Sooo much pooping

[Guest]

okay, I can't help it, I'm sick with worry and my imagination is running riot so I want you to tell me straight- is our set up fox proof in your opinion?

 

I want DH to put more latches and padlocks on but he says I'm being stupid.

 

Here's the coop and run. The coop and attached run is on concrete slabs. The nest box is padlocked at night, the only other way in is via the pop hole which has a simple wooden lever arrangement which keeps it closed but I don't think it's 100% secure. The pop hole door slides across the opening.

 

Then, attached to the smaller run, DH has built a larger run which has flags on 3 sides and on the side it sits on soil, he's put wire down into the soil. The wire is quite a heavy guage. The large run is covered with corrugated plastic and padlocked down. There is also a small door with 2 very small sliding bolts, like this

 

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/1051/52597.JPG

 

then the entrance to the smaller run has another door with a sliding bolt.

 

The smaller run has a roof that lifts up and is secured down with a wooden lever, the same as the one on the pop hole door.

 

DH reckons we don't need any more locks but I reckon a fox could slide back the sliding bolts with his teeth on the outer doors and would quite possibly be able to open the pop hole with a nudge.

 

Or get in via the roof bit on the smaller run.

 

The girls are always shut in at night without fail.

 

DH thinks I'm paranoid but I am worried but I've seen what squirrels will do to get to nuts and foxes are meant to be smart aren't they?

 

Here's a picture of the set up, what do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

[Olly]

It's such a great run, Poet!

 

I am no expert, but I believe foxes can learn to slide simple bolts or levers - it's my understanding that that is why the Eglu is designed to need a twist action to open the door and the eggport.

 

I can't work out from your description above, whether the fox could get access just by opening one bolt. If he could, then I'd say it's worth padlocking/making it more secure. It may be unlikely, but it's not impossible.

 

Don't forget squirrels can sit on their back legs and fiddle with things using both teeth and front paws - foxes aren't quite as adept, I think (never seen one using an aerial runway yet! ) But if it's going to make you sleep at night, then a locking bolt is worth it surely?

[Guest]

the eglu is amazing, I would have adored one but it was out of our price range sadly.

 

I'll just have to tell him straight that we need a couple more padlocks- for the roof of the smaller run and the door of the large run. I'd rather be told I'm ridiculous, than for anything happen to my babies

[Gallina]

The mesh of the coop section looks much too big to me.... Several of us on this forum have had chickens hurt or killed by foxes through the Omlet mesh, which is smaller (but not small enough, in my opinion).

 

It's also big enough to admit rats, unless I am not understanding it properly from the photograph. If that is where the food is, you need to do something about those big holes.

[Guest]

hi, yes it does have wide gaps, not big enough for a rat but possibly a mouse but the girls are shut up in the coop at night and the food is put away in the shed.

[Gallina]

But won't the hens be in that area during the day? That is when there could be trouble.

 

A full-grown rat can get through a gap 13mm wide, so do be careful. If your mesh is larger than this, you need to do something.

 

-----

 

I have changed the above: obviously they can only get through if one side is 13mm. I never learnt metric measurements at school, and they mean nothing to me. Source

Edited October 21, 2007 by Guest

[Guest]

 

A full-grown rat can get through a gap 13 x 13mm, .

 

do you mean cm? the gaps are probably about 3cm x 3cm

[Gallina]

Sorry: I have corrected the above: I just can't picture millimetres, and I realize now they are only speaking of one measurement; the other would have to be wider. I looked for a source in a hurry with Google.

 

If you add the word "inch" they all say rats can get through a gap half an inch wide. (Mice can get through a quarter-inch gap.)

 

If, however, you bring the food in at night rodents won't be able to get it: and they will be too scared of the hens during the day.

 

But I would worry about foxes with a 3cm gap. They could certainly kill a hen with a paw swipe through that.

[Guest]

 

But I would worry about foxes with a 3cm gap. They could certainly kill a hen with a paw swipe through that.

 

do you think that would be an issue during the day? The girls are locked in the coop at night and I don't think we get any foxes around here during the day, too many people about- we live on a housing estate.

 

Thanks for the advice though.

[Gallina]

I live on a very busy road with people all round, and the man next door were out in the garden when my hen was killed in broad daylight through the run.

 

The urban foxes where I live have no fear at all, and lie in the garden sunning themselves while people work nearby. If you don't have urban foxes, you will be all right: but keep an eye out for any signs. I wasn't careful enough, because I did not realize that a hen could be killed through the Omlet run.

 

Everyone needs to remember that foxes are just as dangerous in the day. In fact, because the Eglu itself is foxproof, Omlet hens have only ever been reported on this forum as having been taken during the day, as far as I remember. It doesn't happen very often: only one other apart from mine was killed through the run; one had an injury; and others had lucky escapes where the fox only got feathers. But your holes look much bigger than the Omlet run holes.

[BeckyBoo]

The only thing I will say Poet, and I'm NO expert is that it looks similar o the mesh on my friends hen run and she lives next to fields and her hens are fine. Foxes are out and about 24/7 and as far as I'm concerned there is no part of Britain that is without foxes except maybe the top of Ben Nevis or Snowdon ( ). Whenever you get hens as pets there is always a risk of a visit from Mr Fox because hens are what they like to eat and as a hen owner I think you have to accept that risk and just minimise it as best you can. Rightly or wrongly I have our hens out when I'm in the house but upstairs sometimes, or busy with the children so I know I'm putting them at risk but you also have to be realistic about what you can achieve. If you're really worried then see if you can replace the wider meshed bit of the run, I'd definitely invest in a couple of padlocks, we've got one on the run door, then sit back and enjoys your chookies!

 

Mrs B

 

having had another look at your pictures, that wider mesh is probably more of a problem because it's a narrow area so they wouldn't be able to get away from any paws, your call. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Guest]

DH has gone to B&Q to get some more padlocks just to shut me up I think! The only way in to our garden would be via the gate which has gaps wide enough for a fox to squeeze thru (it's a wrought iron gate) so I've asked him to maybe get willow screening or something to attach to the gate to stop anything getting in. The rest of the garden is surrounded by a high fence with no gaps. Unless, god forbid, the fox has been on the Krypton factor, I'm praying we've done all we can.

[Snowy]

Do bear in mind that Mr Fox will go for the easiest prey. He's not going to waste energy on Fort Knox if there's a field full of juicy rabbits nearby! Just a thought - don't know how close to the fields you are. That's one of the reasons urban foxes are more dangerous than their country cousins.

[Matthew]

DH has gone to B&Q to get some more padlocks just to shut me up I think! The only way in to our garden would be via the gate which has gaps wide enough for a fox to squeeze thru (it's a wrought iron gate) so I've asked him to maybe get willow screening or something to attach to the gate to stop anything getting in. The rest of the garden is surrounded by a high fence with no gaps. Unless, god forbid, the fox has been on the Krypton factor, I'm praying we've done all we can.

 

They will very easily climb 6' fences.......