Yolky Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I felt terrible but just a reminder to folk Luckily this has a good ending. Yesterday I cleaned out the eglu tray and nest box and then climed into the 4m eglu run to scoop the poo. Anyway I had left off the egg port door whilst cleaning to let air into the eglu (the girls were free ranging) anyway when we finished it started raining to I hurried the girls into the run and quickly ran to the house....not giving the eglu the usual look over to make sure it was all locked etc. This was at about 7 o'clock. At about 10 my husband went to shut the eglu door and get in the food...boy did he have a shock when he saw the eglu door on the floor, he feared the worst. He shon the torch in and, thank god, 3 girls faces looked back at him. When he told me I was almost in tears, I couldn't believe I had been so careless with my girls and thank goodness they were all safe I don't know what I would of done if any of them had been hurt. I will be triple checking things in future and cannot wait for the walk in run to be finished too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Phew......no harm done. I did similar once. I expect we all have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutrix Farmers Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 All's well that ends well!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChirpyChirpyCheepCheep Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Hello Yolky I did a very similar thing the other day. Let our girls out play whilst I cleaned eglu and run. Sat down with a coffee to watch them in the garden and it started to rain. Got them safely into eglu and went in doors. After about an hour thought I would check if they were o.k. As I went to the eglu, there they were strutting their stuff round the garden! Eeks, I had left the nesting box door off! They must have gone through the run into the eglu and took the tradesmans entrance out to play! I felt quite sick. I'm sure there are others that have done similar things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 And how many of us have woken up numerous times in the night convinced that the eglu hatch is open or the run is open Just me then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 You think that's bad . I once let the girls out for their morning play before going to work. Came back from work (7 1/2 hrs later) to find them still playing in the garden . No harm done but I still feel ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joojoo Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I've done exactly the same thing too. What a shock it is when you come down in the morning and spot 3 hens free ranging I left it lying on top of the eglu all night. Fortunately, my 3 were all ok. It's so easily done when you are rushing around. Don't beat yourself up about it - no harm done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 A lucky escape! That was how Adam (Sheik) lost his first lot of hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Kettle Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 My husband once carefully shut everything up at night without actually checking the girls were in there. In the bathroom the next morning I heard a distinctly put-out clucking on the patio! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 Thank you everyone you have made me feel a bit better. I was so cross with myself and my mind was racing with what could have happened Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Oh gosh, Yolky. I've been there myself and it is a heart stopping moment when you realise what you've done but your girls were fine so don't dwell on what might have been. Since leaving the eggport off myself, I've been extra careful to make sure it's shut and locked every night so it's a lesson learned without any tears being shed which has to be a good thing, doesn't it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 Thanks kate, you are right it is a lesson learnt and yes, thank goodness with no tears shed. Extra treats for the girls today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I posted about a similar incident a short while back. I left the run door open, and the eglu door open all night. Luckily they were fine. And there was another ocassion when I couldn't find one of the hickens and had to go to bed. Next morning she was having a fine time eating all my chives. I was just relieved to have her back safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg Lou Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 So glad all turned out well! Don't beat yourself up.. we all make mistakes and once you do it once you never do it again so this has been a safe reminder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonix Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 Lucky escape Yolky...im glad it all turned out ok. xXx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 My dh was in charge last week while I was away visiting my mum - one day he let the girls out of their run without checking the garden gate was closed then noticed some time later that there were no hens to be found in the back garden, the gate was open and our front garden has 14 foot wide open gates straight onto the main road. Luckily the chickens thought they were in hen paradise and were digging about in the flower borders rather than pancaked under a bus. Dh didn't tell me about this for several days. We've all made mistakes - it's human nature so don't beat yourself up about it. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 It's an easy mistake to make, indeed it sounds like most of us have done it in the past. Great news that the hens were OK, and no need to beat yourself up about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Marple Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 It is really quite a relief to realise that so many of us make the same mistakes in a way. We went to the gym followed by the Batman movie a few weeks ago and although my chickens were in the run I suddenly remembered at about 10.30pm that the eglu door was not closed. I struggled to concentrate for the remainder of the film just in case something awful happened to them. Thankfully it didn't but Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfrock Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 And how many of us have woken up numerous times in the night convinced that the eglu hatch is open or the run is open Just me then. I've been known to get out of bed at 3 in the morning in a sudden panic! Oh and DH left the eglu door off once ..... all night, and when I got up to see to them all there was Milly strutting her stuff round the garden, pleased as punch - thankfully at that point we had never had a fox problem. He also recently left the back panel of the cube totally unbolted - that was more of a fright as by then we had already had a fox incident. Thankfully all was well. We've all done it - don't beat yourself up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsallen08 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 My dh was in charge last week while I was away visiting my mum - one day he let the girls out of their run without checking the garden gate was closed then noticed some time later that there were no hens to be found in the back garden, the gate was open and our front garden has 14 foot wide open gates straight onto the main road. Jo So thats why the chicken didn't cross the road! Too busy dustbathing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Marple Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Now that put a smile on my face!!!!!!!!!!!!! : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fizzle Knit Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Last week I went out for a couple of hours - returned home and realised I'd left the hens free-ranging in the garden - they were fine thank goodness. The last couple of nights we've heard lots of screeching and squealing in the garden - I think it's a fox catchig mice or rats but I always get up and check the hen house while telling myself that the noises I can hear are definitely not hen-like. Maybe I should be grateful to the fox for keeping down the local rodent population Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 i think I am getting ocd... check close go back check aGAIN. mY MEMORY SO STUPID AM SURE i AM GOING TO FORGET SOMETIME. gOT A STRAP AROUND THE EGG HATCH NOW TO AS SUERE i WILL FORGET TO LOCK IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piptiddlepip Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I'm paranoid about the pop hatch (I don't have an Eglu, I have a wooden coop). It has no lock or bolt and I'm sure a clever fox could open it if it got into the run, so I need to get some sort of hasp or bolt. Tonight I have compromised by jamming two bamboo sticks firmly into the slider so the door can't be slid back. So if a fox does get into the run (and to do that it's got to get over a 5 ft wall), the little sod has got to figure out how to open the door as well. Let's see a fox that clever. I sometimes worry that a fox will find its way into the garden and not be able to get out. I pity the fox that does that because I really will have to restrain myself from helping it on its way with an almighty boot up the a*rse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 If it makes you feel any better someone on here once left the eglu door closed in the morning and went off to work, so their girls were locked in all day. (They survived the experience) We all make have those moments, I am sure the girls will fogive you if you give them enough treats (that is what I do when I feel guilty). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
