Solving Omlet Smart Auto Door Timing Issues with Alexa Routines

[TheChookKeeper]

Hello all,

 

I think my chooks are going stir-crazy, they can see the grass is greener (well, that there is grass at all, actually) outside their run, and every time I open the door to the run to put some s"Ooops, word censored!"s in, or to fill up their grub, there is a mad dash to see if they can escape to eat a bit of grass.

 

Now, I had always planned to let them out in my garden, but am too paranoid about them escaping over the quite low fences (about 4' both sides), and so thought I would get the Omlet netting, and fence them into an area, there by protecting my flower beds too.

 

SO - I am all ready to buy it now (as I don't think their little chicken-sanity's will hold out 'till the summer!), but am concerned as it is very expensive.

 

I think 25m will do it, but that is £70, and on eBay, I can get something that I *THINK* is similar for the same price for 50m.

 

SO - what do you all think?

 

This is the kind of thing I am looking at: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Poultry-Chicken-Electric-Netting-GREEN_W0QQitemZ130164778791QQihZ003QQcategoryZ46292QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I know it is electric fencing, but I have no intention of electrifying it, that appears to be optional!

 

Your thoughts are much appreciated!

[Egluntyne]

I have Omlet poultry netting, and I must say the photo you show does look very similar.

 

The only thing I would say is that you might find a 50m length unwieldy.

[TheChookKeeper]

mmm, the other difference seems to be number of poles.

 

Omlet netting has one every (just over) 1m, whereas the eBay netting has one every 3m... which could prove to be challenging!

 

Are you happy with the omlet netting? Does it work well? I would be looking to put it up and take it down quite regularly you see!

[Egluntyne]

I find the Omlet netting works very well. I have no complaints.

[Gallina]

The Omlet netting is very good, but it would not be easy to keep putting it away. It gets in an awful tangle, and it is very hard work.

[Karen & co.]

I really like my omlet netting, infact have the 25 and 50metre lengths

 

I find it's only difficult to use if the ground is really hard and dry, but other wise, as long as you roll it up when moving it pole by pole and unroll it when going to move it, it's easy to move around the garden

 

karen x

[Jules.]

I have omlet netting. I only needed 10m so I sold the rest of it on ebay & got the cost of the 15m I sold back, so I didn't lose any money.

[Gallina]

I think the secret might be to buy a long length of netting, cut it to the size you need, but retain all the poles. It's the long stretches between poles that cause me trouble when I roll it up.

 

You could then sell the surplus netting (sans poles) on eBay.

[TheChookKeeper]

Thank you all for your replies.

 

I am glad the general concensus is positive, as I decided to order 25M of Omlet netting last night - although, to my dismay, they don't appear to be able to get it to me until next Friday!

 

Do they have to make it themselves by hand or something?!?

 

Sorry - that makes me sound very impatient (which I am), and unreasonable (which I'm not, usually!), but over a week to stick it in the post?!?

 

I had hoped it would be here (as it is by courier) by THIS weekend!

 

Ah well, I guess the chooks will just have to stave off madness for another week!

[Tina C]

http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/acatalog/25m_Green_Hotline_Poultry_Netting.html

 

I love my omlet netting (I have two lots) but I remember feeling the same frustration about the delivery time Steve.

 

As much as I support and admire omlet as a company you may want to look at the link above.

 

I have not ordred netting from them but when I placed an online order with them for other stuff it came within two days (ordered at 10.00pm on a Monday and it was with me by the Wednesday morning). Worth a try?

 

However I think that as you have had your girls a while it would be ok to let them out at the weekend without the netting if you are around - I did when I first had my girls. We have a beech hedge and no gates so they could (and did) wander off but at first they don't go far. We use the netting to keep them in their own area and stop them destroying the whole garden.

[Olly]

I think the Omlet netting is great, but I did struggle to move it around. I have now cut it into separate bits, but I keep meaning to see if I can get some extra poles. It does contain them really well, though.

 

Re delivery: previously when I have ordered from Omlet, the goods have come very quickly. I ordered some new bolts and extra skirt for the green Eglu I've bought second-hand - that was over a week ago and they still haven't come.

[Clash City Rocker]

I also use Omlet netting and have no problems with it.

 

As "Olly" commented, I too could use a few more extra poles (plastic, not "from Poland"!!) and wondered where, if possible I could get them from?

[xraylady]

I have the Omlet-style netting, which I use as an adjunct, but the heavy winter snowfall & the permafrost which takes over my yard for 4 months of the year had me looking for an alternative. (I got tired of shaking 2 foot of snow off the entirely collapsed run day after day )

 

I now have 2 of these -

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2001+114011&ref=3928&subref=AA&cm_mmc=PPC-_-Google-_-Dog-_-exercise%20pen&s_kwcid=exercise%20pen|

 

I actually got them from my local feed store & they were much less expensive

 

They are 48" high, connect together & to anything else you want, like the eglu run. They stand up all by themselves, fold up like a concertina, are light enough to easily shift around & have a door in each 8-panel 16' section. They make a terrfic outdoor range! I face fewer burrowing predators & more airborne ones, so I just use a few tent pegs to hold it down & throw flight-top netting over the top. I added some 7' ornamental-hanging-basket poles by the doors so the netting is higher for easy access.

 

I have had them since spring & have moved the chickens outdoor range 5 times, to rest the lawn. They take down/set up time has dropped dramatically & I dont have to worry about it withstanding extreme weather. I love them, they are so easy, easy, easy!!!!!!!! & not really much more spendy than the Omlet netting - particularly if you are looking for a smaller space to enclose.

 

I still have my netting & chop off bits to help fill gaps, like over very rough or slope-y ground. There is so much of the stuff that I can chop bits off & still keep one nice long section for unexpected future needs.

 

I dont miss struggling to get the netting set up just right - not one little bit

[xraylady]

oops the link read some of the http address as code for a Pepperpot chicken! (but it still works )

 

Only on Omlet . . .

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Don't know if this would be any good (I'm afraid it's not cheaper ). I dithered about getting this or a run converter. Went for the converter in the end but still wonder if this might be a good idea. Easier to put up and down, I would think.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230183744020&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX_Stores&refitem=230169050792&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget

[Egluntyne]

I don't know that they would have the same scope for flapping their wings and charging about.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Very true, but I would have planned to use it, say, when I was at work (or out of earshot) so they had different ground to peck at. I let them freerange when I'm home.

 

Academic anyway, hubby says I'm not allowed to spend any more money on 3 hens that aren't even laying!