Hi Pixie
When I was putting the four trellis "walls" together, I left a gap in one corner for a door. I (Okay then, my OH
) then made a door by screwing four pieces of wood together, nailing a diagonal piece across them for rigidity and then stapling chicken wire over the outside - I had some left over wood from building the run and plenty of chicken wire. 2 hinges cost a couple of quid from B&Q.
Blimey - B&Q should pay me advertising money! Perhaps I should add that all the component parts of the run are available at other DIY outlets!
I'll try and get Mr Sky to take a photo and upload it - he's much more technically minded than I am - and it looks quite pretty at the moment with the clementis that's growing over it all in flower
Anyway, making a door sounds difficult but it quite easy really - after all, you're not making a door for your living room, just something to go in and out of in a chicken run
I can see what you guys mean about poultry mesh -v- chicken wire, but I cemented the bottom of the chicken wire into the ground when I was laying the slabs and, as the chicken wire is stapled over 6" wooden trellis and the top of the run is covered with plastic sheeting, I thought it was probably quite fox proof as they can't in get through the top, bottom or sides of the run. I hope I'm right anyway . . . . .
To put your mind at rest about cats - I'm owned by a cat and there are at least another 5 in the surrounding area but the chickens are more than capable of looking after themselves. After an initial skirmish (in which the cat definitely came of worst!) I've had no problems at all. Chloe-the-Cat does sometimes sit on the roof of the run watching the chooks but they completely ignore her now. My hubby thinks it's dreadful that a born predator like her is frightened by some Big Giant Sparrows and he tells her this quite often. She is, however, reluctant to prove him wrong
As for saving money by having free eggs - I think you're going to be disappointed. It'll take a couple of years at least to "break even" but I didn't go into chicken keeping to save money, I just love watching them pootling around the garden, burbling away to each other, and I love the way they come hurtling over to me whenever I go out into the garden (we let them run free whenever we're at home). They've completely destroyed my spring flower beds and have demolished my oregano and thyme bushes (Yum - self herbing chickens
). They poo everywhere and throw earth and gravel all over the patio . . . . . . . . . but I wouldn't be without them. And their eggs are delicious but a bonus in my view.
I do hope you go for it because they provide hours of entertainment and are dear little souls.
Sky
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July 18, 2013, 16:42