What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[PlanetParker]

I was performing my nightly fox security perimeter check last night , when I noticed that something had been digging underneath the pink eglu itself. I think it is a very clever fox. It was underneath the roosting box - where there is a slight gap. I assume the gap is to allow ventilation and drainage from the roosting box. I had noticed some disturbance in this area before - I keep my Eglu in one place - but I hadn't thought it was serious. However, I put my hand underneath the Eglu last night - and discovered that something has been working on excavating a tunnel underneath the Eglu towards the door...........

 

I must admit I was full of admiration for the fox concerned - I have seen it around but thought I was safe. What amazes me is the fact that the tunnel was 'hidden' i.e. the fox has chosen to dig in the least obvious place so that I wouldn't notice easily.........

 

I have put bricks all around the Eglu for now, to make it impossible for the fox to complete it's work, but I will have to move it at the weekend I think.

 

Has anyone else had problems of this kind? I have seen other posts about foxes pulling out the droppings tray, but I was surprised at how easy it would be to tunnel underneath the Eglu at this point. It's not actually that far from the gap under the roosting box to the door, which would give the fox easy entry to the run.

 

Now I know why the fox has a reputation for cunning.........

[Chicken on a mission]

There was a thread on the forum a couple of weeks back in which a fox managed to dig under the narrowist bit of the skirt nearest the eglu and got the chooks.

 

I think this is the first report of a fox beeing successful at doing this.

 

I have just had a quick hunt through to find it but can't and I need to leave to pick up my monster from nursery.

 

If you can find it, there were photos.

[The Dogmother]

Janet, I would suggest that you put some paving slabs under your Eglu and the first part of the run to stop it from digging under. I am guessing that the soild there is quite soft, and making it easier for them to dig. Mine are on very hard soil and this seems to deter any predators from digging.

 

I would suggest also sending photos and a copy of your post to James so that he is informed, as they might want to bear this in mind if they revise any of the designs.

[Sheilaz]

Yes, I think Claret is right to suggest paving slabs. The soil doesn't even need to be soft, foxes are excellent diggers.

The Eglu design is great, esp. with the run skirt whiuch makes it hard to start a dig. However, we can't be complacent, as =you say, they can be very cunning.

Bricks can be pushed aside, it needs to be heavier.

In your case, I would think about having the Eglu on a hard surface! What a shock, but I'm glad you saw the evidence in time.

In general, the area near where the Eglu meets the run is the most vulnerable, being the shortest distance to dig. Please don't think solid compacted earth will stop a fox.

Off to check my security now! Good luck with yours.

[AnnieP]

I am lucky to have lots of space, so move my Eglu about the paddocks to prevent total grass destruction and the softening of soil with all their own excavations, I now nearly always have one length of the Eglu up almost against the solid fence. I have figured that this at least halves the foxes chances of getting a good digging position.

[melcotton]

I've just posted on the other thread re putting 2 metal pegs into the ground at the narrowest point of the skirt - just as a precaution - you can't be too careful!

 

Mel

[Chicken on a mission]

Has anyone found that other thread yet with the only reported successful fox breakl in

[Lesley-Jean]

Pictures are Here

 

Its in astw's thread "RIP Fluffy & Chloe" Here

[Gallina]

Pegs are useless if you have light soil: they come straight out again. If you are not going to put the run on a concrete base, you definitely need something heavy to weight the skirt of the run down and to put around the Eglu.

 

If you haven't room for slabs, I can recommend the large engineering bricks found in old storage heaters. I have held on to some for a long time thinking that they might come in useful, and their time has come.

 

I have also bought a lot of cheap square plastic tubs and am arranging them on top of the engineering bricks to add weight and to look attractive. I am trying out all the spare plants I have potted up to see what the hens don't eat first. Believe it or not, there are some plants they won't touch.

 

The only problem so far is that hens are also trying to tunnel their way out. They have removed most of the soil from under the skirt at one point, and I keep having to put it back.

 

I am inspecting the edges of the Eglu and run every day now: it seems to be the season for foxes. I suppose that they have young to feed. But I was scared when I read about the nasty experience poor Andrew had with a fox. I put on my gardening gloves and scrabbled around to see how easy it was to burrow into my run: I chose the spot where the hens were already burrowing out, and the result shocked me....

[Chicken on a mission]

Pictures are Here

 

Its in astw's thread "RIP Fluffy & Chloe" Here

 

 

Thanks Lesley-Jean, that saved me having a longer look this afternoon

 

Just a quick not to say that should anyone be contemplating making a concrete base for a run, make sure that you have it sloping and add a means for water to drain away .

[Guest]

I still wonder whether putting a double layer of chicken wire buried underneath the eglu might do the trick. Not as good as concrete or paving slabs though.

