PSA: DO NOT BUY OMLET CHICKEN RUNS

[wat_da_cluck]

They are not predator proof. Yesterday one of my 2 satin bantams was found dead (she had been acting slow, so I thought maybe she had died in the corner and something tried to snack on her. Bagged her up and sent her for necropsy in case something was happening with my flock. WHELP - fool me once, shame on you - but fool me twice...
Today I found the other (and my 4 year old daughter's favorite) satin bantam being eaten by the culprit - A HAWK. I checked my ring video and the hawk was waiting in the bushes for the chickens to try to eat some pieces of grass and is somehow able to kill them. THROUGH THE FENCE. Of course the hawk is unable to eat them - but certainly spent a lot of time trying to (see feathers).

Point being - 1/2" or 1/4" hardwire mesh for runs is standard for a reason - and Omlet's absurdly large 1"x3" fencing cant even keep the chickens safe from hawks.

Spent the afternoon zip tying 1/4" hardwire mesh on the outside of the run until I can replace it in the spring with proper run.

Crime scene photos attached.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I feel your pain. Raccoons will pull them through that type of fence too. A mink or weasel can get through that fence easily.
IMO, you can't buy predator proof housing. It must be modified on site or built from scratch.
Let me add that the bulk of coop manufacturers know nothing of the needs of chickens. I'd say that applies to at least 90% of them. Otherwise, why would they include more nest boxes than the number of birds their buildings would hold.

 

[Geena]

No offense taken. I like that the panels can be taken apart and stored. When I panel them with the hardware cloth I do it in sections that fit the panels. I have taken one of our small ones down and stored it easily in a small space in a storage room while I did some landscape work there. I don't like chain link, I have to unroll it and I am not a large person. I don't necessarily agree that they would be sturdier either, I think that is a matter of opinion, I have had one of those for a dog once and they are fine, but not if you want to take it down. They sort of become permanent, whereas the Omlet ones are not permanent. If you don't want one you don't have to buy one . I did because it really precisely fit a need/want I have. If cost were an issue for me I would have bought something different, but in this case it isn't. They won't fit the budget or the needs of everyone, but they look nicer than a dog run, they fit the need I have to be portable and easily storable. I feel bad about the poster, I get pretty upset about losing birds too, but I don't know that it's about "Us omlet people" .

They do make kennels that are in panels and also nice black powder coated non- chain link ones. Just wanted to point that out for anyone trying to decide what to get.

 

[woodworm]

I'm sorry to hear this. I briefly looked at their coops and runs a couple of years ago thinking it would be an easy way to get BYC but decided against it. Fortunately for me I'd been lurking here for a few years so had at least a 'baseline' idea of what makes a predator proof run. It's sad that these companies advertise their stuff as predator proof and large enough for x amount of hens, etc when they must know better.

This doesn't just apply to Omlet, it's most of these companies. I built my own coop and run in the end (based on a well known expensive YouTube chicken coop manufacturer - just with extra protection)

 

[Geena]

No offense to you Omlet folks... but if you have to cover those runs with hardware cloth anyway, why not buy chain link dog runs? They'd be much sturdier and most likely longer lasting, at less than half the price.

 

[mcdze]

with the wrong wire size seperating them even larger chickens will kill chicks when they poke their head through .. if theres more than one hawk they'll even play a game with that with one scaring them over next to the wire where the other one is waiting lol, seen it before .. unfortunately its not cheap but i'd get the large size ~200$ roll of 1/2" hardware cloth, a box of screws and fender washers and make it happen ...

 

[My2butterflies]

I’m very sorry for your loss

It’s sad to say, but it’s not surprising. I have similar sized fencing used for my run and am well aware it is not predator proof. I also have no top on my run. A hawk or eagle got a slw back in the fall:/
It takes a lot to have a fully predator proof run.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The dog test won't help with mink or raccoons. Mink can easily get into a 1" opening and raccoons can climb a sheer wall. Dogs can't do either of those things.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So sorry for your loss. I didn't put hardware cloth up but did put chicken wire and so far so good. Luckily we don't have predators like weasels.
View attachment 2467918

You do. They just haven't found your chickens yet.

 

[cmom]

I learned something new today. You're never too old to learn...