Okay, so the ducks in the polytunnel have had a great winter. Warmer, with a bit of water changed everyday to clean and swim in. The trouble is it prevents me from growing so much winter and early spring produce. One of the main reasons I had a polytunnel in the first place - it helps bridge the hungry gap.
There has been a warning of avian flu just 3 miles away so I'm worried that the lockdown might last longer than last year and eat into spring, which would affect my summer crops as well.
So I want them out!
I've been thinking lots about this, I've cleared an area below the polytunnel with enough room for a run of around 3m - 4m (10ft - 14ft) and about 8m (24ft) long, but I'm not sure what to put there. I could build a pen from scratch but roofing with netting it is always tricky and with the cost of wood I thinik this could work out quite expensive.
The other two options are as follows:-
A chicken run off the internet.
These seem to be unbranded so I think there is an element of luck involved. A thicker frames one 3m x 8m comes to around £329 although I've been told that the wire supplied is largely useless. This has the bonus that it looks like a chicken pen, can be moved it I want it to be and should be easy to install.
The second option is a cheap polytunnel frame
This would work out at about £600 - £700 plus I'd need to buy the netting instead of the poly cover.
This would last longer and be a better construction, and could be used as a proper polytunnel in the future should I want more undercover growing space.
The downside is it looks like a polytunnel (planning implications I guess), a lot more involved to install and wouldn't be mobile when installed.
This is going to be for the ducks who make of a mess of any sized pen except an acre when they free range, so no pen will ever be big enough!
So what would you do? I can afford either option but obviously don't want to spend more than I have to. I also don't want to invest in something that will only last a few years or fall down in a storm (so experience of the cheaper runs would be appreciated).
We bought an enclosure from feelgooduk.net. Good quality at a reading price. It has withstood three storms ok. They supply covers but we use a larger tarpaulin from the builder’s merchant. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteThanks - yeah, it's good to get a feel of what everyone is using.
DeleteReasonable of course not readable!
ReplyDeleteI'm terrible for that kind of thing - don't worry I knew what you meant!
DeleteI like sheds made from corrugated iron and timber. Especially red ones. Even the rusty patina on old outbuildings is quite attractive. Suppose you could put in a concrete floor/base and you would have a fox proof chichen shed. You could even make a run on it. I would go for second hand materials and your carpentry skills Kev,
ReplyDeleteI'd love to Dave but planning would chuck the book at me I think if it had a tin roof!
Deletein my duckhouse i have wooden floor with 3/4 inch gap between each 6 inch wide floor board. raised 12 or so inches off the ground. it stays dryer and sorta self cleaning, i live in usa so got not idea how that translates into metric
ReplyDeleteI work in metric and imperial so no worries there. Our trouble at the moment isn't so much where they sleep but their enclosure as animals aren't allowed out to free range while the avian flu warnings are about. Seems to be every winter at the moment which is why I keep thinking I need to do something a bit more substantial!
Deletehttps://books.google.gr/books/about/Polyface_Designs.html?id=Rv4xzgEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y
ReplyDeleteTry this book. Have you heard of Polyface Farms? Sustainable farming - kind of ethos you might enjoy.
I've watched a lot of his videos and stuff and I like what they do. The scale doesn't quite work for me at times though. And I'd worry about some of those mobile structures in a storm. my mobile coops for the chickens are built along the same lines as his though, but the size just doesn't work for ducks, they seem to need so much more space.
Deletefor my chickens I have the first enclosure. It has silver roof cover for flu reasons. you would need some sort of good base as we have had problems with a badger trying to get it at them. The chicken coop is our original wooden one. we have a drop hatch/washboard, that goes from the coops run into the enclosure. When we move them to their final place we will be having a better coop but I am very happy with the enclosure. I think it came from amazon to be truthful. I would have preferred the wire netting to be slightly smaller, robin try to get through it and I have had one stuck in it. I dont like that idea.
ReplyDeleteWith the price of timber at present it was the best idea for us. we have taken it down and flat packed it, and then put it back up and then we moved it by 3 people shuffling slowly.
I am very much into the chicken coops I see in the USA, I especially like the one inthehenhouse on instagram. This wouldnt work for ducks I dont think there would be enough room. https://www.instagram.com/p/CVNvO5cFtJQ/
It is pretty though
I like that pen for chickens. My chicken pens work well but they're just not right for ducks unfortunately, they need so much more space. Timber price puts me off as well - I don't mind investing so long as it'll last! I'll move the ducks coop in there for their sleeping quarters as proper protection from predators. Was thinking if we got a tunnel we could put raspberries in there and use it for fruit in the summer!
DeleteHi Kev, Have you considered a hoop or construction usinf cattle panels, they seem to be popular in the US
ReplyDeleteKathy
Yeah, they love using them over there - I've never seen them for sale here though?
Deletehttps://www.ultimate-one.co.uk/premium-hdg-weld-mesh-panel-8x4-4x4-10g-244x122m-british-p-1523?utm_campaign=google&utm_medium=product_search&utm_source=google&gclid=CjwKCAiAvaGRBhBlEiwAiY-yMOxbKWi0ayV8-Od1aiQ1es7HMM02ipEoWrsgCZV-5b7d4oXbI27s_hoCokkQAvD_BwE
ReplyDelete