Its beginning to look very soggy again..
I was going to take a close up of the ground in the chicken run and nosey Bunty got in the frame...
but here is a better pic of the ground..
This is broody Babs
she is all fluffed up and I'm forever having to push her off the nest. She is going round making cluck, cluck noises! Sweet but sad, I would love her to hatch some eggs but to be honest I can't consider anymore chooks until I solve this problem.
This is how much rain we have had since Saturday afternoon
So what do I do? I'm hoping you may help me come up with some ideas, we need to put up some sort of shelter/roof, but what? Hubby is dead against a permanant structure 6ft high, from the next few photos you may understand why
at this part of the garden it is only 12 -13ft wide. The bags on the left are not normally there, that is what we cleared out of the run on Saturday. Until we get dryer weather they will have to sit there, as you know everything comes through my house as I have no rear access! But the good news is the neighbours go on holiday for a week as from next Sunday and they are usually pretty good about allowing us to come through there garden, I'll ask!
So over to you, sensible, affordable ideas please! I will consider anything, I had thought of putting up a shelter with a brush wood roof which I could send clematis up, but of course that would shade the bed where I have the strawberries.
Over to you>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
10 comments:
There is a sort of plastic corrugated sheeting you can get. Mick put some on our shed roof in place of the metal corrugated sheeting to let more light in. I'm sure we just got it from a DIY store...don't know if you could use something like that...it would keep out the rain but let light through. Maybe a pergola construction with that on the top would not look too obtrusive; especially with clematis gowing up the sides.
I like Ruth's suggestion, hope your hubby does too. ;-)
How about a small decking area (pallet) to keep the chooks from getting too wet when the ground is soggy like that? And more bark chippings too. You could give them a big pot or bowl with sand in it for dust bathing. Just a thought!
BTW there are kitties and mousies at Bliss. Come have a look. ;-)
I know people who use gravel instead of bark/wood chips to help drain water, but not much good if you're going to move them a lot. B&Q (and I dare say other DIY stores) do a few roofing ideas. I got two sheets of corrugated stuff (not plastic, kind of like a stiff roof felt - green on top black underneath) they were around £8 for a 6 x 4 (or maybe 6 x 3 I'm not going out to check !) sheet. You can screw through it, so could attach it to 4 or more timber posts like a canopy, or just prop is up on one end of the run and let it drain down the other end. - They don't much like the rain do they???!!!
Hi Libby - it let me in!!!!!! check out the lovely pic of Madison - sorry about the angle..... Have you contacted the Eglu people they may have an idea for your chooks?
Why you want another kitty?
You could get a run extension and cover it with plastic - which is that I did for my chooks up the allotment last year- worked perfectly.
I have only just sold mine - shame - you could have bought it if I had know.
The covertor and extension gives them so much more room as it is taller and wider - more than doubles the area.
I have used sand to help the soggy soil to be not as boggy. Also the kitty litter gravel is great as well.
I can now walk in my poultry runs with thongs on after a good rain.
I also rake the runs out regularly and this helps to keep the smell down and this is composted.
I like the idea of the dust bowl for the chookies. My gran used to have sand with crushed shells in it for her hens to scratch in and peck at.
Your garden looks so good, even with soggy chicken run and all the rian. I'd like to keep chickens, but it's not allowed where I live.
Some good ideas above Libby!
Rained here all day yesterday! Sky looking grey today!
Am going out to buy some wellies today!
Dxx
Oh dear and I thought I had problems with the squirrels digging in my recently potted plants ...all I can do is admire your garden and chickens..best of luck to you in finding the solution!hugs NG
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