4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[NClaire]

As some of you know, we're currently building a new chicken house/run, and Dopey, my much bullied Goldline is living in a rabbit hutch. Last night we had spent the day building the run frame (we bought the house bit this time), so had moved her rabbit hutch onto the grass from the patio. BIG mistake. My heart was in my mouth when I looked out this morning and saw the bottom part of the rabbit hutch door (the wooden strut the wire joins onto) was on the grass! Something had literally ripped the bottom of the door off, and opened the bottom catch too. Fortunately, they didn't get much further than that, and Dopey was fine, although missing a few feathers from her head - presumably through scrambling about in the hutch.

 

So we are working as hard as we can to get the new run ready for Dopey - will move her hutch back on to the patio tonight, and secure it if we can (it's shut with rocks atm, so I think she is safe.

 

Phew!

[Egluntyne]

Blimey. I hope she is ok.

[Janty]

I'd take her inside tonight to be on the safe side.

[moomin]

Poor you - and poor Dopey.

 

I know how you feel, I woke up one morning a few weeks ago to find that something had tried to get my girls when they were in their Eglu. I looked outside to see that the shower curtain covering their run was all rucked up and knew that I hadn't left it like that, went to investgate and it was actually in shreds, there were tiny bits of the plastic on the floor where the 'something' had chewed the bits of plastic and spat them out. And paw marks all over the Eglu. (don't want to blame a fox for fear of retribution but only a larger animal would have had the strength to leave it in that state ).

 

The chooks were OK, but they were a bit edgy for a few days.

 

You feel like your heart is going to burst with the shock.

 

I'm glad she is OK, I would bring her in too if you can.

[Electricbarbarella]

I am so glad dopey is ok, get dh working hard on her new run. poor old dopey.

[NClaire]

[mrs chook]

Same as others, bring her in if you can until you are sure that hutch etc. is 100% SECURE!

 

Mr Renard managed to break into a weakened panel and got a rabbit from an old chicken ark we had

 

Be careful, and hope you get accommodation sorted out soon. Sorry if I sounded scary, but just wanted to warn you.

[NClaire]

Well, Dopey is asleep for the night - we really can't bring her in, but I am pretty certain the fox can't have a go tonight - she is back on the patio (and they don't seem to come up to the house), with HEAVY rocks against the whole of the front of the hutch, and the whole house is wedged in behind the new run - that's the best I can do. Tomorrow the new run should be ready, and I can breathe a sigh of relief. (My poor dh was out for 8 hours yesterday making the frame and spent ALL afternoon working on it, and is STILL painting now!) I'm not TOO anxious, as the fox didn't manage to get in last night, and I think if there had been any chance then it would have done.

 

Keep your fingers crossed!