Solitary chicken - need advice

[Nogs]

Hi there,

I am in two minds as to whether or not to buy an eglu or not for my 3 children. They are 8, 5 and 2. We live in West London and have a small garden but with room to have one but we regularly see foxes in the garden both day and night. My concern is that the foxes would get them if they are out free whilst the children are playing in the garden and the chickens are out too. (There has never been any in the garden whilst we have been in it.) Or that they would dig under the run during the day or just come and get them at night. The staff seemed pretty sure they were fox roof but the forum seems less confident about the safety. Is it a trauma waiting to happen or is it worth the risk?

Thanks for any comments!

Nogs

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

The eglu and run is designed to a high degree of safety. Foxes dig against upright surfaces. This is why the run has an 8" skirt built in around it. The fox tries to dig into the angle, which is protected by the weldmesh. The eglu is safe for the hens at night, particularly if the door is closed.

 

Hope this puts your mind at rest.

 

Free-ranging always has and will continue to be a difficult area.

[Redwing]

They are certainly a lot safer than many other options, the risk is not so much from things tunneling in but from strikes through the run mesh while a bird is dozing or eating close to the edge but these seem to be mercifully rare and cold happen with most other types of run too and if you shut them in at night you can minimise risk

 

I would say that I dont believe the standard run to be big enough for three if they are in it a lot, you might want to consider the converter too which adds another metre, you can get these secondhand if you can't justify the initial expense

[Nogs]

Thank you both replies are really helpful. I was just looking at the extension thing as thought maybe that would be a good idea as I don't think I can get away with ordering just 2 chickens. Also would you recommend one type of chicken over the other that eglu offer?

Miss pepperpot or ginger something?

thanks again,

nogs

[Redwing]

Thw two chickens are much of a muchness, hybrids bred for their friendly nature (the Gingernut might just pip that..) and their egg laying ability

[Olly]

You'd definitely want the converter with three hens. The Eglu is designed for suburban gardens, there is always going to be a problem with foxes but while they are in the run, they should be safe.

 

It's true that there have been some very rare occurrences of hens being 'got at' through the bars of the run, but they are exceptional. If you shut your hens in at night, and make sure the run skirt is pegged down or weighted down (even better, lay it on slabs) they should be safe.

 

Free-ranging is always a risk, but I think it's unlikely a fox would come into the garden whilst your childen are playing there, don't know how big your garden is of course. They are very bold (foxes, not children!) and will take any opportunity so if you are not actually out in the garden it's best to be safe and shut the hens away. While you will doubtless have read some sad stories on here, many of us have successfully kept hens in an Eglu or Cube for years without problems.

 

I think they are ideal pets to have with children, they'll love collecting the eggs and it's a great introduction to animals, life-and-death questions and where food comes from. The Omlet chickens are excellent 'starter' hens as they'll lay regularly and are generally docile and friendly.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I had an eglu plus converter and 3 hens in a fairly small surbuban garden . It was great but I just had to upgrade to a walk in run and 5 hens .

[bettyhen]

If you need 3 hens, and free ranging is risky, why not get 3 bantams.

I think that some types are supposed to be really friendly

 

Sue x

[whoopsie]

Having suffered a fox attack on my two ex battery hens last week (who weren't in the eglu) I am pretty confident that they are safe. They can't dig underneath (though I have used tent pegs on the front of the run for extra security, and they can't in the eglu itself.

 

It's the best decision I have made for a long time.

[Janty]

You could get a cube... they don't take up much more space than the eglu and the run gives you more space to put up perches, etc.