4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[JB09]

Hi guys,

 

I know this subject has been repeated time and time again on the forum but I am going away for a few days over Easter and we will be leaving the chicks for a couple of nights. I have been in the routine since I have had them of closing the eglu door each night. I know however when I am away that I will have to leave it open - this leaves me feeling anxious, so might start leaving it open now so I can see how things go. Do you think this sounds like a good idea? I know the eglu is not fox proof when the eglu door is open but do you think if the girls are roosting in the eglu at night and a fox starts to 'make a scene' they would be lured out (into his clutches)?

 

Advise would be greatly received.

 

Thanks

 

JB

[Jules.]

I would eave the door open while you are away, & then return to closing it at night when you are home again.

Peace of mind all round.

[snowcloud]

No-one wants to be the one to recommend it's ok to leave the door open, then to hear from you that they were attacked... so this is just my experience rather than a recommendation...

 

I have had an Eglu for years both in the country and in the town and although both have foxes (much worse in the town) the Eglu was left with the door open for the girls through the night, although of course the door to the run was closed! We have also left them for a couple of nights in this way and returned to find them fine. The run is good to deter the foxes as they like to dig directly where the run hits the ground, so the part of the run that then flows out horizontally stops them digging through.

 

There are no guarantees and you are the best judge of the fox risks in your area; but in my experience, the Eglu and it's run has been enough to keep out the foxes... but I know others on the forum have not been so lucky for a variety of reasons.

[Aggienator]

I'm wondering about this, and wondering if these pegs will make it more secure

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've left our eglu door open while we've been away. I did take the precaution of laying odds and ends of concrete slabs all along the run skirt though!

[Jules.]

I stress on my hen parties that although the eglu with the door closed is fox proof, the run itself is only fox resistant.

 

Keeping the eglu door shut at night also keeps my hens quiet on light mornings, & the neighbours happy

[HasSumAmi]

Having just had a hen have her wing ripped off through the bars of the run on the second night we'd left the Eglu door open I definitely say close the door.

 

As you are going away and have to leave it open, I'd cover the entire run in something. We've got plastic coated wire mesh covering the entire run now. This makes the gaps smaller and therefore more difficult for a fox to grab through.

[Hen Watch]

I used to leave my eglu door open all the time prior to 4am wake up calls which forced me to get into the routine of shutting it. Not for the security but to prevent them from annoying the neighbours.

 

So I am comfortable leaving the door open when I go on holiday. I personally feel it is too much to expect my chicken sitter to arrive at 7.30am to let them out and then close them up at night.

 

With the eglu door open she only need come once a day to top up feed/water/get eggs. However I get anxious when I am on holiday wondering if I'll come back to find they've been out at 4am each day hollering and waking the neighbours. I should add, more of a worry in the light summer months.

 

I personally have never had any fox problems with them in the run alone in the last 2 years, but then I might feel differently if I had.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Or you could use corrugated plastic sheeting. It's really good as a rain cover too!

[Olly]

You don't say, ANH!

 

I leave the door open all year round - yes, I am aware that some people have had their hens injured through the run. I go away with work sometimes, work late and have weekends away, and it wouldn't work for me if I had to close the door every night and open it every morning, so I'm prepared to take the risk on that. In 2 years I haven't had a problem.