Lesley Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 I thought the free-range requirement was 1sq.metre? I've no idea where I read that though. That would make the Eglu run free-range. We had a terrible smell of foxes at the back of the run, nearest the field yesterday but noe sign of any attempts at entry. Fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 On this forum, I carelessly used the word free range once, meaning that my girls do roam the garden (so they are literally free range). What about a new term "happy, life of luxury, range" for those girls who out of space necessity or safety are kept enclosed. Its miles away from restricted enclosure of battery hens or overcrowding. Then "free range"..as mine do, loose in garden... I agree, we shouldn't get too hung up on precise definitions. Free range as far as I'm concerned means what you describe. But once I'd seen the first post I had to know, and having found out I thought I might as well post it. Ours are only allowed out under supervision, for safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pia Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 I am concerned by some of the postings here, which suggest that the chickens are safe from foxes when they are in the eglu run. My family bought an eglu back in the early days of Omlet, and we were very pleased with it. We were delighted with our new pets, and continued to keep chickens for over two years, recommending them as pets and the eglu as an ideal and foxproof chicken home to everyone we knew. However, at the end of last summer we lost our three chickens to a fox. Foxes had tried before to get into the eglu and run. We frequently saw paw prints on the eglu, and we often saw the foxes themselves in our garden and neighbours’. After two years of only ever losing a chicken through natural causes and the odd human error (once the children had a friend over who hadn’t locked the egg hatch properly) we were convinced that as long as we were vigilant about locking etc and only ever let the chickens roam while we were in the garden with them, they would be safe. However, at the end of the summer, a fox tunnelled into the run and took all three hens. This in spite of the fact that the skirt of the run was weighed down all around with boulders and logs (a measure that we thought was more to reassure the children than for any genuine need for additional security). The fox dug at the point where the skirt ends, just at the corner where it joins the eglu proper. We were all very upset and angry, and I decided not to react for a few days. Then I sent an email to James and Johannes at Omlet, explaining in detail what had happened and how upset we were. I pointed out that I had bought two of the chickens from them less than two weeks previously, together with feed and accessories to the tune of approximately £80. I waited two weeks for a response. When it came it was unencouraging. I had expected that the company would at least reimburse me the money I had just spent on their products and two hens (one month’s money back guarantee?). More importantly I expected that they would be aghast to learn that the eglu is not fox-proof. Instead I got a brief ‘how sad’ with no offer of reimbursement or compensation or justification or apology. I feel very disappointed in the reaction of Omlet. I had always enjoyed a good relationship with the company and felt that the people there were good and honest and kind. I would have left it there, feeling upset and wronged, but keeping quiet, but I keep seeing ads for eglus in the national press even now, claiming that it is fox proof. I believe that this claim should not be made. And I see that many people posting here believe that it is fox proof, too. Our experience is that, while the foxes were not able to get in for a long time, in the end, they were sufficiently determined or lucky. Naturally the children are devastated. The eglu still sits in the garden, a sad reminder of our loss, as I don’t know what to do with it and keep hoping that something will happen to persuade me that it is safe to keep chickens again. We have all agreed that, much as we would love to continue to keep chickens as pets, we cannot justify buying more simply to feed the local fox population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Hello Pia So sorry to hear of your experience. We lost our bantams when I was a child because one of us forgot to shut them in the shed one night. If there is a mistake or a weakness, then Mr Fox will definitely exploit it. I don't have an eglu, mainly because I bought my arks several years ago before I'd even heard of eglus. The blurb for mine says the ark keeps them safe from foxes, but to be quite honest, a determined fox is pretty hard to stop. I think the truth is that the eglu is the most fox resistant chicken house on the market, but nothing is completely impregnable. Hope you manage to resolve your complaint with Omlet - I am sure you will as they are the most positive customer service oriented company I have read about lately. Regarding keeping chickens in the future, well there is a way. A slabbed or concrete surface with the eglu run fixed down should stop a fox as it wouldn't be able to dig under. Woodchip or aubiose is a good surface for inside the run - not as popular with the chooks as grass, but better to be sure they are safe. Good luck. Jools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Enlarging on what Jools said about putting the Eglu on slabs.... I had a fox that tried to get into my Eglu in May, and failed. It succeeded in scaring poor Layla to death while she was inside, but it dug all round the Eglu, which was luckily on hard ground and didn't get in. Since then I have laid paving slabs under the Eglu and extending into the run area by the Eglu, along the edges of the run and along by the run door (the latter mainly to stop me making it muddy). I think that if my soil hadn't been so hard, it might have got in, but it didn't. But my friends with wooden coops and runs have been foxed time and again, with loads of fatalities; one of them who has laughed at my Eglu is now thinking of getting a couple herself. As Jools says, nothing is going to protect completely against a determined fox - they are like burglars - if they really want to get in they will I am sorry to hear about your experience, and I hope that it won't put you off chicken keeping. I hope that Omlet treat this experience as a learning one - that is usually the way that they work; constantly seeking to improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 The Eglu run was originally advertised as foxproof. It is now advertised as "fox-resistant", which is more accurate. It was "foxproof" when I bought mine and I was very shocked when I found that it wasn't. I took great care to keep the edges of the run weighed down, but one of my chickens was killed by a fox through the wire in broad daylight. I think the fox was lying on top of the run, with the shade concealing him from my hens, and took a swipe with its paw, and managed to hook its claw into my hen's throat. I too was disappointed with Omlet's response, which was simply that this had never happened before, although they had sold 10,000 Eglus. Given that I had bought a run described as "foxproof", I thought they might at least drop me off a new chicken, but when I discovered their delivery charge I didn't bother. But in any case I haven't really enjoyed having the hens since this incident, as I am too nervous. There are fox prints on the shade most mornings, and I quite often see the fox during the day. