Building a safe run for the winter.

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AmandaH

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #15 on: August 28, 2009, 08:01 »
Wow tode, that is one impressive-looking run!  My girls ask "Can we come on holiday to you, please?"

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Aunt Sally

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #16 on: August 28, 2009, 08:08 »
That is a fabulous run tode but I do feel I should mention that chicken (hex) wire is not fox (or dog) proof, they can chew through it.  The bottom 3 ft should be weldmesh of not less than 16 gague.

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joyfull

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #17 on: August 28, 2009, 08:15 »
Please could I just point out that with weldmesh the lower the number the thicker the wire is ie 16 gauge is 0.064 inch or 1.626 mm, 8 gauge is 0.160 inch or 4.09 mm. Please use as low a number that you possibly can (it will often say the number followed by SWG -standard wire gauge), but keep the holes to a minimum of 1/2 inch by 1 inch.  :)
Staffies are softer than you think.

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Beano

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #18 on: August 28, 2009, 08:49 »
I have three different types of laurel in the garden and the chickens have had access to them daily. Should I be worried? Maybe it's different when they have a choice of shrubs. I wont be planting laurel in the run now. javascript:replaceText(' :ohmy:', document.forms.postmodify.message);
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Was thinking of putting stronger wire on the bottom 3' of the run just in case something takes a fancy to them.
El.

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joyfull

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #19 on: August 28, 2009, 09:07 »
My hens free range and around my garden there are about 50 laurel bushes. My chickens scratch and dust bathe underneath them and the black birds eat the berries (under no circumstances should humans eat these). I think it is the leaves that give off cyanide when burnt .

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Beano

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #20 on: August 28, 2009, 09:22 »
Thank goodness for that because our three have spent quite a lot of time underneath our largest laurel and have a very discreet dust-bath under it. They have other dust-baths dotted all over the garden but spend a lot of time under the laurel.
Does this mean that it will be safe to plant one in a new run, provided there are other plants for them?

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tode

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #21 on: August 28, 2009, 10:47 »
Amanda: send photo of girls in a plain brown envelope, and I'll tell you if they can come  ::) ::)
The advantage with it is that it doesnt rot, like wood, and is pretty strong. We had a big willow branch fall on it, which bent one tube a bit, but just straightened it out again.

Auntie: whats this weldmesh thingy? Over here we have stiffish panels of of square mesh, but very thick wire (almost thin rods). Its used as pig fencing.
Over the years we've seen where beasties have tried to get in (mesh pulled and deformed) but so far it's resisted.
We didn't want to make a run that was too obtrusive:  wanted it to be as transparent as possible.

Thanks for compliment. We do try, yes we do try.

Beano: I wouln't worry about stuff in garden. Just been to have another look at the RHS list of poisonous plants, and we've got just about all of em !!  If it was really a prob, they'd all be dead, and us with them.  ::)

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Beano

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #22 on: August 28, 2009, 11:06 »
Phew!!

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Roughlee Handled

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Re: Building a safe run for the winter.
« Reply #23 on: August 28, 2009, 12:08 »
I am a great believe of electric fencing and a couple of strands of wire around the top and middle of the run will put off those foxes that can climb and they are out there. If they cant jump they will climb.
Oh i and a Terrier that can climb and get out of a 8ft high chain link fence enclosure!!
Stuart


Dont worry I am just paranoid duckie.

If I get the wrong end of the stick its because I have speed read. Honest.

Blar blar blar blar snorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre.



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