Poorly chicken

[Chicken Licken]

Does anyone have one of these? My escape chickens wreaked havoc last year on seedlings on all the neighbouring gardens and allotments . I currently have them within omlet netting sadly my escape leader vimto has learned to jump and balance on the netting before hopping off to freedom and destruction. Lizzie the chicken leader uses the eglu and run as a launch pad (think aircraft carrier) and hurls herself to freedom, only angel my overweight white sussex who is a formidable girl is to heavy to escape.

I don't have a fox problem, but will have a neighbour problem if the girls are not contained! The Harrod horticultural seems like a souped up fruit cage, but is flexible in the sizings and I could fit one into te space available. I just wondered if anyone had one and if so would you recommend them?

[mullethunter]

Sorry, can't help. Just wanted to say that the image of Lizzie using the Eglu as a launch ramp made me laugh

[PixieDust]

Sorry, can't help. Just wanted to say that the image of Lizzie using the Eglu as a launch ramp made me laugh

 

Ditto

[Olly]

Sorry, I don't have one either - but I had to comment on your words above that the hens are contained (or not!) in the Omlet netting and that you 'don't have a fox problem'. I hate to sound the voice of doom and gloom, but many many people before you have used those words. The first time they have discovered they have a fox problem is when it's too late.

[PixieDust]

Echo Olly's remark about foxes.

 

Someone on here had a similar frame for their chooks. He hadn't had it very long when a fox got in and caused utter destruction. For any walk in run you must have at minimum a 6"-12" weld mesh wire skirt around the bottom. Even better, dig weld mesh wire 8"-12" down into the ground and also 8"-12" skirt underground.

 

Cambridgeshire has foxes. Granted where I used to live you saw foxes all day long. I actually went to the nearest town the other week and a fox was walking along the high street with the crowds. Unbelievable!

 

I have never seen a fox where I live now which is rural. I have seen one fox poop in our garden some years ago and I certainly hear them during mating season. Our neighbour has, in the last 3 years, lost 20 girls to fox attacks, but she let's them roam all day unsupervised. My girls have a WIR that is like fort knox just in case.

 

I would be careful being lured into a false sense of security with this item. And don't trust anything other than weld mesh. Plastic netting, however strong, will not stop a fox or dog. It could prove to be a costly exercise; emotionally as well as financially.

[Egluntyne]

Never assume that you don't have a fox problem.

[Chicken deficient]

A bit late answering your question, but I haven't been on here for absolutely ages.

I have a Harrod Horticultural run - 3m x 6m

 

Overall, I'd say it is very good value for money for the size of run that your chickens end up with.

It has good points and bad points though:

 

+ lots of space for the cost compared to other runs

+ u"Ooops, word censored!"trusive - we have the aluminium tube one and barely notice it is there

+ you can get spare poles if needed

+ it is high enough to walk in comfortably

 

- don't bother with the extruded mesh sides - rats chewed big (fox sized) holes in it

- there is no way of putting a roof on it

- you need to take the mesh roof off if it snows, otherwise the weight will bend the poles (HH send email reminders to take it off if snow is forecast)

 

In summary, overall I am really pleased with it.

 

Our set up is like this:

HH aluminium frame

1 x 0.5" weldmesh sides that go down to a foot below ground level

HH mesh roof as supplied

I lock the door in the middle and at the bottom and like this I am happy to leave my chickens loose in there at night.

 

As for the roof issue, initially I wished I had a wooden covered run, but now I am actually glad that the run is open to the elements - it is healthier and a more natural environment for the chickens. Inside the run, I have a cube with 3 run sections covered with a tarpaulin, so 4m in total of covered run. This covered bit gets very dusty - I actually hose it down when I wash the Cube. The uncovered run is far less dusty as it gets rained on, which is much healthier for the chickens. The run floor is bare earth covered with a generous layer of free green wood chip from the local tree surgeon, so the rain, earth and associated natural bugs and worms etc means that it slowly composts down - I don't need to poo pick, there is no smell and my chickens are very healthy. I top up the green wood chip at the end of the summer and don't have any problems with mud - my Pekins have lovely clean foot feathers.

 

I hope that helps - let me know if you want any further info or some pics x

[Henergy]

I'm just looking at the Harrod cage -are you able to post some pictures - I'd be very grateful.

 

I too have escaping chickens who jump onto the cube run & out. They are locked at night in their cube run - so I like the sound on your set up for daytime. Currently they are in an area surrounded by omlet netting which is no match for the escapees !