Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[Ain't Nobody Here]

So sorry to hear about your near miss with the fox.

 

I posted at the w/e that I let my girls freerange for the whole day on Saturday but got some warnings about the dangers of doing that. I always want to let them out (as we all do) but I suppose you have to accept that they will never be totally safe unless you can either be in the garden yourself or watching constantly from a window.

 

In this cold weather, my OH has been "using" an old sports water bottle to deter the foxes (if you get my drift ).

 

I hope Tattie gets over her shock.

[Noodle]

Dear All

 

Well, after a sleepless night, it was with trepidation that I opened the eglu this morning to find Tatti is fine

 

We have been extremely lucky. I cannot tell you how relieved I am.

 

My DH was out side 'marking' the garden last night. We have alot of thinking to do re the chooks.....I will not be letting them out anymore without me being in the garden at all times. (I have never gone out and left them out on their own, but felt that pottering in the kitchen and dining room with them in view meant they were safe - how wrong I was) This means they will not be able to free range very often. So now I need to buy a larger run or build one...I really do not feel the eglu run is big enough for three girls 24/7

 

Thank you all again for your kind words and concern. I feel very very lucky today

[Laura & CTB]

Thats great news Noodle - I'm so glad

[Tweety]

Thank goodness - I have been thinking about Tatti and hoping she would be ok this morning.

[Olly]

Phew - so relieved, and don't blame yourself - I think most of us on here have learned this lesson, some in a rather harder way than others. Like you, I assumed that my presence 'somewhere near the back door' would be enough to deter the fox - I had underestimated the determination of the urban fox. After a couple of near misses, I won't take a chance.

 

I can't now let my girls out except at weekends, there just isn't time before work and of course it's dark when I get back. If you only have the run, then I'd consider getting a converter - it gives a lot more space. I have 3 hens in a run with converter, and 2 in a basic run. Of course I'd love them to have more room, but Omlet designed the Eglu and run so it would be safe for chickens to live in full-time; they will be fine.

 

Delighted to hear that Tatti has got over the shock. She probably spent all night in the Eglu regaling the other two hens with her story!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

...I really do not feel the eglu run is big enough for three girls 24/7

 

Glad Tatti is OK.

 

I felt the same so got the converter with a view to an extension later. The converter does make a big difference, so much so that I've shelved the plans for an extension (garden's not really big enough anyway ). I still feel guilty that they're in it a lot but, as Olly says, it was designed for that purpose and they really will be fine.

 

They're possibly going to be in it even more now with the dreaded bird flu outbreak .

[xScrunchee]

I ended up buying a bigger walk in run as I felt that they would get more height and width that way as just extending the Eglu run would give them another metre lengthways but I didn't really have room to add a metre in length and still be able to access the run door and poo tray.

 

My 3 hens were bored stiff in the standard Eglu run and we had no end of pecking/feather pulling problems and that was with them having about an hour of free ranging each day.

Now they have more room, more perches, the Eglu on a raised platform etc-they are much happier and I don't feel bad keeping them in the run for longer periods.

 

My run is on patio slabs so foxes cannot dig under and it has weldmesh so foxes cannot chew through it so they are safe, have much more space and are generally happier girls.

 

I love the Eglu but in my opinion the run is just not spacious enough for 3 hens (even though the Omlet people told me it would be fine) and it is not practical for us humans to be able to clean it out etc.

 

Here is a pic of my new run. I have now put their Eglu on a table so that they have more floor space and can go 'up' to roost which is what hens prefer to do apparently.

 

[Tessa the Duchess]

Scrunchee wrote

 

Here is a pic of my new run.

 

That is very nice, where did you buy it from, approx how much did it cost?

I also feel that the Eglu run is not big enough for 3, and mine freerange for at least a couple of hours a day.

 

Tessa

[CatsCube]

Oh Jay that is one very smart looking run. I like the fact that is has height, as just watching my girls free range you like to spread their wings and do funny hops, and they cant do that in the standard cube run, and no matter how many extensions are put on the eglu run, its not high enough.

[xScrunchee]

The run cost £398.

 

It measures 11ft X 5ft and stands 5 1/2 feet tall. Although he can build it to whatever specifications you like.

I love the plinth around the bottom to keep the hemcore in.

 

 

Included in the price was the delivery and the man putting it all together for me

 

I think he delivers winthin 100 miles of Cambridge.

 

My run is now being shown on his Ebay site

 

*(Edited due to me repeating myself )

Edited November 14, 2007 by Guest

[xScrunchee]

Should also say-

The mans name is Tony and his e-mail address is Aviaries4u@aol.com

 

If you send him an e-mail telling him exactly what size you want, roof-no roof, plinth around the bottom or not, etc, he will e-mail you back with a quote.

[chickenlass]

Im so glad that Tatty has recovered and is no worse for her terrible ordeal.