Timber size for walk in run

[chris]

Originally I was going to use slotted angle iron/dexion/ez-rect like others have done, but looking at the costs now, and how much I'd need (2 x 10 packs as they don't appear to be sold individually) it'll be quite expensive.

So I'm now thinking of using treated timber - my local merchant has a 15year guaruntee on his timber. This must work out cheaper, and it'd be easier to cut to the required lengths.

I have big thick fence posts that they supplied, but they're overkill I think - it won't have to bear a heavy weight, just a plastic roof - and perhaps the odd cat that decides to jump on it (maybe a fox?). If you have used wood, what width did you use?

Reason being, is I don't want to spend too much money as I don't think we'll be in this house for more than 15years anyway - so would like to cut the cost somewhat.

[vegetable-gardener]

we used 2 to 3" round posts and put wire around them. If you want a roof you could use 3 x 3" or 4 x 3".

[chris]

do you think it really needs to be 3" thick though? The lateral spans won't be very long without a support anyway - perhaps 3' maximum...

[Mikey]

I'm planning on making mine with 2 x 1 this spring and cross bracing it.

I plan on moving it between my raised planters, and anything heavier and it would impossible to move on my own.

[Bramble-Poultry]

i make up "panels" 6'x3' wide (as thats the width of the mesh.) i use treated 19x35mm timbers nailed in a rectangle, with a horiztonal brace across the middle. Then i can either nail, screw or "Zip tie" the panels together to form a run, and use the panels again to for the roof cover. For a door panel i just create the 6x3 panel and insert a hinged door just inside that 6x3 so i dont have any fiddly small areas to wire.

For security you can screw the bottoms of the panels to pavinf slabs or similar to stop them lifting.

If you live in a very windy area or are exposed, remember that the vetical timbers may need to be thicker, not because of any extra weight upon them, but if you cover the roof with plastic they will have to withstand the force of the wind UPWARDS trying to lift he run......

[chris]

I'd not thought of creating panels.. that's a good idea. the run should be quite sheltered, but I was planning on burying tall posts into the ground and concreting them in. Then paving the floor and lining the bottom of the panels with gravel boards to keep the contents of the run floor in.

I'll be laying the paving slabs directly onto soil with an overlap to keep things from digging (and also making it cleaner to walk to the run). I could fix the run to a fence as it's giong in a corner.

I'll take a pic from above tonight so you can see what I'm trying to do.. I'd like the run covered to stop the floor getting wet and smelling, also so when collecting eggs I don't have to rush in and out - and can spend a bit of time with the chickens in the rain if they're in the run that day. Plus, as it'll be so close to a wall and fence it needs to have a roof on it, if a fox got in, the chickens would have no way of getting out.

[Glutton4...]

Don't forget, also, that it will need to be able to withstand the weight of a heavy snow-fall. Unless you are making a pitched roof!

[chris]

Good point - slightly pitched, but not as much as my GH - and that still keeps snow on it. I'll just have to remember to brush it off like I do with the GH! 3' span should be ok - shall have to have a think, cheers.

[Dazy]

Paneled WIR

Hi I am pasting a link to a photo of my WIR, It sounds similar to what you are describing, we used 2"x1" for the panels and 2"x2" for the corner posts, considered cementing in the corner posts but didn't and it has not moved so far. Paneled under the roofing but mage the mistake of not leaving a big enough overhang and have had to rig up some guttering to cope with the run off but live and learn as they say. The panel idea is ideal cause it can be tailored to the size that's right for you. Hope link works
RIMG0079 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[chris]

FINALLY! I've figured out what WIR means. All this time I assumed it was some breed heh.

Thank you, that's very helpful indeed. Gonna put a pic up - as I've come across a problem, two ticks!

[chris]

Okay, so here goes with the idea/explanation...

We live on a corner plot, which before now only had a backgarden, and an overgrown bit of side land. Checking the deeds, we found out this was ours, so I set about getting it fenced off. Stuck a greenhouse there, and a sqft raised bed along with various fruit bushes. This garden is like a wind tunnel. We live half way up a mountain, and as such the wind really rips through there.. so I think I will need to concrete some posts in at least - incase the wind comes in from the open end of the garden.

