priced up lead but was going to be £130! Have joined a couple of wide planks for the moment.
chrismahon
Well-known member
Worth ringing around the scrap metal yards Rick. We had one near us in UK that kept the part rolls which were cashed in and sold them at a quarter of the retail cost (double the scrap cost). In plumber's and builder's merchants you can pick up guides explaining how the 'codes' perform- how different thicknesses stand the weathering. The failure of lead is due to fatigue cracking resulting from expansion and contraction and it can occur very quickly.
rick
Active member
Got the slates from Wolston ('something' demolition next to the national organic centre.) They're really good but had scrapped all the lead. I think it just a matter of keeping my eye open for something good when it comes along.
rick
Active member
Nesting box drama!
Against Marigold's advice I moved their old nesting box into the enclosure. It was half the old coop on stilts and just couldn't face trying to build the new arrangement at the same time.
Anyway, yesterday I completed what seemed to be a good row of boxes and took out their old one. What a drama!
First of all no-one was going to climb the slightly longer ladder to get up there. was really worried that I was going to have eggs all over the floor from then on and a fancy storage shelf. This morning everything went quiet. Suspiciously quiet.
All three were getting broody on the egg I had placed in the box and trying to all get in a small space at the same time.
Plan B. Now there are more distinct partitions between the boxes (one each even though they perfectly democratically shared one before) and a wider access across the front. The boxes are a little more snug so hopefully two won't try to get in at the same time.
They are now running and flying to the boxes like its going out of fashion. Brownie is making burbbleing noises in there even though she hasn't got an egg to sit on and the other two have been alarm calling solidly for the last 10 mins (that may be because I've been trying to distract them with grapes.) Anyway mission complete - three eggs laid this morning.
Too much excitement! Going to take the dog out and leave them to sort it out.
Against Marigold's advice I moved their old nesting box into the enclosure. It was half the old coop on stilts and just couldn't face trying to build the new arrangement at the same time.
Anyway, yesterday I completed what seemed to be a good row of boxes and took out their old one. What a drama!
First of all no-one was going to climb the slightly longer ladder to get up there. was really worried that I was going to have eggs all over the floor from then on and a fancy storage shelf. This morning everything went quiet. Suspiciously quiet.
All three were getting broody on the egg I had placed in the box and trying to all get in a small space at the same time.
Plan B. Now there are more distinct partitions between the boxes (one each even though they perfectly democratically shared one before) and a wider access across the front. The boxes are a little more snug so hopefully two won't try to get in at the same time.
They are now running and flying to the boxes like its going out of fashion. Brownie is making burbbleing noises in there even though she hasn't got an egg to sit on and the other two have been alarm calling solidly for the last 10 mins (that may be because I've been trying to distract them with grapes.) Anyway mission complete - three eggs laid this morning.
Too much excitement! Going to take the dog out and leave them to sort it out.
rick
Active member
Teabag is now making pitiful thin whistling noises. I'm beginning to suspect its just a ploy to get another grape.
rick said:
Poor neglected girl!
rick
Active member
I know! I didn't even peel them!
