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

[poppy33]

Well the walk in run is completed and the new turfs are being delivered tomorrow The three girls are due to move into the run tomorrow when I have dismantled the Eglu house from the original eglu run. I am really worried about the girls as the new run is down the end of the garden and I can't see it from the house. I am really worried that a fox may try to dig into the run, we dont have foxes in the garden and i do have two dogs and next door have a gun dog that lives outside in a kennel so that may put foxes off a bit. when we made the run we did bury the wire underground like a skirt around the edge but hubby got a bit cross with my constant worryiing and the wire is only burried for about 8 inches beyond the run. I am probably being an over protective chicken mum has anyone ever had a fox actually dig under and into the run, I wont sleep once they are in the new run, I am planning to try and creep in and close the eglu door, but knowing the girls they will all come running down the ramp if they hear me.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm sure they'll be fine but you could always lay a path of slabs around the edge of the run for extra protection .

 

I've not heard of anyone having a fox dig into a WIR but that's probably because they tend to have more "fox proofing".

 

Hope you manage to sleep tonight and don't worry too much . (Are we getting photos of the WIR ?)

[poppy33]

Thanks for your reply. yes I wil be posting photos soon. I am very pleased with the WIR and its all thanks to this forum and the inspiration and advice I have received from other users. we have a very busy weekend ahead of us as we replace the lawn that the little hooligans removed over the winter months its all been a huge and quite expensive learning curve but we love the girls to bits and wont make the mistake of letting them freerange over the winter period which is when the lawn vanished!!! I will post some pictures at the weekend.

[Redwing]

There are some options:

 

Place the run on a border of slabs

 

Place the run on a whole floor of slabs

 

Use something like sleepers or breezeblocks around the sides of the run (on the outside)

 

Bury the wire

 

Have a wire skirt around the run (like on the Eglu run)

 

Wire the whole underside of the run

[Dave36]

Sorry to say this but only a week ago i had a fox dig under the door of the walk in run, the chickens started it when free ranging and the fox finished it off, it didnt look big enough for a fox to get in maybe a cat ?? good advise to put some slabs down.

 

Dave

[Chook n Boo Mum]

There are some options:

 

Have a wire skirt around the run (like on the Eglu run)

 

 

This is our option, although it can't be seen now as the grass has grown up through the wire. A friend lost her 3 chooks overnight on Wednesday & is contemplating covering the entire underside of the run & coop with wire.......wouldn't this hurt their feet ?

 

Sha x

[hillfamily]

Some good ideas already suggested :D

 

If you're worried about a fox digging under the run then a row of slabs all the way around is a very good idea :D

 

My WIR is built on a slab base so nothing (foxes, rats, cats) can burrow or dig into it :D The base is then covered with about 3 inches of hemcore so the girls have something to dig and scratch about in......they are very happy with this arrangement :D

 

Sha.... I think it might hurt the chooks feet if a mesh floor was laid. I've not had any experience of a run with a mesh floor but I would have thought the chooks would catch their feet and claws whilst they were digging

[Redwing]

I have two small runs that have wire floors, the wire quickly 'sticks' to the ground below and does not cause a problem

 

I do use a good thick layer of woodchips though

[Guest]

Hi

 

I run my wire off the run and created a skirt of about 9 inches but its the chickens who dig on one side that seem to be digging for freedom.

 

I have put a double layer of bricks on top of the skirt now and every night sweep the soil back into the excavation holes. I do think slabs are a good idea as a precaution and my upgrade to this method to be doubly sure.

 

Good luck

indie

[Sheilaz]

I'm sure they'll be fine but you could always lay a path of slabs around the edge of the run for extra protection .

 

I'd advise against doing this! (Sorry ANH)

 

The underground wire skirt would thwart a fox, they'd have to start again. If you put slabs, they'll just know where to start the dig, they like to start at an edge!

 

Because of the underground wire, I would say your run sounds very safe. I check every day for any signs of attempts, just to be sure.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Fair point, Sheila . Hadn't really thought of that . It's just what I'd done - but then again, I didn't have foxes in my garden .