thinking of changing my set up

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karminski

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i am now really thinking about changing my run and making it into smaller runs so that i can protect the girls better against the weather seeing that our summers aint all the great ethier now they seem to get less and less each year but i am wandering how much room the big girls would need { 10 adults } if i was to do this thier section of the run at the mo must be about 22ft by 22ft roughly but thats to big an area to put a solid roof on so what size would be suitable .
part of me wants to leave things as they are but seeing that the weather is changing more and more each year i want to make things more comfortable for them by inclosing them in just that bit more , i have made tarpaulin cover shelters before but the poor litle bantams on the other side got the soaking when i had to shake the water of the top even though it was angled it still got puddles but the only other place i could make this is the front entrance of the run which then the rain water would go out of the run onto the main path but thats also the end of the run which is lowest and is currently a mini swimmming pool .
 
We don't cover the whole area Karminski. I have built some shelters that are big enough for all the hens to go under when it is raining. One has food under it, the other water. They are a pitch roof and quite low to stop rain driving too far under. The roof sections fold onto the frame and are clad in plastic. I have plans and can take photos if you want. So far they haven't blown over because they are big and low enough, I hope! It also provides a dry 'dust bath' area, which is a bit of a pain with the drinker alongside. 12 hens use two shelters and you could easily add perches across underneath. I didn't do that in case they decided to sleep out there.
 
Hi Karminski, have a look at these chicken shelters by solway, might give you some ideas for a self-build out of scrap materials. http://www.solwayrecycling.co.uk/farmers-and-smallholders/hen-shelters
If the idea is just to give shelter from wind and rain, they don't actually need to be very high off the ground, in fact the last day or two my girls have been hanging out underneath their coop which is only about 1 ft off the ground, rather than in the covered end of the run. You could make them moveable for cleaning and it would be easier than roofing a large run.
 
thanks for the link i like those but a bit to pricey :lol: , any pics for ideas are more then welcome when you have time .the one i did build was ideal and dry it was just the puddles of water that formed on top of the tarpaulin that got annoying but i suppose that was my fault as i only angled it all one way think i just need as many ideas as poss to work out what will be better for me to build but at the mo i aint doing nothing its just not worth it and although my house is also about one foot of the ground i do want to make things more comfy for the girls as i know they dont like the rain and mud thats why i was thinking of making smaller runs within the whole run and having all the birds spilt of into groups but at least i can keep them in a dryer area .my local bird centre sell runs with houses built with solid half way up with thick ply then wire around 3 sides but complete with a polycarbonate roof but the inside as two floors with the house built onto the second floor they really are pretty nice and ideal for bantams i think they are priced ata bout £300 and i would really like one for the little girls and maybe in time they can get one unless i could make one for half the price .
 
found this as well am wandering if i can make similar with pvc uv protected corrugated http://www.animalarks.co.uk/animalarks.php?id=71 your link gave me the idea marigold thats when i found this :D
 
This looks similar to what I've got but mine's triangular (with the top point chopped off) and is also home made. We attach a corragated plastic roof and side to it to shelter the girls in the bad weather. The plastic was pretty cheap from B&Q and I'm sure the wood wouldn't cost too much.
 
we get our wood for free so thats not a probelm but i am going to make one for the little bantams next wekend as long as its dry , i made a lean to shelter for them out of 2 pvc sheets from homebase but i can take those down and just turn them into a dome shape i have wood thats 4' by 3' planks i think so thats heavy enough for it never to get blown away :D would you have pics of your b/b that i could see to give me more ideas .
also i went out and had a look at what areas are the most wettest now the sun is finally out to see where i could do things and was thinking that when i make the house from 8'4 into a 4'4 which is plenty for 10 birds i can still leave one side almost complete as thier all weather shelter all i need to do is remove the base and make that into a side which will make it into the 4'4 shouldnt be that much hard work to do that :-)05
 
hi all you might consider leaving things as they are and instead make them a scratching shelter made by making a wooden frame approx 1 metre wide x 2 metres long and 750 cm high one sheet of onduline or corregated tin for a top place in run add straw and a scratch feed and bobs your uncle .and they do work as most pheasant shoots use them.uncle fox
 
i could do that with one side of the house when i make into a 4'4 as i wont be touching the roof anyway , i only need to saw the base down the centre and make that into a side which is easy as it will all be the same size when its cut i just need to make the support beams for it to be screwed onto but i cant do anything now until it dries again as we have just had 8 hours of solid monsoon rain and its still coming down it even woke me during the night it was that heavy :( actully thinking of it i mite make it to 2 floors so feed can go up high and then they can have the ground level as a bathing area thanks charlie :-)17
 
Hi Karminski. Was out with the camera earlier and you said you would like some ideas for shelters. These frames are made from Canadian Cedar I think, 35 x65, with radiused corners, plus offcuts of ply and the cover is two frames of treated laths covered in one piece of scaffolding cladding. There is another in each run with a black roof for complete sun shade -it's hot in France.

DSCN0383-resized.jpg

I've added hooks under the centre beam to hang the feeders at night to keep the rats away from them.

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Knowing how you keep changing your run division these might be useful. We use these linking panels for temporary fencing or a temporary run, usually to keep the cockerels at least a metre apart. That's Frankie our Gold Laced Wyandotte in the run behind.

DSCN0388-resized.jpg

Unfortunately they are not stable in a straight line and need fairly level ground, but very useful nevertheless.

DSCN0389-resized.jpg
 
thanks for the pics chris :D , its the weather thats making me want to change things as its not very nice at the mo . i measured the run yesterday and its 33ft by 25ft which would give me 4 eqaul sqaures of 16 by 12ft it would not be that hard work to do its just the cost of doing it and i wont really have the money tell after the 10th of july which is when i am debt free and will have money to play with if i decide to do this , but if i did do the run into these size squares then i would be able to tarpaulin each square so they are then 90% dry its something that i need to get down on paper and really work it out before i decide anything .
 
finally found something i have been looking for for ages they are costly but look good ideal if your runs are that small though http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LUCKY-CHICKEN-RUN-WATERPROOF-COVER-777-/280877450225?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&var=&hash=item8710672f36
found this as well http://www.tarpaflex.co.uk/acatalog/super-white-tarpaulins.html
 
£105 for a 10 ft square cover and frame seems reasonable Karminski, but too rich for me. The tarpaulins are incredibly cheap though and I've added the link to my favourites.
 
i am going to go though the site tomorrow evening and then look at picking your idea for a shelter , i can do a smaller version for the bantams and then a large version for the big girls in the corner they already use as a dustbath we have plenty of old guttering laying around which i can add to the bottom of the tarpaulin to catch any water which can then be tilted so it goes out the run :D .you watch i do this and the weather will change for the better although this pants weather is meant to be in for the next 3 -4 weeks :( .
that is a good price but i dont know if i would feel happy with them being in such a small area :-)05 although maybe it doesnt matter as such as in time i only want to end up with little bantams only .
 
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