Fox attacks - a list of what happened?

[mccroft]

I've had chickens for a year now but in the early hours of yesturday a fox killed all four of them. black rock, amber link, goldline and pekin

 

It finally got into the run after what looks like a nights work at getting and then appears to have lifted the coup pop hole and got the chickens.

 

I'm certain I'll be getting the cube will phone omlet on Monday can anyone tell me if the cube now comes with the plastic bars rather than the wooden ones. Also how long do they normally take to deliver.

 

I like the door on the cube as it seems to wind open and shut , have I got that right. As an after thought it looks like cleaning will be alot easier than cleaning a wooden coup.

 

Marianne

Bristol

Edited January 1, 2009 by Guest

[moochoo]

Hi Marianne and welcome to the forum. The cube now comes with plastic roosting bars as standard so that makes cleaning so much easier.

I'm not sure how long delivery will be but Omlet will be able to tell you when you phone on Monday.

The cube door slides in and out of the front panel, it's lockable too and almost impossible to prise open as there's no lips to lift.

So sorry to hear about the loss of your girls but I'm glad it hasn't put you off chicken keeping.

[mccroft]

Oh thanks for the info. The cube sounds very secure then and the door sounds better than i thought it was.

 

Love having the hens to watch in the garden but it's so strange that they are not there and very sad.

 

I'm thinking that we may get 6 hens but not sure if that's too many. Were were always going to add another two to our flock and it seems easier to get six at the same time.

[chelsea]

yes the door is very secure....there's no way a fox has the intelligence to open it!

 

Im so sorry about your hens, lets hope you'll be back to hen keeping very soon.

[Egluntyne]

Very sorry to hear about your hens.

 

The cube is very secure, and the plastic bars come as standard now.

 

My preference is to have the cube on paving slabs to prevent vermin....large or small tunnelling in.

[mccroft]

The cube will be pushed up to the run we already have and will be left on the wheel frame as i thought it would be easier when cleaning. When cleaning my current wooden coup I have to get on my knees and streatch to reach the corners of the house.

 

Really please ablout the plastic perches but the seem narro compared to what I currently have but I'm sure all your hens are happy with them.

 

 

Does anyone know how easy the cube is to put together?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, Marianne . I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your poor girls . I don't have a cube (just an eglu) but everyone who has one seems really pleased with them. If you have trouble building it, you can ask for help on here!

 

Are you outwith the delivery area for Omlet? If not, they'll build it for you, I think.

[Egluntyne]

**Here** are the instructions for assembling the cube.

 

Top tip....get an electric screwdriver.

[mccroft]

Welcome to the forum, Marianne .

Are you outwith the delivery area for Omlet? If not, they'll build it for you, I think.

 

Is that the shaded area on the map. I'm bristol so I think that might fall outside the area.

 

Would be lovely if they could build it. I thought that would be if I ordered the hens through them.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Check here by putting your postcode in. I think it's for "delivery & build it for you" but I may be wrong . I'm a wee bit out of their area so am no expert . You should probably call Omlet rather than take my word for it!

[poachedegg]

Welcome to the forum, Marianne .

Are you outwith the delivery area for Omlet? If not, they'll build it for you, I think.

 

Is that the shaded area on the map. I'm bristol so I think that might fall outside the area.

 

Would be lovely if they could build it. I thought that would be if I ordered the hens through them.

 

Welcome to the forum - you can only order hens through Omlet if you are in the specific Omlet delivery area - however if you are in the delivery area they will deliver and build only the cube,if required. If you are outside of the Omlet delivery area, the cube will be sent by courier.

[Jules.]

My 4yo helped me put my cube together

Took about an hour with a manual screwdriver.

It's the run which is the fiddly bit, & you won't need to bother with it.

[mccroft]

Thanks for the replies everyone, very helpful.

 

I am actually within the delivery area and possibly would have got got chickens via them but I like ti ahve a mix of hens and I can only see two that you can order.

 

Fantastic service if they do build it, well worth the delivery cost. Frustrating that I can't phone until Monday to find out.

 

We have decided to get 6 new ladies so really do the cube.

[MaggieMcHen]

With regards to the hens - I know Omlet sometimes get there hens from Cotswold Chickens, which is very close by, and they have a wide variety of hybrids. Perhaps they could pop a couple of 'others' in the van if you ask them nicely

[moochoo]

As long as you introduce other hens on the same day you could get 2 Omlet hens and add 4 others of your choice from a breeder by you.

[mccroft]

With regards to the hens - I know Omlet sometimes get there hens from Cotswold Chickens, which is very close by, and they have a wide variety of hybrids. Perhaps they could pop a couple of 'others' in the van if you ask them nicely

 

 

I've just checked but they have ver ylimited stock at the moment.

 

On Monday i'll know how long the cube will take to arrive which may mean the poultry breeders will have more to choose from.

 

Not a great time of year to buy hens

[nicki9]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

We live in Bristol too, so if you wanted to see the cube in situ, feel free to PM me. The cube is fantastic and reasonably easy to build.

I would definitely get a couple of hens from Omlet and let them build it for you and then 4 from another supplier on the same day, then they should be fine altogether. Where were you planning on getting your chooks from? We got our extras from Nibley bird farm - Yate, they were very helpful.

 

Good Luck with your new chickens

[mccroft]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

We live in Bristol too, so if you wanted to see the cube in situ, feel free to PM me. The cube is fantastic and reasonably easy to build.

I would definitely get a couple of hens from Omlet and let them build it for you and then 4 from another supplier on the same day, then they should be fine altogether. Where were you planning on getting your chooks from? We got our extras from Nibley bird farm - Yate, they were very helpful.

 

Good Luck with your new chickens

 

 

Great stuff,

 

I've been trying to find out info on Nibley farm but couldn't really find any.

 

Are they anygood. Will phone them on Monday but i would prefer to hear from people who who have collected their hens from NBF.

 

There is a fantastic place in the village of Sistonhttp://www.anniehallspoultry.co.uk/?gclid=COG7mbzZvpMCFQyD1QodqWu6CA which is where I got my ladies from.

[nicki9]

That place looks great, we will try and visit in spring.

 

Nibley isn't Free Range but they had a nice selection of hens to choose from, we got a copper maran, light sussex and a sklyline, and the people were really helpful letting my fussy children decide which birds we wanted, clipping the wings and talking us through the pros and cons of each breed.

 

Apparently there is a place in Congresbury too, Meadow Farm, on the main road, but I haven't tried there yet.

 

Please let us know how you get on