Thanks for this review. Very timely for me. I'm going to be moving house this summer and need a fairly easy build run so that I can get my chickens safely and quickly settled. The thought of reconstructing or building from scratch, wooden runs fills me with dread as I'm sure I will have plenty of other things to occupy me. Knowing that this run is robust and secure means a lot. All the best. Mags
Hi, thanks for sharing this review, we needed a new chicken enclosure and had looked at many options including making our own. After seeing this one it made sense to get it as it was strong and worked out to be cost effective compared to all the other options. Especially when considering that it solved the fox problem quickly and easily. Big thumbs up from us . 🙂
Hi Carl 🙂. This run is a 2m width so comes with 1.6m legs as standard. We are currently installing an 8m x 4m run. This comes with 1m legs unless you get the extension. Its still more than big enough to walk down the middle & the sides are fine for chickens, but leg extensions would make it possible to walk down the sides. If you would like to see a photo of that (still being built) cat h us on Twitter or Instagram (@engcountrylife) or send us an email EnglishCountryLife@outlook.com
Hi! The doors are not pre-drilled but the pressure treated wood is a softwood so not difficult to get through. I would advise drilling pilot holes to avoid splitting the wood. A simple hand drill and manual screwdriver would certainly work though - you don't need anything powerful or hi tech.
I notice your coop is on a hard surface, I was considering this. What are the advantages of that? Also my coop is going inside the run, how much space do you need to get the back off and clean it out appropriately? ❤
Hi Barb, hard surfaces mean that you don't wear away the grass when cleaning out, it prevents burrowing creatures like rats coming up under the coop, and help with levelling. Icd leave about 50cm at the back
Hi Eddie, yes of course. We went with the half inch weld mesh which is probably the hardest to cut. I used aviation snips (spring loaded tin snips) and they worked very well. This is the sort of thing amzn.to/3LxH5uV
@@eddster42007 Hopefully they will make the job easier. Cutting heavy wire mesh is always a chore but by cutting it you can tailor it to your exact setup. The one in this video still looks brand new - we really like them (so much that we are adding two more!)
The standard mesh is chicken wire which is robust stuff but we've not handled it. The half inch weld mesh is super tough and with a skirt would defeat the fixes I've met - if they are a real problem I would add the optional mesh floor. Unless your foxes have angle grinders, you'd be golden 😉. Hugh
@@wh880 We don't have an Omlet run so I can't make the comparison I'm afraid. I am confident in the solidity of the Garden Life Direct one. You can do chin ups on the frame!
Help...I am putting my chicken run together with a friend tomorrow. I have purchased a tap and die set to chase out some of the threads as you suggest however...I have never seen one of these in my life and have no idea how to put it together. No instructions and cannot find anything on you tube that is for a total ignoramus. I would be very grateful if you could tell me which bits to use for this frame and what goes where in the simplest way possible. Hope you can help. Tthanks
Of course Anna. You want the bit that looks like a screw without a thread. There are probably several of these. Find one labelled M6. There will be a handle to fit it into. It will probably look like two metal bars with a square hole in the middle. The unthreaded end of the tap (the labelled M6) fits in the hole and the handles rotate to tighten it. It should end up T shaped. The bottom of the T goes into the sockets instead of the bolts and cuts out any galvanizing that's blocking the threads . Then remove it and the bolt should go smoothly in. I'm happy to offer more help if you need it. Send me an email to EnglishCountryLife@outlook.com with your phone number if you get stuck & I'll give you a call. Hugh
Thanks Hugh. I have put the tool together. Makes sense now. Hurrah! What is the other gadget for...the metal bar with a blue circular hole in the middle and the metal circular things that fit into it?
Fantastic - well done you - they aren't obvious until you've used one. Right the tool that you have figured out is a tap. It's used to cut an inside thread (like the thread on the inside of a nut). Never forget you can do this to wood now. Drill a 5mm hole. Run a 6mm tap through the hole in the wood and you can thread a bolt securely into that hole. The odd round thing is a die (so a tap and die set). The die cuts an outside thread - like on a bolt. If you run a die over a piece of round bar (which you can buy at B&Q) it will will cut a thread onto the round bar just like the thread on a bolt (use some lubricant like oil etc.). You can also cut a thread on a wooden dowel. So short answer, dies make bolts, taps make nuts. With a good set you can thread almost anything together. Hope that makes sense?
Thanks for this review. Very timely for me. I'm going to be moving house this summer and need a fairly easy build run so that I can get my chickens safely and quickly settled. The thought of reconstructing or building from scratch, wooden runs fills me with dread as I'm sure I will have plenty of other things to occupy me. Knowing that this run is robust and secure means a lot. All the best. Mags
Honestly Mags I've not encountered a stronger one. Hugh
Hi, thanks for sharing this review, we needed a new chicken enclosure and had looked at many options including making our own. After seeing this one it made sense to get it as it was strong and worked out to be cost effective compared to all the other options. Especially when considering that it solved the fox problem quickly and easily. Big thumbs up from us . 🙂
So glad it was helpful Terry. We are currently building our third run - an 18m long version. We are big fans!
