Run advice for newbie

[AshBits007]

thanks for sharing about the cinderblocks! looks like ive got myself a little weekend project

 

[pathwandering]

Oh, I love the cinder block idea too. The spot I have it planned for is actually the high spot in the area, but it is clay and doesn't drain well on its own. I could certainly put down gravel first. I have some extra stone from when they made the pad for my cabin, and I could probably scrounge enough of that to put down first. For the larger run my latest idea is to do half of an 8/8 square with a roofed lean-to (with fenced sides - not solid wood) sloping away from the center, and the other half open with t posts, and netting on top.

 

[pathwandering]

Well this is what I've been able to do so far. I took some extra stone I had and laid it down as a base, then covered it with some sandy fill my sister had, and I'm putting cap stone on top of the wire, all around. I figure I will put sand or pine shavings on top of this for the bedding. What do you think? Good enough? Should I do something different? I ended up doing cap blocks because they are 3 lbs heavier and probably harder to move with the low profile. After this is all set, I'll be putting an open daytime run attached to it. Also, in the second picture I closed the door by putting a rod through all the latches. Would a raccoon be able to open that/figure that out?

 

[heartsizedfarm]

They say anything a three year old child can figure out a raccoon can figure out, but if your rods go from top to bottom that should be beyond a racoon's capability I think. How do humans get in this run?

 

[pathwandering]

It's not easy - I got the 6-8 week old chicks yesterday and I'll be glad when they go to roost on their own as picking them up while I'm on my hands and knees under the coop is not ideal. I'm about to build an extended 8x8 run that it will connect to, and that will be a walk-in run, so I can put their food and water in there and use a rake to clean out the eglu run.