Hello everyone.
Firstly thanks for all the help I received on here - I've just about finished my run and will provisionally collect my (or our I should say) first chickens on Wednesday. I think they will be all bantams - up to 5 - with one or two being silkies, one auracana I hope and am just waiting to hear what the breeder has in stock.
I feel I've forgotten something - I have, or will have by Wednesday:
Treadle Feeder
Water Feeder
Layers Pellets (where do people buy theirs online? am in London so not a lot of local farm shops here)
Grit
Oyster shell
Aubiose for the coop
I have no worming flubenvet etc yet, was thinking of getting some that is in the feed.
The run will be covered but for now am planning on leaving the ground as it is (it has some grass etc) - I assume I will need some ground sanitiser.
My coop is a plastic one from Solway, do people use diatomaceous earth on plastic coops generally?
The run will be 3.6m by 6m so just 21sq metres, which should give the hens 4 to 5 sq metres each. Realistically they will be in the run full-time as they will be at the allotment, though I am trying to work out how to let them out when I am there, and how to get them back (I guess using the corn tick once they are used to it).
The run has established 3 plum trees we seriously pollarded but have survived to am hoping the new branches will become perches and will also provide shade in due course. There is some ivy which I am trying to eradicate before they arrive.
I've put a skirt on the outside of the run (not in the photos below).
Photo of the run during construction (very painful for a non diy person such as myself!)