Chicken Run
The recent strong winds we've had didnt do much damage to the plot, just the usual bit of fence repair, and straightening the fleece over the cabbages and carrots. Shops are now finally clearing away the christmas stuff and getting the garden stock in. I got a pack of polythene from wilkos that will form a large polytunnel for the beans (which are already too big for the small one), ive cut and shaped wire supports and so now just need to set it up over the beans. The small tunnel will move to the empty bed next to them to warm the ground ready for the onion setts to go in.
After the ravages of caterpillers, the broccoli is now putting on nice bright green leaves and starting to get ready to sprout nice purple heads
Ive planted the three blueberry varieties in a huge plastic tub filled with ericaceous compost and soil, remembering to put the labels in with them. Hopefully with three different varieties we should get a good crop from them. Im pretty sure the old one is dead, but will wait until spring to make certain.
The bulbs are coming up in the flowerbeds as well, including the tulips i planted out the front for Julie
Part two of the chicken house is underway - building a run. I went to the small timber yard in Selby and bought 160ft of 2x2 timber and a big bag of 2" nails. The wood was in 16ft lengths for £3 each, but the chap lent me a saw, tape and pencil so i could cut it up to make it fit on the roofrack better, he even gave me the nails half price because the bag was pierced and some of them had rusted, about four out of a hundred!
The run is being made 8ft x 4ft, and 5ft tall, with a roof panel and a door. The roof will be covered in normal chicken wire, simply because i have a roll and i dont expect much to try and get in through the roof. The sides will be covered with 1" weldmesh wire, including an anti-dig skirt. The whole thing is made of modular panels, which will fit together with coach bolts, so it can be dismantled to be moved.
The picture above is of the frame for the panel with the door. The construction is just like making window frames, with the corners cut at 45 degrees to butt against each other. The stretchers add a massive amount of extra strength, making the panel rigid along its length.
This is the panel for the other side. All the panel frames are now built, they need treating with wood preservative and then the wire can be attached. They also need to be mocked up so that the holes for the coach bolts can be drilled.
After the ravages of caterpillers, the broccoli is now putting on nice bright green leaves and starting to get ready to sprout nice purple heads
Ive planted the three blueberry varieties in a huge plastic tub filled with ericaceous compost and soil, remembering to put the labels in with them. Hopefully with three different varieties we should get a good crop from them. Im pretty sure the old one is dead, but will wait until spring to make certain.
The bulbs are coming up in the flowerbeds as well, including the tulips i planted out the front for Julie
Part two of the chicken house is underway - building a run. I went to the small timber yard in Selby and bought 160ft of 2x2 timber and a big bag of 2" nails. The wood was in 16ft lengths for £3 each, but the chap lent me a saw, tape and pencil so i could cut it up to make it fit on the roofrack better, he even gave me the nails half price because the bag was pierced and some of them had rusted, about four out of a hundred!
The run is being made 8ft x 4ft, and 5ft tall, with a roof panel and a door. The roof will be covered in normal chicken wire, simply because i have a roll and i dont expect much to try and get in through the roof. The sides will be covered with 1" weldmesh wire, including an anti-dig skirt. The whole thing is made of modular panels, which will fit together with coach bolts, so it can be dismantled to be moved.
The picture above is of the frame for the panel with the door. The construction is just like making window frames, with the corners cut at 45 degrees to butt against each other. The stretchers add a massive amount of extra strength, making the panel rigid along its length.
This is the panel for the other side. All the panel frames are now built, they need treating with wood preservative and then the wire can be attached. They also need to be mocked up so that the holes for the coach bolts can be drilled.
posted by Zak The Rabbit @ 5:51 PM
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