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Mark 3 run is truly foxproof, and then I shall get more chickens and start enjoying them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 The fox digs under my eglu too, but luckily I have very hard soil and spotted it before foxy got too far. Omlet have been made aware of this weakness at the edge of the run where it meets the eglu and were very responsive to the chap who lost his chooks that way but kindly posted us pictures so we could work out how to protect our chooks. I lost one to fright because I didn't secure the poop tray properly and she got out, and I've had foxes scare my chickens inside the run, but I feel like I've done everything I can to keep them safe which will have to be enough. I don't want them to live in a bubble after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pia Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Almost immediately my last post went up, I got a phone call from Johannes at Omlet. It seems they have just added an optional extra to the eglu, specifically to counter the vulnerability of that corner where the fox tunnelled in. These, in effect, extend the skirt which goes around the run, to cover the area near where eglu and run meet. So, we are going to try again to keep chickens. We will be taking delivery of two more tomorrow, and I will keep you posted of any developments. Quite apart from being pleased to be chicken keepers again, it was also good to know that the team at Omlet are as helpful, reasonable and nice as I had thought, and that the disappointing response I had at first was just a blip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 That's interesting Pia - can you describe it more, or send photos if you're getting the new amendment? I have sunk paving slabs into the ground under the eglu and extending into that first part of the run after a fox tried digging around my eglu last summer. Luckily the ground there is very compacted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 That's great news Pia - both about your keeping chickens again and also about Omlets response. Well done all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 That's good news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Cooks Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 Yes, some eglu hens are extremely free range, the range seemingly including house as well as garden in some notorious cases, and I'm sure they and their owners love it, but it isn't the only way to keep happy pet hens. Thanks for your post, Motherhen. I've been keeping my girls in during the week while I am at work, and have been feeling horrendously guilty. I have been trying to provide them with entertainment (like a strung up cabbage) but still when I see their little faces through the bars......! However your post has really put my mind at rest! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pia Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Claret, you asked about the design modification from Omlet I mentioned in my last post. Our new chickens have now arrived, and we have added the modifications. I had hoped to be able to refer you to the Omlet shop, but I was surprised not to be able to find them there. Johannes had said that they would be available for sale. However, I can describe them. They are simply flat panels of the same metal grid that the run and skirt are made from, and they clip onto the ends of the skirt at the eglu end, with the clips you can buy from eglu. Obviously, you could create something yourself that does the job, and tie it on with string or whatever, but these of course look better because they match the existing run. Or you could do as many seem to have done, and just put paving slabs there. The point seems to be that the fox will only dig where he encounters the side of the run. The skirt/extension panels prevent him from doing this. He does not think to start digging further back. Although we had weighed down the skirt with paving, logs etc, a small part of the corner where eglu meets run was exposed, and that is where he dug in. NB the hole was surprisingly small, as the fox can squeeze through very small spaces. Adopting the belt and braces approach, we have weighed down these new panels with heavy pots etc, and they have sunk slightly into the ground, so I will not include photos here. If anyone would like to get some panels and they are still not on the site (or maybe I just missed them) you could always just call Omlet and ask. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Thanks for that Pia, they sound like the ones that Omlet sell for flooring for the Rablu run, is it the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pia Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 No - not the same. The rabbit thing you mention seems to go INSIDE the run. The little squares I mean go OUTSIDE to extend the skirt (the bits that fold out of the run and go along the outside edge). The normal skirt stops where the run stops at the eglu end, which leaves a corner where the fox can dig right up against the run. Put another way: seen from above, the skirt makes the run wider than the bit the chickens are in. Where it meets the eglu, it has no extra width, and that is why it is vulnerable to a determined fox at that point. Obviously, putting a mesh down along the whole of the run on the inside would also deter foxes, but it would make it difficult for the chickens to scratch the ground. The two panels I am talking about do not affect the inside, or of course, the chickens' use of the run. I hope this makes things clearer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Sort of Pia, Thanks, sounds good. I am just interested to see how they have solved the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Sounds like Pia has a prototype to test Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
