- Jan 23, 2013
- 28
- 1
- 82
Hi everyone.
Just wanted to post a warning for those of you who might be thinking of using the Omlet Chicken Fencing (not electrified, mobile fencing). Its not designed to keep foxes, cats or dogs out, but to contain hens where you want them to be and not in your vegetable patch or devouring precious border plants.
I bought some just before Christmas so that I could vary the run area for my flock of beautiful 10 feathery girls in my back garden. We wanted something unobtrusive, mobile and inexpensive. The Omlet fencing hit the mark. Its pretty good and while it was up, my girls did not get out of it much to their disgust. And I would certainly recommend it.
However this morning I had a situation with the Omlet fencing which I feel should be flagged up for anyone thinking of getting this type of fencing if they have dogs. I have 2 medium largish rescue dogs, Reggie an enthusiastic young 3 year old Staffie X Greyhound (we think) & Gypsy a much slower and sedate 10/11 year old black Lab X GSD. Both our dogs are fine with the hens and mingle quite freely. The only issues we ever have with them is Reggie attempting to eat goodies or hen porridge put down for the birds (he didn't get the nickname 'The Walking Stomach' for nothing) and Lady Penelope our most hen pecked hen beats him up if he's behaving improperly! A few choice pecks on the offending nose and he pulls his head out of range sharply!
I don't know what happened but the dogs had disappeared just before the school run this morning. Looked everywhere. Then my youngest son ran up and told me that Gypsy was trapped in the Omlet fencing in the back garden and pinned down. Reggie was waiting with her. When I got there she was in a right state. she was completely entangled in about a third of the Omlet fencing. Sounds quite funny but it wasn't.
She was pinned down on her side and unable to get up the netting was trapping legs, neck, head and jaws. She was struggling to breathe. In her panic the poles which are spiked into the ground and netting kept down with metal pegs had also been caught up and tangled and bunched up and she was bleeding quite badly. I had to cut her free which took a long time as it was very difficult being able to get enough leeway to get her head free enough to lift it and cut through the netting trapped with the poles. And the netting wrapped around her head and neck which was cutting into her eyes, jaws, teeth and tongue was near impossible. Luckily she hadn't been speared by the ground spikes at the end of the poles as she'd thrashed about. But she was not in a good way and I ended up having the vet check her over after dropping my son at school.
I'm not criticising the Omlet fencing - it worked perfectly for the hens and Omlet do not claim it will keep dogs out. And I hadn't bought it in order to keep the dogs out, although until this morning they haven't done anything with the fencing or tried to leap it. However I hadn't envisaged the possibility of what could happen to a dog trapped in the netting. I'm NOT saying don't get the Omlet fencing if you have dogs, What I am saying is to have a think about whether its the right solution for you and bear in mind what could happen in light of my 'excitement' this morning.
Regards, Madame Cluck Cluck
Just wanted to post a warning for those of you who might be thinking of using the Omlet Chicken Fencing (not electrified, mobile fencing). Its not designed to keep foxes, cats or dogs out, but to contain hens where you want them to be and not in your vegetable patch or devouring precious border plants.
I bought some just before Christmas so that I could vary the run area for my flock of beautiful 10 feathery girls in my back garden. We wanted something unobtrusive, mobile and inexpensive. The Omlet fencing hit the mark. Its pretty good and while it was up, my girls did not get out of it much to their disgust. And I would certainly recommend it.
However this morning I had a situation with the Omlet fencing which I feel should be flagged up for anyone thinking of getting this type of fencing if they have dogs. I have 2 medium largish rescue dogs, Reggie an enthusiastic young 3 year old Staffie X Greyhound (we think) & Gypsy a much slower and sedate 10/11 year old black Lab X GSD. Both our dogs are fine with the hens and mingle quite freely. The only issues we ever have with them is Reggie attempting to eat goodies or hen porridge put down for the birds (he didn't get the nickname 'The Walking Stomach' for nothing) and Lady Penelope our most hen pecked hen beats him up if he's behaving improperly! A few choice pecks on the offending nose and he pulls his head out of range sharply!
I don't know what happened but the dogs had disappeared just before the school run this morning. Looked everywhere. Then my youngest son ran up and told me that Gypsy was trapped in the Omlet fencing in the back garden and pinned down. Reggie was waiting with her. When I got there she was in a right state. she was completely entangled in about a third of the Omlet fencing. Sounds quite funny but it wasn't.
She was pinned down on her side and unable to get up the netting was trapping legs, neck, head and jaws. She was struggling to breathe. In her panic the poles which are spiked into the ground and netting kept down with metal pegs had also been caught up and tangled and bunched up and she was bleeding quite badly. I had to cut her free which took a long time as it was very difficult being able to get enough leeway to get her head free enough to lift it and cut through the netting trapped with the poles. And the netting wrapped around her head and neck which was cutting into her eyes, jaws, teeth and tongue was near impossible. Luckily she hadn't been speared by the ground spikes at the end of the poles as she'd thrashed about. But she was not in a good way and I ended up having the vet check her over after dropping my son at school.
I'm not criticising the Omlet fencing - it worked perfectly for the hens and Omlet do not claim it will keep dogs out. And I hadn't bought it in order to keep the dogs out, although until this morning they haven't done anything with the fencing or tried to leap it. However I hadn't envisaged the possibility of what could happen to a dog trapped in the netting. I'm NOT saying don't get the Omlet fencing if you have dogs, What I am saying is to have a think about whether its the right solution for you and bear in mind what could happen in light of my 'excitement' this morning.
Regards, Madame Cluck Cluck
