Storms and chickens

[B.B.]

Just wanted to share a picture of our new walk in run!  I couldn't afford the Omlet walk in run, but found this one on ebay.  So far so good. Our hens are on our allotment. They don't have grass, and it's going to be a permanent run, but I give them lettuce and weeds and green stuff on a daily basis.  They're really curious little things.  I have the Chicken swing, but I've never seen any of them use it.  Any suggestions on how to get them to use it?

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by B.B.

[Cat tails]

Lovely looking run! Great design too. It’s something I have been considering too.

Just remember that chicken wire is great at keeping chickens in, but lousy at keeping foxes out.

[B.B.]

Thanks Cat tails.  I shut them up in the eglu at night and I hope that there's enough activity during the day on the allotment to keep the foxes at bay (I've never seen them during the day). We also buried a "skirt" of wire about a foot deep around the run.  Not much else I can do, so I just hope it's enough!  Behind the trees in the first picture is also a rugby pitch and a foot path, so there's usually some human activity in the area throughout the day.  Have you ever tried the chicken swing?  I desperately want them to swing!

[Cat tails]

I don’t have a chicken swing. Was tempted to buy one, but the shipping costs to the Netherlands are so high, it’s often not worth ordering.

Foxes can actually bite through chicken wire, so most here use welded mesh instead.

[mullethunter]

I have the swing. My girls who we bought it for won’t go on it either, but the chicks we hatched use it, so I wonder if it’s something they’ll only do if they’ve grown up with.

[B.B.]

So start them young on it... I was afraid of that. 

[Patricia W]

Mine won’t use the swing either...  I’ve found rats more a problem than foxes.  Omlet runs for the cube and WIR are not rodent proof, by the way, and they can certainly get through chicken wire.  I even found one rat in the next box of the cube which had got in during the day so do check before you shut them in at night!