Green original cube and walk-in run for sale

[Roksteddie]

Well we came home to tragedy this evening after a night away. I went out to check on my 3 girls and immediately knew something was wrong. A fox leapt out from behind the run and shot up and over the fence. That's when I noticed feathers absolutely everywhere. My partner rushed down to the coop and discovered that all 3 of our chickens had gone. The back of our eglu go up was on the ground... I normally deal with the cleaning and maintenance of the coop but decided to step back and let him sort things out yesterday morning. We think that he probably didn't put the door on properly or didn't check to make sure he'd turned the locking mechanism properly. In any case it's cost us dearly and is devastating. I wish I'd double checked everything myself before we left. We'd only had them 5 weeks. We think they were taken yesterday and that the fox had come back on the off-chance of getting seconds. All the time, effort, emotional investment has gone down the drain!

 

I'm not sure what to do now. I don't feel I can face going through the whole process again... getting attached to them and then possibly losing them. Also I don't feel like I want to 'replace' my girls. Should I jump straight back on the horse again and learn from our (his!) mistakes or take a break and start again in the spring when the weather will be better anyway?

[emmalou]

I am so sorry to hear this. I understand how you feel as we too lost our first hen p, Poppy last week to a buzzard or fox. It is very traumatic. We have just adopted two battery hens at the weekend. I can assure you whilst it is a difficult decision jumping straight in is the only way. Being exbatts ours require more care so has taken my mind off of finding little Poppy. Obviously with the avian flu laws they are shut in now but would be reluctantbto let them all out again. It is not so bad for us as their run is big. Let us know how you get on.

[Cat tails]

How aweful! Sounds like you have been very unlucky!

 

I have a Go up myself and personally don't particularly trust the locking mechanism of the backdoor. A determined fox scrabling at the back door might well accidently turn the k"Ooops, word censored!".

 

It's hard to give advice in these situations. Only you and your husband can decide if you want to take on more chickens. I think I would get more chickens in your situation, but might invest in a elastic cable thing that you normally fasten luggage with on your car or motorcycle. You could loop it around the back across the backdoor and hook it to the run on each side.

[cx_caroline]

I've got a Go Up too and have been suspicious of the door locking mechanism from day 1. There's loads of play side-to-side in the mechanism and barely any effort required to switch from locked to unlocked. So I bought a 'spider' bungee cord from Homebase (same as http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/master-lock-80cm-spider-bungee-315030 but bigger size) that I clip to the run frame so that its 'nets' over the back door. I'm sure that a determined predator could probably gnaw through the cords, but it should deter an opportunist, and then they would still have to paddle the actual door itself open too. I believe that omlet customers in the US can buy a bracket for the Go Up that creates an extra locking point (making it secure against nimble-fingered raccoons etc.), but when I enquired with the office here they said they didn't stock it for UK (hence the bungee)

[Chickabee]

I'm really sorry to hear this. I lost 2 of mine and one was badly injured, by a fox attack. That was early in my hen keeping career. I was determined to keep going though. Bought a WIR and 2 more Omlet girls. So glad I did. I now have 22 !

[sjp]

is the lock in the recess on at the top of the rear door? if so if the lock handle is the only weak point that's possible an easy fix it just needs a 'flap' type cover over it made from a bit of metal or plastic plate and a nut and bolt through the plate and door fixed in such a way that the flap always hangs over the recess and you have to open the flap to unlock the door or just fix either a hasp and staple or a barrel bolt to the rear door that way removes the chance of a fox biting through a bungee cord

[merlina]

I would suggest getting some more hens - but different from your last group - so there is no sense of 'replacing' them. Perhaps some ex-batts so you can feel like you are doing a good thing?

As others have said, the catch sounds dodgy (and a wily fox, which you may well have in your area, get get past all kinds of catches)

Because I'm not of a 'handy' persuasion, when I has an ark, I had a large concrete pole wedged against the door that some nimble critter would have had to move to be able to get at it

(no idea if it worked, but never had any mishaps)

 

Sorry about your chooks. That must be very upsetting.

[Roksteddie]

Thanks for all the input. I'm not sure that the catch is faulty. It's been completely fine/secure whenever I've been responsible for locking them all in. It's highly unlikely that it is jus a coincidence that on the only day my partner 'locked' them in, a fox happened to get them. But of course it's always a possibility...

 

I can't seem to find any documentation of other people thinking that a fox has actually managed to undo a catch on the back of an eglu that has been properly secured. Nevertheless we will take extra precautions in future.

 

As for getting new chickens, all the suppliers local to us won't have any new stock until February so it's going to be a long wait before we can get some and we don't fancy the idea of ex-batts just yet.

[Chickabee]

Have you checked on preloved?

[Roksteddie]

Was not aware of pre-loved until now. Have checked but nothing there... Will just have to be patient.

[Daphne]

I'm sorry to hear your news

 

Personally I think it might be the best thing to wait a couple of months as firstly you will not be involved in the bird flu arrangments, which could be even more difficult with a new set of birds who aren't used to each other, and secondly you will miss out on winter keeping which is not always that much fun through wet and mud.

 

I should think it will be fun to come back to it fresh and keen in Spring, with no pressure and everything to look forward to - fresh Spring grass growing, a bit of sun on their backs and everyone coming into lay

[Luvachicken]

So sorry to read about what has happened to you and your chickens.

It is a sad thing to happen.

 

I think Daphne is right with what she said.

Having chickens in the spring will give you something to look forward to and plenty of time to figure out what you would like.

 

xx

[The Dogmother]

So sorry to hear that Roksteddie, could happen to anyone - my whole flock was also wiped out earlier this year, in broad daylight, never seen a fox before or since.

 

Personally I would restock asap and take all necessary precautions with your housing.

 

I would never buy a Go; I don't think much of their construction; I much prefer the classic or cube.

[mullethunter]

Really DM? You've never mentioned that before

 

(Sorry - being mean - couldn't resist) "gets-back-in-box"

[Cat tails]

Really DM? You've never mentioned that before

 

(Sorry - being mean - couldn't resist) "gets-back-in-box"

 

[The Dogmother]

 

*whispers* I once turned down a free one!

 

Just my personal choice you understand

[Mars]

Sorry to hear that Roksteddie

We all lost hens to fox and we are still going

If I was you I would get some Ex-bat ASAP and keep going, at least as said above you get the benefit of feeling you are doing something good.

Generally speaking, when you know what you are up against you are fine.

You know what to do now

Good Luck