Omlet cube and run

[the bradley bunch]

where ive cut the WIR to get the cube ladder through theres gaps about 2inch square either side of the ladder

 

hi again katie, i'm so sorry to bother you again but i just thought i should let you know that somebody else posted with a similar dilemma on friday, not knowing what had got to her girls & attacked them. it seemed that the guilty party was a mink, and with you mentioning the 2 inch gap around the cube entrance it has made me think it may also have been a mink who got to your poor silkie:

mink will also be able to fit though the same size gaps as rats, but they are unfortunately however much more able to kill larger prey...apparently a mink would be able to get through a hole 2" x 3".

 

it sounds like you are doing everything you can by blocking up the gap and locking your girls up at night, however if you're not already doing so i would also suggest taking in their food at night as all predators (inc. rats, stoat, mink) will be attracted by the smell of your chook's food.

 

i hope you, oh, and the rest of your girls are doing well now x

unfortunately there's always something new to worry about as a chicken mummy and to protect your little ones from, but hopfully now you know what you're dealing with you'll be able to keep them safe.

[Sherbet]

That is sooo sad, Am so sorry for you. RIP little one

[Eggie232]

Im so sorry to hear of the loss of your poor little silkie.

Could it be possible that she may have hurt herself on an object in your garden? One of my hens got her leg completely trapped in the mesh threshold at the bottom of the door into the cube run and it broke her leg really badly!

[thatmadwoman]

Hi there,

I'm so sorry for you and your little hen

I read this and it brought back memories of an attack on one of my hens a few years ago. The culprit was rats! It was horrid. Often they are around even if you don't see them. They can easily squeeze through 2" mesh and the smaller ones through 1", normally they are just after the hen food but if they get desperate the big ones will often have a go. The only way to keep them at bay is to completely mesh under, round and over your run with 1/2" mesh. I have also known foxes to try and pull hens through larger mesh, or from under a run so it could have been this.

Good luck keeping the girls safe x