3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[mafia princess]

So I popped out this morning at 8am - giving the girls a 'lie-in' in this cold weather! Put their lovely warm breakfast and fresh aired water into the run, only to discover I couldn't open the door! It was frozen shut - trapped, imprisoned, panic !! I quickly ran in to get OH advice which was to pour warm water over the handle slowly and let it trickle down to melt the ice.

By the time I got back outside, all hell had let loose in the ! I guess they could smell breakfast. The trickle trick worked and they came rushing out giving me such a hen glare .

Apparently it has been as low as -10 in some areas locally so I presume it will happen again. Does anyone have any suggestions to prevent this happening on a work day when i really am in a rush in the dark at 6.45am?

All suggestions welcome,

Thank you forum friends!

Jen (the Hen Mum!)

aka Mafia Princess.

[njoy]

This happened to me the other morning too. I now have an old rug over the eglu covering the handle. the rug has frozen stiff and taken on the shape of the eglu, but seems to be doing the trick. No problems today opening the door and it was -7 last night

[chickweed]

Avoid using water as it will just refreeze and if this freezing weather continues you will get a build up of ice that is impossible to shift. This happened to my Eglu last winter. Try covering it with a piece of old carpet or bubble wrap.

I wonder if a heated wheat bag or hot water might thaw it this doesn't work?

[Raina]

Try some WD40.That's what i did and it seems to be working

[mafia princess]

Thank you for your welcome suggestions! Will certainly try the carpet and WD40 methods. OH (the one who was having nothing to do with this chicken lark!) spent some time clearing frozen woodbark from around the base and groove at the bottom and this seems to have done the trick for now.

Today I was home early; for once the snow did me a favour and they sent us home as soon as the kids left school, so I had some lovely chicken time . They did not want to venture into the crazy white stuff that was hiding their lawn (no longer mine) so ate their warmed sweetcorn from the safety of the run, just stretching their necks to reach! However, a shake of the mealworm bag and they soon came running, or should I say skidding along the decking to pick their favourite treats out of the snow - before scuttling back to safety and warmth!

They make me laugh so much!

[Raina]

Awww.

 

Well i put some WD-40 on the door thingy nearly a week ago now and we've had lots of ice since then (The Glug had 5 iches of ice somedays) and i still haven't had a frozen door We also had a frozen Padlock and the WD-40 sorted that out straight away too.