Chicken bald back

[Louisdog]

Hi all

 

Horrible fox attack today and now thinking of ordering a cube, but will I be able to move it to fresh ground on my own when hubby is away or is it really a two-man job?

 

Please help me, my remaining five girls are all crammed into a spare Rablu tonight and I need to think what to do. Other options would be wooden ark or rehoming them (this latter is what hubby suggests )

 

Thanks for any help you can give

 

Alex

[GreenGirl]

I have a cube with 3 extensions, and can't move the whole lot on my own - i think it is really a 2 person job IMO, one to hold the front of the run up and the other to push the cube.

[bigmommasally]

Hi Louisdog

So sorry to hear about the fox attack, hope you are ok.

We've got a cube with 2 extensions, I'm slightly lacking in the height dept, (5ft 1") and can't move it on my own, though OH can without any problems. When we had just the cube and original run I could move it though can't say I found it easy. It also all depends on how flat the ground is, ours is pretty flat, I seem to recall others saying they struggle to move theirs due to uneven ground.

Hope you find a safe solution for your hens soon

Take care

[laurmurf]

Oh dear, there's a horrible tale behind this question....

 

I could move our cube with the standard run and even managed it with one extension by clipping the skirts up before moving i.

[dancing cloud]

So sorry to hear about the attack ((hugs)) to you and yours.

 

I'm 5ft 4" and a bit on the slight side, and can move my cube with ordinary run on my own with no problems. I find it easier to manoeuvre holding the run end rather than the cube end and it occasionally needs a wiggle if the wheels have buried themselves in the bedding. My land is quite flat, so I can't say how easy it would be to move uphill.

 

Might be worth visiting someone nearby with a cube and seeing how hard it is for you to move it around?

[The Dogmother]

I have a cube with an extension on the run. I'm just 5'1" and slightly built; I don't have a problem moving it, you should be fine.

[Louisdog]

Thanks for all the replies, sounds like I could manage just the cube and standard run then, our ground is slightly sloping but I only need to move it 6 feet to fresh ground so hopefully that's do-able.

 

However, all bets are now off. The fox has killed another chicken overnight, my oldest girl Rocky the black rock who has been with me since 2003. I went to let them out of the Rablu and then realised the run was not intact, the fox has broken into it, there are broken clips all over the place. He has broken the door hinges and also the end section is not attached to the run anymore except in a few places. I guess Rocky died of shock.

 

Is this a first? I have never heard of a run being broken into before, only dug under on loose soil. I also heard once a fox pulled out a loose tray so I was glad it was the rablu they were in as there's no tray, it's solid.

 

I think I need to email Omlet and let them know. Maybe my clips were faulty / weak cos they're old.

 

Oh and yep it's definitely a fox, we saw the horrid thing several times yesterday. A big one though.

 

Do you all think a cube run is stronger than a Rablu? Mind you I expect the Fox will be back then with wirecutters or something.

 

Cheers

Alex

[The Dogmother]

I have never heard of that before, and can't understand how on earth a fox could have gotten into the run, especially when us humans find ther run clips a struggle sometimes!

 

Can I advise you to take photos and email them to james@omlet.co.uk

[mostin]

My god! Do you mean the fox broke in to the shut door on the rablu as well as breaking into the run!

 

I am in shock, poor you, no wonder your poor girl died of shock. I really need to rethink my girls security foxes are starting to crack the eglu code.

[Louisdog]

Hiya

 

Nope, thank God the Eglu door held firm, glad I closed it properly. Rocky must have died of shock or fear, especially after yesterday's traumas, I am surprised the others were ok. Especially Monique who we had given up for dead until our kittens went scrambling in a thick bush at 4pm, we heard a squawk and out she fell.

 

This most be a rogue fox, a desperate one or something, cos he is so bold and persistent. Last winter we would see a fox sat on the Eglu at night looking in at the ducks and he gave up in the end and we used to see him eating slugs off the lawn and then moving on, not even giving the Eglu a second glance as he knew he couldn't get in, I guess.

 

The clips aren't undone they were broken, the Rablu is quite old so maybe they had gone brittle? I absolutely couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it.

 

I have some photos I could put on here but I am not sure how to.

 

I will send an email to James, thanks for the email address.

 

Cheers

Alex

[dancing cloud]

It broke into the run? Your poor hens

 

As the cube run is so much bigger, it would be much harder for a fox to get purchase on it. The only way I can think of to get into the rablu run with the damage you describe, would be for it to jump up and down on it and use its weight to break it, and it could not do that to a cube run.

 

Even if it brought its bolt-cutters and got into the cube run, it would really struggle to get into the cube itself. It's off the ground so less easy to access, even for a big fox and, unless it could figure out the door mechanism, the cube is very solid and I doubt it could get in using just brute force. Wouldn't stop your poor hens being terrified inside, but I would think a cube would keep them safe.

[Olly]

How awful - that's the first time I've heard of a fox doing that, as Claret says those clips are so awkward that even humans with opposable thumbs struggle to undo them. So sorry to hear about this.

 

It's worth investing in a Foxwatch - I bought one after I'd seen the fox pawing at the side of the Eglu run, and it has kept him out of the garden since then, not an absolute safeguard but it will reduce the risk of this happening again.

