New Bird Run

[OverWyreGrower]

Just thought I'd post some pics of our new bird run/area. We've enlarged it to approx 200sqm, so everyone has loads of room. The birds are currently living in the polytunnel, as we're saving up for another shed.

[polo]

WOW- its huge. Looks great...

[chris]

blimey, that's massive... allotment - or at home?

What do you do about foxes? Eletric fence?

[OverWyreGrower]

That's the bottom of our garden (we have about 1/3 of an acre)...

*touches wood*

We've never been bothered by foxes. The solid fencing at the back is sunk into the floor, and down one side of our land is a pretty deep drainage ditch.
Mostly the reason we're not bothered by foxes is that several of our neighbours are handy with their shotguns. We have a very large game hatchery less than 1/2 mile away (across fields), and their lads are very vigilant, and patrol their land all the time. My immediate neighbour has staked out and killed a few, as has my neighbour on the diagonal.

However, our fencing has to be strong enough to stop the dogs getting in (and they can jump a 4ft fence!), I've always worked on the basis that if the dogs can't get in, neither can the foxes.

[chris]

wow, I'm jealous! I'd love land like that... one day perhaps! Do you grow on it too? i'd love to have enough land to have a few ducks, few chickens - enough to have a decent growing area, and then a nice "garden" area. All south facing of course

Oh yeah, then the sit own mower. that'd be fun - my father in law has one of them, good fun when I mowed his front lawn once!

How many birds do you have? How many eggs do you get a day? Never eaten a duck egg before, do they taste the same?

[OverWyreGrower]

We have a veg patch there too (a bit neglected this year tho'), plus about 4 or 5 mature fruit trees (a mini-orchard), plus a large lawn. We're not quite south-facing, but the sun is on various bits of the garden all day.

We have a sit on mower (but it's broken atm), Mr OWG does love to use it though - it's definitely a boys-and-their-toys thing!

We've currently got 8 ducks (6 layers and 2 drakes), 9 turkeys (in a seperate run, as they are for Christmas) and about 18 chickens - 7 cockerels (4 permanent, 3 to be rehomes) and the rest are layers. We have Welsummers, Barnevelders, IsaBrowns and a Welsummer-Cream Legbar cross.

We're currently getting between 3-5 duck eggs a day and anywhere from 3 to 7 hen eggs. Our Barnevelders aren't in lay yet, and the hybrids are just coming out of moult. Plus, they are all a bit upset about the move currently. I think things will settle down in a week or so though :-)

[Nicos]

Wow...lucky things!!!...they must be really chuffed with that!!Brill!

[Suechooks]

Looking lovely OWG! Lucky birds.

[Glutton4...]

Lucky Chookies - they look very happy!

[OverWyreGrower]

Thanks everyone, the birds seem a lot happier... I have found a fatal flaw though! They are all laying all over the place - in the grass, in the houses etc... argh!

I will post some pics in a bit of the inhabitants enjoying themselves!

[petal]

Try putting a clutch of rubber eggs to indicate where you want them to lay! it is so satisfying to build them a decent home isn't it?