Figgins Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Hello, Recently my neighbour discovered they had something under their decking. This 'something' is badgers. I love badgers and stay up trying to catch a glimpse, unfortunately I have yet to see them, but last night they found our chickens. I can remember trying to stop things like this happening by laying mesh along the floor and fortunately they didn't get into the run. If in the unfortunate event of the badger suceeding in its quest to enter the run, would an Eglu Classic be strong enough? Also, if you need to know I have 3 chickens, , , and a . Thanks, Seth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I know they have pretty powerful jaws, best bet is to stop ANYTHING gettiing in in the first instance, have ypu tried googling to see what their food preferences are. dont they normally eat roots grubs worms etc? have a look here http://www.badgerland.co.uk/animals/food/yourgarden.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figgins Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Yeah, they like worms and grubs and stuff. One of my neighbours once saw a badger with a cat though. I think they'll eat anything. I suppsoe Eglus are strong enough to stop badgers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 The badger attacked the cat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsley Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Badgers will take chickens and will rip apart wooden houses with ease. Not sure how the Eglu would fare. The weak points would be the pull out tray the front door and possibly the egg port? I know that I would not like them so close Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 I agree with Parsley. A friend's neighbour who lived in quite a rural location had her house ripped to pieces by a badger and her chickens killed. Obviously chickens aren't a main food source for them but if they are hungry ....... I think the main problem is that they are exceptionally strong. Is electric fencing an option for you? My dad lives very rurally and has had badgers in his garden before (passing through rather than living there). Our girls stay there when we go on holiday. My main concern there is badgers rather than foxes because of their physical strength. The girls have a coop (with padlocks on the doors that are locked at night). The coop is inside a walk in run (with a locked door and three bolts on the door) with a roof, there is a width of chicken wire stapled into the ground around the outside of the run. Around the bottom of the run there is a bungee electric fence and about a metre out from the run there is electrificed netting round the whole thing. I still worry about them though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 We live in a rural location and regularly have badgers in the garden. The dog likes to chase them back into he fields of an evening I can see where they've been the following morning as they dig little areas around the wild bird feeders. There's normally more activity when the ground is hard during a drought or cold snap as they find it hard to forage for food. I have never seen any trace of them around the run though Having said that, my run is on a concrete base. Is your run on a hard base or just on the ground? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 I have a chicken book called the Urban Hen and in its section about housing where its talking about people using old sheds it mentions that if you live near badgers they are known to 'crash right through walls of a shed to get eggs and whatever else inside' Pretty sure that a badger a few years ago was taking my mums geese eggs and we think it may have killed one of her ganders cant be 100% sure as she lives in the country so could be the other 4 legged preditor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figgins Posted February 16, 2013 Author Share Posted February 16, 2013 Thanks for the replies! The coop is on the ground, but has wire around it for about a foot. I doubt a badger could rip open a closed eglu though.... I was thinking if it were to get in the run would it be able to twist open the side door? A fox certainly would be able to. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