 

I wonder if he'd found a weak spot on a previous visit, maybe just one broken or missing clip, and just forced his way in - that seems the most likely explanation, especially as you say the end section was unattached. If he could get his nose in between two sections then I guess all he'd have to do is push, but I've not heard of this happening before.

[The Dogmother]

Nor me Olly, it will be interesting to hear Omlet's response.

 

Do the run clips look or feel brittle to you?

[Louisdog]

Yep it broke into the run, I have taken photos just gotta work out how to get them on here. It was back again around 11am too, poor chookies are terrified.

 

I think you are right Dancing Cloud, it must have jumped up and down on the run door end and broken the clips. It's good to hear it couldn't do that on a cube run - why not though, is it stronger or too tall?

 

Sounds like a cube would be a good choice for me except that I would have liked to be able to leave the door open at night sometimes or have an automatic opener on it.

 

Olly I might look into a Foxwatch but I can't see it deterring one as determined as this. He can't have found a weak spot on a previous visit as the Rablu was only set up yesterday to house the survivors after the fox learned how to jump through our electric fence. Last winter we had ducks out in their Eglu run all night without any problems too so I am so surprised about this.

 

There were broken clips all over the ground and in their water dish and even a broken cable tie (we have several ties where the clips broke in the past)

 

I have uploaded some photos to my website at http://perldog.com/eglu/ but not sure how to link them on here.

 

The chickens were out cos I didn't even notice until after I had let them out, stupid me! I just didn't think to check it.

 

Cheers

alex

 

Edit, here you go Alex

 

Ooh who did that?! Thanks!

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2008 by Guest

[Louisdog]

Claret the clips don't feel any more brittle than usual, hubby said it was very cold last night so perhaps that made them weak? But the ducks would be safe even in snow and frost, inside their ducklu. I also used to keep quail in a mark 1 eglu and they were devils to get in at night so in the end we used to leave them out without any problems at all.

 

Attempting to add the pics to the thread:-

 

 

Oh dear what am I doing wrong?! I have a link to the pic inside

 

Edit: OK I got the image thing, yay!

 

http://perldog.com/-/e25f0dd9n.jpg' alt='e25f0dd9n.jpg'>

 

 

The run door looks warped which it didn't before so perhaps he leaned on it / pushed against it lots.

 

Cheers

Alex

[dancing cloud]

The cube is 120cm high and whilst foxes can clear 6ft, if he's a big heavy fox he won't be able to jump that well.

 

I did the door conversion on mine that uses a support arch at the end of the run so that the whole end can be opened. The support arch makes the run very stable and strong, and I would doubt a fox could force its way in (back to the bolt-cutter approach )

 

Hope this helps

[The Dogmother]

I'm still wondering at the strength of that fox

 

More like the Beast of Bodmin

[Louisdog]

Thanks Dancing Cloud, sounds like the cube might do the job. I am wavering between that and a wooden ark with automatic door opener fitted. Decisions decisions!

 

Claret I will try and get a photo of the fox, he is bound to be back later and we have a web cam pointing at the Rablu at the mo so we can keep an eye on them while we work! But yeah it must have been big, eh.

 

Cheers

alex

[The Dogmother]

My cube is brilliantly strong Alex - the run is really rigid.

[Guest]

 

Ooooohhh I am really worried now!!!!

 

I should think a lot of us will be sleeping a lot less soundly tonight somehow!

 

Louise

[Louisdog]

Horrid thing was back during the day today but we scared it off, I just hope it's not sniffing around the eglu at night scaring them all. Asked hubby if I can bring them indoors at night so I know they are safe but he was not keen! I have been pulling and jiggling at the eglu doors and I think the chooks will be fine really.

[mostin]

I am going to fasten alot of tie wraps/cable ties as well as the clips top where the door meets the run. I have always been worried that is the weak point but I can't fasten enough of the clips there as the wires from the two pieces run in different directions. I'll beef up the security myself in case we have a hefty fox who is willing to bounce on the roof. We have a fox watch, but my run needs to be secure as I don't shut the eglu door so my girls can come and go.

Edited October 20, 2008 by Guest

[Guest]

I went out today and used up all my spare clips and some cable ties and have bought more ground pegs!!!

 

Just a thought.........have you checked that there are no footprints in your garden in case you have had a two legged pest as well????

 

Louise

[The Dogmother]

Just a thought.........have you checked that there are no footprints in your garden in case you have had a two legged pest as well????

 

Louise

 

 

I wondered that too Louise. I'm not casting any nasturtiums here, but I am puzzled. I got Rosie (a well built 10 year old) to bounce all over my eglu run at the weekend and it didn't break one bit. I checked the clips as they are mostly about 4 years old (and have been outside 24/7) and apart from 2 which snapped, they were fine. I am horrifed to hear of your problem Louisdog, but at a loss to understand how a fox could have caused that damage.

[Louisdog]

Well what can I say, it was definitely a fox, I am at a loss too. Maybe my eglu has been weakened by being moved around the lawn or maybe it's an exceptionally strong fox. My clips seem pretty prone to breaking, I tried one in my hands and it seemed quite brittle and broke easily. If I manage to get a webcam still with the fox, I will post it so we can see whether he's big etc.