Poorly chicken

[sarkymite]

Neighbour told me the chickens were making helluva racket at 11pm. I didn't hear this but did have a "gut feeling" to go check them around 11.30pm- they were fine but other neighbours dogs were losing the plot over something.

This morning they had me awake on and off from around 4am but got really loud at 6.50.

It was a combo of 2 types of racket:

1) the bok bok bok bok bok SCREEEEECH bok bok bok bok bok SCREEEECH noise and

2) the loud and grating graaawk grawwwwwk grawwwwwk grawwwwk grawwwwwk GRAAAAWWWWKKKKK grawwwk thing that they do. They were all at it and it only stopped after I'd stood outside with them for 20 minutes sharply saying "shush" every time one opened a beak.

In between all of this Nancy was also fussing over egg laying so we had some slightly less alarming but nonetheless loud other noises from her too.

From a glance out the upstairs window I know there was at least one mega peed off neighbour early this morning, 2 doors down. Eeek. He was standing outside in a dressing gown, hands on hips and glaring in the general direction of the run.

 

Nice neighbour thinks foxy was paying closer attention to the hens than usual and that's what the noise was about (and was so worried for the chickens!) so I took the precaution today of actually starting the run improvements I'd been planning. I was shocked, when cable tying, how many of the clips have already come open or failed/snapped on our WIR. This incarnation of it has only been up since December and it was all brand new clips!! It is all now securely cable tied up to waist level and to roof height around the door, but I've run out of cable ties now

 

Also I've found one snapped bit of metal on a high up panel (again this panel was new in December, and one slightly bent-out corner halfway up, which is weird. I can't decide whether the run has naturally shifted/subsided a bit (possible as the hens have dug away inside around the edges so it now sits sort of on a ledge in places) or whether it's attempted-entry damage.

 

I might shut them in the Eglu again tonight. I'm only half hearted in my resolve to do this because I worry that it seems to get rather hot in there overnight if the donor's shut, and also because with the general trampling and stamping about that they engage in before being let out of a morning, I worry one will get hurt or that they'll smash any early-laid eggs etc.

Oh! for spare cash for a Cube!!! That would solve everything. Well not everything but it would be a lot more of a spacious option for shutting them in to overnight!!

[Millie-Annie]

I went over all the joins on my Omlet WIR with plastic coated wire, just wrapping it round and round the joins.

 

Those times definitely fit in with fox time in my experience

[Cat tails]

The early awakenings made me close the coop every night. I know most here leave it open year round, but with all my neighbours as close to my garden as they are, it simply isn't an option for me. Chickens are still fine, even in hot weather.

[sarkymite]

Seen a fox just other side of fence- a small one, making off across the big garden next to ours at high speed - looked like a young vixen, definitely not the big bold boy that patrols across our gardens nightly. But she may be more of a danger if she's raising cubs.

 

2nd night of shutting them in again and I'll get up at 6 again to let them out before they explode with impatience!

 

I won't be able to at the weekend tho as we're away and nice neighbour is on chook duty but is only going in once a day. Going to get some more packs of cable ties though, so I can finish off reinforcing every seam of the WIR before then.

 

I also need some more heavy duty tent pegs so that I can use my roll of heavy galvanised mesh to improve the skirt.

 

Also going to turn my mind to how to save up for a Cube. I wouldn't feel so bad shutting them in a Cube overnight just as it's that bit more spacious, and it feels safer for being up off the ground. I reckon 2nd hand with relevant run parts (would want the 3m run to connect to WIR for maximum space) I need to save/make around £500. I feel a Cube Challenge coming on... i wonder what i could do to raise funds...

[Millie-Annie]

I bought my tent pegs for my skirt from Amazon. For some reason I cant post links on here, anyone know why?

 

But they are Blue Diamond Screw Peg Pro Case of 20 for £12.90 and free delivery

[sarkymite]

I bought my tent pegs for my skirt from Amazon.

 

I've just raided our camping equipment OH may be unpleasantly surprised when he next tries to put up the awning or a tent

I'll get some more next time we're at Go Outdoors or somewhere hehehe!!

 

Run now 80% cable tie reinforced and the rest will be done tomorrow. More obvious signs of fox presence in garden. Heavy, large law prints sunk down into my freshly dug and seeded veg bed opposite the chicken run, far too big to be a cat.

 

Religiously shutting chooks into Eglu overnight and they're getting used to it now but will have to leave it open while were away. At least I know the run is better secured than it was.