This image following shows 1/2 way through cutting a tree down, the current location (which I refer to as the side gaden) of the coop and their make-shift run. This run, yes I know is small but it was only a temporary measure to keep them in 2 days during the week whilst I was at work. They're out and about every where other days, but since knocking a hole in the wall, I'm building a gate there and then they'll stay in that side garden once the project is complete. (I don't want them int he back garden as I've a young toddler, who I don't want walking in/picking up/eating chicken poo).


Please ignore the mess - extremely windy when I took this, everything has blown over, etc. The tree you can see had half of it around before - for those interested/nosey here's a picture once I'd finished their coop/run.

So, tree down, here's the area I'm looking at - originally going to be an L shaped run, but I've changed my mind now:

.

Once the stump is out, this is the idea that I'm working with:


continued in post below due to image restriction:

[chris]

So a top down plan of the area I'm planning is around something like this:


Not to scale, so for a rough idea of sizes going from the top, clock wise I think I'm looking at an area of around:

7'6" -> 6'6" -> 3' -> (8' ? - unsure here) -> to a 5' section running vertical left hand side. If that makes sense

I'm no good with angles and stuff, but from rough working out I think I'll be looking at an area of 48 sqft?



Not sure if I cut the top left length down to 3' - that'll extend the 8' length then--- would that be more or less area? I think I'll have to measure... Bleh I hate math and numbers and stuff like that!

Anyway, so with these angles, I'm not sure how i'll be able to attach the panels that'll be at said angles (45 degrees?) unless I some how bodge a chamfered (spelling?) edge and put that inbetween them and screw them together.

Posts to concrete in will be at each corner of the plan... but my problem goes back to the 2nd picture in my reply above. The fence is 6' high - edge by pavement the other side , bar the face you can look at in that picture. As the garden (back one) is higher than the side one, the side garden is sloped. If I dig down to be able to have a 6' height of a WIR (whoop, first time I've used that abbreviation!) that'll either expose the foundation of the top fence post on the right... meaning that I'll have to either:

1) Build a wall to re-inforce that area (or use verticle slabs - I did this for my greenhouse as you can see here. Quick to do, and I can do that when I'm laying the foundation for the slabs to go on.

2) take down that face of fence, lower the post and re-concrete into the ground, fix the fence back once I'm done - that's more time, that I really don't have.. I need to finish this by April as someone will be looking after them for us, during this time they'll be in the run - also added to that, I'll have to fix the run I had to keep them in there during the day so they can't just wander out onto the road. By doing this, I think the fence would then need the soil dug away from it the other side (argh!).

or 3) stack up some gravel boards to keep the soil out along that side of the run... meaning I could use less mesh, but at the same time I'm concerned I'll have reduced the strength of that fence post.

so not sure what to do there.. I need to get that stump out and the bloomin roots of this run parallel and are huge, I've blown up my chain saw (cut throughthe wire, then tried to start it when it got a bit wet - oops). so it'll be a while for me to dig it out by hand and then saw it by hand too (I'm not buying another one!!). so I've some time on my hands to try and think what to do. The timber panels are a great idea, as like Bramble said above (I think that was in this thread..) one can be hinged. I can also make a smaller hinged/sliding door to the run so I can let them out via that sort of run-based pop hole... they'll still run around in that side garden, and be locked up once no one is home/we go away for a weekend/whatever.

Any ideas folks?

Nothing is simple in my life!

[chris]

Oh aye - one other quick query: do any of you with walk in runs have raised slabs, ors imilar to walk in, when you need to go in to get eggs? Or do you just dodge poo?

[Dazy]

Well like you said not simple, but if you take your top down plan and letter each post clockwise, starting with top left A,B,C etc your posts D an E could still be square if you build the panel(each one with 2 horizontal and 3 cross struts) that will be attached at an angle, with the 3 cross struts cut at an angle to fit.
As for the height it does not have to be 6ft, just comfortable for you to go in, though personally the widest panels I have are 1m, any wider and I would worry about strength
Is it possible to incorporate the tree stump inside the WIR, might be useful as a base for perches, although I don't know if there are any health implications for the chooks with this but I'm sure someone on here will know.

[RichmondHens]

Oh aye - one other quick query: do any of you with walk in runs have raised slabs, ors imilar to walk in, when you need to go in to get eggs? Or do you just dodge poo?

Put your wellies on and don't be a wuss. Keeping chickens means lots of poo - everywhere!!