Eglu Cube - base security

[VirginVegGrower]

It is with a heavy heart that I travel tomorrow to pick up the two remaining girls' des res. Mr VVG didn't tell me off for spending. Agrees it is best we change their housing. So, my question is this... Does anyone have one of these? I have a wooden coop with handbuilt double weld mesh skin run. This has been on slabs with wood chips in the run. Cleaned out and renewed. We had also smooth large guaged mesh attached as a run floor. This was a to stop rats and foxes FULL STOP. I stupidly thought if anything killed my hens it would be that. The Eglu Cube run and extension is what I have bought and it has no floor but what's called a skirt. How do others add extra security to the floor area of the run? Are there any weaknesses I should strengthen up on. They are not in the run all day as I let the girls out with me in the garden but I do shut them into their current run when I have to go out. They never free range without either me or Mr VVG present.
Thanks in advance again.

[RichmondHens]

I don't have one myself but a friend does and has had for some three years now. She keeps four chickens in one when she's not there and lets them out to free range when she is there to keep an eye on them. Her neighbour lost his ducks to the local fox but it didn't get into her Cube. Hers is sited within a grass paddock. I guess it really depends on how persistent your local fox is. Some are easily put off by human or canine presence, or a slightly trickier than usual fence or coop, others will try any means possible to reach their prey. Do you know for sure you have a fox problem in your area or are you just playing safe?

[VirginVegGrower]

Playing it safe really. Our garden - the newly planted orchard bit - is grass and backs straight onto the copse. Badger setts are in there and I have heard foxes screaming/squealing in the field adjacent to our adjoining neighbour's garden. Then circa two hundred yards down the lane is another small copse where foxes most certainly are. We do have plenty of rabbits around too, which I'm sure provide fodder. This is why we double weld meshed EVERYTHING - nest boxes were weld meshed on the bottom as I was so paranoid. I am always out with the girls if they are free ranging and always have my spade to hand - I wouldn't think twice. We are taking the run and placing it direct to the grassed orchard tomorrow as I want to clean the greenhouse out and I can put Sage and Eloise in there to scratch whilst I view them two yards away. It's just the house that's going. I don't feel I can risk their health. I might still use the slabs and Aubiose it - do you think. I've ordered the winter clear covers and wind covers so it should keep fairly dry and absorbant.
I am home during the day so the girls got and will continue to get as much "out time" as daylight and weather allows.
The two skitties appear to be getting much closer to me as the two leaders are gone. She pecked corn from my hand then proceeded to peck my bottom from her standing position on the elevated strawberry bed - little monkey.
Thanks RH - again x

[VirginVegGrower]

I forgot to add we do have two terriers and as the hens are sited near the kitchen, where they sleep, we get bark notification. Can't say it's foxy but can't say it's not either.

[Hilary B]

The theory of the 'skirt' is that if Foxy is trying to get in he will dig down next to the fence. If there is a skirt, it is supposed to prevent this. It probably works pretty well, but it won't stop rats, which will happily dig further out and come up in the run. Rats will be primarily after the feed, but will take eggs, or small chicks, if present, and of course they spread all sorts of ddiseases.

[Lottieknees]

I bought a Cube and run in July. as per HilaryB, the skirt is supposed to prevent the fox digging under. I don't use it now as i found it a bit of a nuisance and rather heavy to move around the garden every coupld of days. I now have a purpose built WIR and the Cube butts up to that.

Hope it helps a bit.

[VirginVegGrower]

Yes I've seen a lot of people do that - cube to WIR. Well we have the extended pen, which we keep moving around within the orchard to a newly raked piece of grass. So far no signs of digging. The ground up there is hard and we bring food in every night at dusk. The girls seem to like their new home and although it has the skirt, we have put no wire on the bottom, as we had before. We want the girls to have the benefit of fresh grass.
We move it very easily, one person either end - one lifts wheels into position, the other lifts and guides the attached run. It's a peach to deal with. Just wish I had bought one from the off.

[Lottieknees]

Ah, I struggled as it is only me at my house. To move it on my own was a real fag for me.

You can get those pins a bit like tent pegs you could use to pin the skirt down. I found the sunshade thing from Omlet a bit small so I used a tent groundsheet i had to cover part of the run and keep the rain off.

[VirginVegGrower]

I bought the heavy duty shades. We have it pinned with tent pegs. Lots of heavy duty pegs. It's so nice my daughter wanted to get in it with the hens

[Hilary B]

A wire 'floor' to the run wouldn't prevent the hens eating grass, it would stick up through the wire!

[VirginVegGrower]

An no longer using a base as it's not needed I feel.