[PlanetParker]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

 

I think that paving slabs probably are the best - I have only just moved in to this house, and haven't had the garden done yet. I was planning to put in a special 'chicken run' area with paving slabs in the future, but for now the Eglu is just stuck on the lawn.

 

I might have to get some loose slabs from Homebase and just put them underneath for now!

 

I have the run pegged down with those plastic pegs that Omlet sell - they seem to hold it quite firmly and if you put them close together then it's quite hard to lift the run - so should be tricky for the fox to dig under as well. Doesn't solve the digging under the Eglu problem though.

 

Those photos of Chloe and Fluffy's run are quite a shock .........

 

Maybe Omlet could offer a wire mesh square (same stuff as the run is made of) to go under the Eglu and a foot or so into the run in front of the door? This would make that area a bit safer. I suppose I could do the same with chicken wire - although I have been warned that foxes can bite through this.....

[The Dogmother]

Maybe Omlet could offer a wire mesh square (same stuff as the run is made of) to go under the Eglu and a foot or so into the run in front of the door? This would make that area a bit safer. I suppose I could do the same with chicken wire - although I have been warned that foxes can bite through this.....

 

Great idea Janet, perhaps you could use the mesh floor that they sell for the Rablu to stop the bunnies tunnelling out. See it here

[Guest]

Maybe Omlet could offer a wire mesh square (same stuff as the run is made of) to go under the Eglu and a foot or so into the run in front of the door? This would make that area a bit safer. I suppose I could do the same with chicken wire - although I have been warned that foxes can bite through this.....

 

Great idea Janet, perhaps you could use the mesh floor that they sell for the Rablu to stop the bunnies tunnelling out. See it here

I have emailed Omlet to ask their advice about this.

[Black RockStar]

Because our eglu is on a bark base, we had to leave room either end for the run-door and also for removing the droppings tray. In these areas I have put down chicken wire and fixed it with staples to the inside of the wooden roll. Now all exposed areas of bark are covered by wire.

[The Dogmother]

That sounds pretty secure

[ian, frances and chaz]

We had the same problem.

I put chicken mesh around the eglu itself and covered it with bark, this seems to have done the trick.

 

 

You could also do what a farmer does around his chicken house, he has dug a trench 6" deep and wide all around , then he has filled it with broken GLASS .

He assures me he has not had a problem since

 

I like the mesh idea best

[Mel (& Paul)]

I think you might be right - mesh sounds better than broken glass

[megtree]

Read this too late, unfortunately. Monday morning started with the discovery of feathers and no girls. I did everything right, eglu assembled correctly, chooks shut in at night. Wish I had known the eglu itself wasn't fox-resistant and had a gap underneath where they could get in - had I known I would have tried some of the 'tricks' others have used. Gutted. What do I tell my children now and how do I trust the eglu again?

[Guest]

oh Megtree, I am sorry. What a horrible start to a day!

 

Was the actual Eglu closed or just the run door? I don't think I've heard of a fox actually getting into an eglu before.

 

Foxes at this time of year are desperate for food and therefore very persistent.

 

I am so sorry.

[megtree]

Thank you, still in shock and haven't told the children yet Yes the door was properly shut - despite the run being completely full of feathers this morning I even opened the door, completely unbelieving they wouldn't trot out as normal. Don't quite know what to do with myself now!

[Guest]

That is a terrible shock to me. I can't understand how a fox could have done that. I have heard of a bantam being caught through the gap above the poop tray at the back and I have heard of rats chewing the drainage hole in the nesting box, but I have never come across a fox actually getting into the eglu itself. Do you know how it did that yet?

 

I suggest you contact Omlet and inform them. For future design modifications, they need to know.

[Redwing]

Is the Eglu second hand? There are two bits of mesh that sit under the front of the eglu at the corners that often get lost when Eglus get sold on they are meant to stop such tunnelling

 

They are in the shop here: https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/shop.php?cat=Chicken+Keeping&sub=Spares&product_id=499&product_name=Run+Skirt+Square+-+Pair

 

I bought a 5m roll of weldmesh, rolled it out on the ground and and sat my eglu and run on it, a cover of woodchips prevents the hens catching their feet

[Gallina]

I don't think that those square pieces of mesh necessarily get lost: they were a later modification, and people who bought early Mark 2s were not made aware that they should buy them, and wouldn't have known about them if they hadn't followed this forum. All later Mark 2s have them as standard.

 

But these pieces are intended to stop foxes tunnelling into the run, which has happened, particularly on light or uneven soil. What I don't understand is how the fox then got into a closed Eglu. Did it gnaw through the small hole in the bottom? I have had rats do this, so I suppose it isn't impossible for a fox to do the same. It must have been an awful shock.

[Guest]

With or without the mesh, how on earth did a fox get inside a closed eglu? Could it have been a different animal?