cute-chickens Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 As quite new owners we are not sure whether it is necessary to close the eglu door every night. Is it OK to leave this open when the weather is warm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 I do close mine as they are at the bottom of the garden, but lots of people leave it open, as long as the run is closed properly I'm sure then they would be fine karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 The last few days I have left my eglu door open due to injury, but normally I close it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 I have left mine open for the past few weeks now,so they can enjoy the cooler nights . It also means they let themselves out in the morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 im thinking of leaving mine open but i close it right now all the time, im quite scared of a fox getting in the run somehow though i know its very unlikely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Absolutely fine but make sure the run is securely shut of course and also that the run is on solid earth not soft loose ground. I haven't left it open much this summer but i have done in the past and it's great they get themselves up in the morning but I love getting up to let them out myself . Handy to leave it open if you have a night away too BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Hi I leave the Eglu door open most nights now, although I have put a piece of wood through the wider end of the run and my four girls are happy to perch there all night. C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 I always close the door as although probably a freak occurence a fox went for Beth's beak through the bars and had to be put down. The fox couldn't breach the run which was reassuring. My foxwatch (deterrent device emits sound) makes me feel safer and if we ever sort out our electric fencing I would keep it open again, it's tricky if we go away otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 I do leave the eglu door open in the summer, but realise that there is the slight risk of a fox digging into the run. The hens are always up and about long before we are, and I like to know they can get out into the run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 Hi I leave the Eglu door open most nights now, although I have put a piece of wood through the wider end of the run and my four girls are happy to perch there all night. C. ooh i think ill try this too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 Our run's on concrete, so there's no risk of fox burrowing. We sometimes leave the eglu door open & sometimes close it, but always close the run door. No major problems with either position, but if Maisy gets cold at night she sleeps in the nesting box & poos in it, which means we get pooey eggs in the morning! And once when the door was closed on a hot night Matilda was a bit broody in the morning (but I managed to snap her out of it quite quickly with regular tempting treats in the run and an ice-pack in the nest!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgledy Piggledy Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Oh what a good idea using mesh, I'm going out to get some right now ....................................................................... Libby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 We also leave the egg port door open during the day & sometimes at night,but my Eglu is in a secure run,so obviously you couldn't do this with the eglu & run out in the open,as a fox could get in. Its lovely to see the girls doing a bit of al fresco laying with their heads poking out of the egg port A thought about mesh - do Omlet not sell a special fitted mesh base for the Rablu which would also fit an eglu??? The one thing that would concern me is them getting their toes caught when they try to scratch,as scratching is what they do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard and Jo Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I'm going to put a spanner in the works now re. doors left open - we hardly ever do but definitely have in the past and not worried about it. In fact, it's a relief to think we can because we're going on holiday at the end of August and I'm not sure how the neighbours would feel having to let them out every morning! It's also been good when we've been away for just a night, knowing we haven't had to bother anyone to look after them. However, Richard woke me up this morning at 6.15 in a panic saying "I thought you shut the chickens up last night" to which my reply was of course I did (although I hadn't shut the door); he had seen from the kitchen window there were white feathers everywhere. He investigated to find the chickens hiding in the eglu and on finally coaxing them out saw that our Amber Star had been got at - she's got quite a few feathers missing on her throat and you can see skin (thought there was no blood but I've had a look and there's definitely been a tooth or a scratch or something there, it looks sticky and her feathers are stuck to it). She's eating and has been standing, but she's also been sitting down a lot in the run (I haven't let them out in their big run yet to monitor her behaviour but will this afternoon). The peanut feeder had been knocked to the ground inside the run so all we can think of is that the fox was watching and made a dash for it as they all came out on their own accord to feed this morning, and knocked it off through the bars in the scrummage. You can't imagine then can get to the chickens through the wire, but something's obviously gone on. What a dilemma - do we leave the door open now when we go away and hope it was a one-off? How can the fox reach them through the bars??? I know Richard's seen it sitting by the run early in the morning when he gets up, just watching them. I feel so badly for Amber and don't know whether to bring her in in a box while she's stressed, or leave her with the others for normality. Hmm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cute-chickens Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 Richard & Jo So sorry to hear about the attack on Amber. You certainly seem to have a very persistent fox in your area. I hope Amber soon recovers - you are probably right to leave her with the others - I know when our Matilda was poorly and we took her to the vet she got quite upset until she was back with Penny & Maisie. We left our eglu door open last night (but not the run door) and it was lovely to see the girls out first thing this morning (way before I would be getting up to let them out). We bought the chicken netting from Omlet and have a 25 metre ring around the eglu and run. The fox wouldn't be able to "jump" the fence and he can't dig under it (we're on solid chalk) - but if you are on soft ground the run pegs will hold it down. We feel it's money well spent because we can leave the girls much more now without worrying about them. PS: It's quite easy to electrify the fence if you need to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I think leaving the door open is a calculated risk. The Eglu and run is as fox proof as you can get, but I know that a fair while back somebody lost their chicken to a fox whilst they were in the run at night. Not to go into too much detail, I believe the chicken was obviously far too brave and stuck its beak out of the mesh at the fox! I am leaving my eglu door open at present, but I don't think it can ever really be 100% safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard and Jo Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I know. I think we'll just have to put this down to a million to one chance of Amber being too near the wire of the run at that moment in time. There must be enough time from the fox starting to lunge at them to them sheltering in the eglu - maybe this time it was just very unlucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piggyonemoon Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 I had the same dilema - do you shut the door or not and then get up really early to let them out! the simple answer is - teach them to open the door themselves you may think i jest - but i've taught mine. at night i shut the door but don;t push the handle down, (so they have more security with the door shut, but not locked as it were) then in the morning, they just oush the door open. i started off with leaving the door open half way, instead of it being open all the way back against the eglu. then each night for the next week, slowly shut the door more and more, until its closed. they soon got the hang of having to push the door to get it to open and people say chickens are bird brained Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 That's brilliant! Setting a goal that the animal wants to achieve, and making it achievable in small steps, is really the way to go in all training Social animals in particular have to have a certain amount of intelligence in order to anticipate the actions of the other members of the pack or flock - that's probably why chickens are brighter than ducks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merryn Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I leave the eglu door open during these hot nights and we are going away for a night tomorrow - the first time since we had the chickens - so they can do for themselves. I think the idea of training them to open the door is brilliant though. I'm going to try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 There's a thread on training chickens to open the Eglu door: Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I didn't need to train mine. The door got blocked up with bark chippings, and wouldn't lock shut, and one morning I stayed in bed too late for the feathery madams, and the barged their way out. Never had a problem doing it since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I didn't need to train mine. The door got blocked up with bark chippings, and wouldn't lock shut, and one morning I stayed in bed too late for the feathery madams, and the barged their way out. Never had a problem doing it since. Mine are the same however in this weather I never shut the eglu door. I only shut the eglu door when its cold. (fingers crossed) I have never had any trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freak29 Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 sorry to hear about the fox trouble! i don't half fancy a lie in! What time do everyone elses darlings awake from their rainbow coloured palace? (too early for me anywho...) i'm going to start training them definately! As long as they're happy, i'm extremely happy why didnt i think of that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 Don't know what time ours wake up, as they're generally really quiet in the mornings at the moment, and seldom wake us up! Not always been like this - its great!!! We started leaving the eglu door open in the hot weather, and now they just get on with it! Only start complaining about 8.30 / 9.00 if there's little action and they want to ensure a porridge delivery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