Smashing review H&F. I see your elderflowers are out; you are a good week in front of us down here. TTFN, Matt
We do gave a very sheltered garden having hedged it all Matt
I wish I had seen this video before buying one on the Amazon 😢😢😢 great video
Glad you liked it - they are a great bit of kit
Hi, Thanks for the review. Is the run in your video with or without the leg extensions? Best wishes, Carl
Hi Carl 🙂. This run is a 2m width so comes with 1.6m legs as standard. We are currently installing an 8m x 4m run. This comes with 1m legs unless you get the extension. Its still more than big enough to walk down the middle & the sides are fine for chickens, but leg extensions would make it possible to walk down the sides. If you would like to see a photo of that (still being built) cat h us on Twitter or Instagram (@engcountrylife) or send us an email EnglishCountryLife@outlook.com
Do you have to use a power drill or can you use a normal screwdriver? Are there holes for the screws on the wooden door panels?
Hi! The doors are not pre-drilled but the pressure treated wood is a softwood so not difficult to get through. I would advise drilling pilot holes to avoid splitting the wood. A simple hand drill and manual screwdriver would certainly work though - you don't need anything powerful or hi tech.
Helpful review thanks. Is the wooden door frame pre-treated or do you need to do that?
Hi vicki, it's pre treated 🙂
I notice your coop is on a hard surface, I was considering this. What are the advantages of that? Also my coop is going inside the run, how much space do you need to get the back off and clean it out appropriately? ❤
Hi Barb, hard surfaces mean that you don't wear away the grass when cleaning out, it prevents burrowing creatures like rats coming up under the coop, and help with levelling. Icd leave about 50cm at the back
Hi, my elderly father has recently bought this and I've helped him setup the frame, can you recommend any cutters so that we can cut the mesh to fit?
Hi Eddie, yes of course. We went with the half inch weld mesh which is probably the hardest to cut. I used aviation snips (spring loaded tin snips) and they worked very well. This is the sort of thing
amzn.to/3LxH5uV
@@EnglishCountryLife Many thanks, I've just ordered them :)
@@eddster42007 Hopefully they will make the job easier. Cutting heavy wire mesh is always a chore but by cutting it you can tailor it to your exact setup. The one in this video still looks brand new - we really like them (so much that we are adding two more!)
Hi Hugh and fiona
Great video what is the slandered mesh that it comes with and would you say it is foxproof?
The standard mesh is chicken wire which is robust stuff but we've not handled it. The half inch weld mesh is super tough and with a skirt would defeat the fixes I've met - if they are a real problem I would add the optional mesh floor. Unless your foxes have angle grinders, you'd be golden 😉. Hugh
Would you say this is better or worse than the omlet walk in run
@@wh880 We don't have an Omlet run so I can't make the comparison I'm afraid. I am confident in the solidity of the Garden Life Direct one. You can do chin ups on the frame!
Help...I am putting my chicken run together with a friend tomorrow. I have purchased a tap and die set to chase out some of the threads as you suggest however...I have never seen one of these in my life and have no idea how to put it together. No instructions and cannot find anything on you tube that is for a total ignoramus. I would be very grateful if you could tell me which bits to use for this frame and what goes where in the simplest way possible. Hope you can help.
Tthanks
Of course Anna. You want the bit that looks like a screw without a thread. There are probably several of these. Find one labelled M6. There will be a handle to fit it into. It will probably look like two metal bars with a square hole in the middle. The unthreaded end of the tap (the labelled M6) fits in the hole and the handles rotate to tighten it. It should end up T shaped. The bottom of the T goes into the sockets instead of the bolts and cuts out any galvanizing that's blocking the threads . Then remove it and the bolt should go smoothly in. I'm happy to offer more help if you need it. Send me an email to EnglishCountryLife@outlook.com with your phone number if you get stuck & I'll give you a call. Hugh
Thanks Hugh. I have put the tool together. Makes sense now. Hurrah!
What is the other gadget for...the metal bar with a blue circular hole in the middle and the metal circular things that fit into it?
Fantastic - well done you - they aren't obvious until you've used one.
Right the tool that you have figured out is a tap. It's used to cut an inside thread (like the thread on the inside of a nut). Never forget you can do this to wood now. Drill a 5mm hole. Run a 6mm tap through the hole in the wood and you can thread a bolt securely into that hole.
The odd round thing is a die (so a tap and die set). The die cuts an outside thread - like on a bolt. If you run a die over a piece of round bar (which you can buy at B&Q) it will will cut a thread onto the round bar just like the thread on a bolt (use some lubricant like oil etc.). You can also cut a thread on a wooden dowel. So short answer, dies make bolts, taps make nuts. With a good set you can thread almost anything together.
Hope that makes sense?
Oddly enough...thats really interesting! I shall definitely explore that further. Many thanks. Love your channel
@@annahamer515 Thank Anna! We hope you love your run as much as we love ours. Number 3 is going up right now - and it's 60 feet long !
great design
It's really very solid!