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

[LorMac]

Hi all,

 

Some advice from you experience hen keepers would be much appreciated!!

 

3 weeks ago I had a very dark day when I woke up on the Monday morning to let my 7 ex-bats out and found that they'd all gone. There were feathers and some blood on the ground but otherwise no sign of any of my beautiful girles. I had the Eglu Cube but not the run, as we'd fenced off an area of the garden to let them run around in. The foxes (I presume that was more than one given that they took all 7) climbed the hedge at the back of the garden to get into the enclosure and then destroyed the chickenwire fencing to get back out.

 

Anyway, I'm getting some new girls (life without chickens is just rubbish) and I now have the full Eglu Cube with 3m run to keep them safe

 

Is the Eglu as fox-proof as it says or do I need to do anything to improve the security and make sure that the next lot of ex-bats don't meet the same fate?

 

Thanks!

 

Laura

 

RIP Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe and little Monica xx

[Cooks]

If your cube door was closed I cannot see how they would have been harmed?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm so sorry to hear that, Laura . What a horrible shock for you .

 

I don't have a cube, just an eglu but I would say the house itself is totally fox-proof (as long as you shut the door, obviously!) The run is fox resistant but you will need to take other measures especially as you know you have foxes. Weighting down the run skirt with slabs or boulders is an option or even putting the run onto slabs. A Foxwatch is also an option if you are worried about foxes visiting your chickens (which would really stress them even if they're safe behind the run).

 

I think I'm right in saying chickens have been known to stick their heads out of the run with horrible consequences and foxes have also been known to lie on top of eglu runs and try to swipe at the chickens inside (not such an issue with the higher cube run). You may want to put some sort of cover round the edge of the run (which keeps bedding inside, if you use bedding).

 

I hope you manage to get something sorted out so you can have chickens again without constantly worrying about foxes .

 

Edited to say I've just read Cookie's post - good point . Are you sure it was a fox?

[katieadams]

If your cube door was closed I cannot see how they would have been harmed?

 

Good point - how did the fox get into the cube? I've not heard of anyone having a fox get into a cube and run though they seem pretty much fox proof

[tooties]

I have an eglu and not a cube, but have taken the following measures to make the run more fox proof:

1) Sited onto concrete

2) Put slabs all around the run to hold the skirt down

3) Strengthened all the 'joins' with additional parcel ties - I read about a fox who broke the original omlet clips, and I'm not taking any chances!

[LorMac]

We'd come back from holiday on the Sunday night as so the door was open hence the fox took them all. We had a lady come in to feed our 3 cats and sort the hens out in the morning but we couldn't get anyone to shut them up at night - especially because it wasn't getting dark until late. The sad thing is that we'd been on holiday for 2 weeks and it was the night we got back that it happened

 

Anyway, I feel bad enough about the whole thing as it is so would rather not dwell on all that but look forward to the future and how I can stop the fox from taking the new girls.

[Egluntyne]

I would recommend that you put it on slabs to prevent digging in be the fox.

 

I'd also suggest that you get an extension to give them that bit more room.

 

Enjoy your new hens and good luck.