Britannia Ovens (esp Range cookers) your experience

[Chicken deficient]

We're going away for the weekend. Normally I'd leave my chickens in the WIR that has the Cube and run in it. However, now there are more chickens nearby belonging to a neighbour. (They are all on open allotment land that backs onto our gardens). I'm a little concerned that the area will now be more tempting for foxes.

So, my question is, if we are going to be away overnight, do I shut my chickens into the 3m Cube run for the weekend, for bombproof security, or leave them with access to the WIR? It has roof netting and the sides are buried a foot down, but it is potentially possible for a rat to chew a hole in the netting that starts at 3 foot up, (the lower 3 foot is weldmesh), and for a fox to then expand the hole...

 

Normally I shut the chickens into the Cube run every night.

[Olly]

If the run is foxproof, then I don't think the presence of other chickens nearby will make any difference. If it isn't foxproof ... personally I wouldn't take any chances, it will do them no harm to be confined to the Cube run for a few days. I wouldn't bet on a fox not managing to get through the netting at a height of 3', without help from rats.

[Chicken deficient]

Thanks - I think I will shut them in. I think it is going to be raining anyway! We've had the WIR for about 5 years now and they free range a lot behind Omlet netting too. We've not had a fox problem so far, but I think you are right to suggest I play it safe - I'm sure twice the number of chickens in the area is bound to catch the attention of the foxes.

 

I'm planning on replacing the netting soon - is the stronger chicken wire good enough? - I've seen a lot of runs made with it, but it does look rather weedy next to Omlet runs.