melons Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Please please please, especially people who have their hens in eglu's. I don't know about cubes? My sister has come back from her Holiday to a blood bath, a stoat had got in her run one day and killed her ex battery leghorn, leaving her surviving friend totally traumatised. But worse than that, her blind & brain damaged hen Lucille and her disabled friend kitty were killed in their Eglu, while tucked up, what was presumed 'safely' at night and it came back and got through the AIR VENTS on the front on the Eglu. She has also said it could have got in round the door, as they never fit really tightly, either way its a death trap. My sister is inconsolable and too traumatised by it to carry on with hens. These were all rescued battery hens with disabilities, needing low level housing. I have emailed omlet and had no reply! I've always worried about the mesh size on the run on mine, which is why I dont keep my quail or hens in it, in case of rats ans stoats PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, anyone with an Eglu, be very very careful and try and mesh over the air vents, even better cover the whole damned run in aviary mesh as well, because these hunt by day as well. She is utterly distraught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsatroy Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 That's really horrific - I am so sorry to hear of that awful experience. It never even occurred to me that something like that could happen - and once the spring/milder weather starts I usually don't shut either my cube or my classic at night and obvioulsy a stoat could easily slip though the bars of the run! Again so sorry to hear about the poor girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 How awful for her, I'm so sorry . I suppose stoats can flatten themselves enough to squeeze in through the gap . I hope she doesn't give up, she sounds a lovely person giving homes to very needy hens . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 How horrible, I'm so sorry to hear that. I have a Go and I don't think a stoat could get in there with the door shut. Obviously one could get in the run though. Thankyou for the warning and I hope your sister doesn't blame herself. No-one would've forseen that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Dreadful,how very distressing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Sad to hear that Melons. Unfortunately it is very common in any coop without fine meshing over the air vents. I would have expected Omlet to have addressed the problem by now, especially as most of the reported incidents I have heard of are with their coops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 How awful, so sorry to hear this. Ax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melons Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Thank you for your kind words. yes she is giving up, this was just the worst thing ever to come home to. We have been rescuing battery hens for many many years and 'thought' we had bought decent housing for them to be able to get in, as they all had leg issues or in Lucilles case, were blind !! Ive taken some footage of various skulls against the mesh and Vents! Im more worried than ever now. Still not had any word back from Omlet themselves on this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 A very sad story indeed. I'm sorry that it has ruined chicken keeping for your sister. Please give her a big hug from me xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkim Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Horrifying. I shall be checking my Go out and taking measures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindig Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Beantree, regarding the reported incidents you have heard of - I'd be interested to know whether they are mostly associated with eglus on the ground, or can stoats and the likes climb the mesh to reach the raised coops too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I am really stunned that these coops cost the price they do and they have holes big enough to let vermin in. Shocking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Cindig stoats and weasels would DEFINITELY be able to climb the mesh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 As Mullethunter says, stoats and weasels would definitely climb the mesh. They are incredibly strong animals as well. I saw a tiny weasel dragging a rabbit twice its size across the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Oh dear This is very shocking to read. It's well known about foxes and even how they can have success with eglus, but this is a whole different ball game. Anyone had any success with covering the air vents safely and securely? I might get in touch with omlet today and see what they can suggest. Thinking back to my original wooden coop that did have fine mesh over the air vents Sorry for your sister's loss and upset...very distressing But thank you for posting this warning Melons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melons Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Well i hope you have better luck with Omlet than i have,m they've totally ignored my email ive bought some epoxy resin and fine mesh to cover mine over with, but for now Ive moved all my hens out of the Eglus, the hens have no chance what so ever with rats, Stoats and weasels in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Have you tried ringing them? I can't remember hearing of any other incursion of this kind before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill2b Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Sorry to hear this Melons. very worrying. What size does the mesh have to be to stop stoats, our outside run is now like Ft Knox but the inside run is a bought one with 2x1 inch thick mesh on it will a stoat get through this? Its such a worry isn't it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I had a similar incident a few years ago, when a predator - we never found out what sort, though suspect a rat - got into the locked eglu at night through the drainage hole in the nest box and killed one of my girls. I was subsequently told that wire wool is the way to stop them as their noses are very sensitive and they won't try to get through it. I blocked the drainage hole with wire wool, and scrunched up some chicken wire to put in the air vent holes making sure that there was still enough ventilation, and have had no similar problems since. I'm very sorry to hear what happened in this case. It's a horrible experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 We have fine weld mesh over all the ventilation areas on every coop we have. It's zinc galvanised with 1mm diameter wire spaced at 12mm, so the holes are 11mm square. To my knowledge nothing has ever got through them. I suppose a very tiny mouse could squeeze through, but I've never found anything in the coops in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 There seems to be a recurring theme about the ventilation gaps in the nest box And I do wonder why omlet have not addressed the issue, I lose half the bedding through mine but thank goodness nothing more serious, but with a rat prowling about it has freaked me out,, Would love omlet to respond with their thoughts....????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orangediva Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Been reading this whilst setting up my Eglu Classic for new arrivals - all rather worrying. I have some fine metal mesh, I think it 1cm x 1cm, left over from making hamster bin cages - I assume this would be suitable? Exactly how do people go about attaching it? I was thinking I might leave the Eglu door open in summer so the hens can let themselves into the run when they want and to increase ventilation when it's hot - perhaps not now. Also same with my house bunnies - the plan was, if they seem to want to stay in their run overnight when its very warm, to leave them out. Definitely having second thoughts now. Really sorry to hear about your sister's horrible experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Not been on here for a whiley, and what a terrible story! So sorry for those losses. Would a heavy duty upholstery stapler work in piercing the plastic on inside to attach the fine mesh securely I wonder? Wouldn't change the appearance at all from the outside but deter anything small from the holes? Just a thought as never had an Eglu or Go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
