PSA: DO NOT BUY OMLET CHICKEN RUNS

[hayley3]

They are there, you just haven't seen them. Florida has 3 species of mustelids of which the long-tailed weasel and American mink are of concern. Florida has always been in their native range.
Long-tailed Weasel - Mustela frenata - NatureWorks (nhpbs.org)
Weasel and Mink Sightings (myfwc.com)
I hadn't seen mink where I live for over 60 years, then in the course of a week, mink massacred $4,000 worth of my chickens.

I wonder if that's because the weasels and mink had other food to eat.
I lived for 13 years in a water area..near a river...creeks surrounding me in every direction but I never saw a weasel. Never saw a rat either, so maybe the rats were keeping the weasels busy.

 

[deidreg]

So sorry you lost your chickens. I also have an Omlet coop and walk-in run, which I love. I did understand it would need hardware cloth to make predator proof. (Thanks to all my BYC peeps!)

I'm sure others will roll their eyes at the money I spent on my coop/run, only to spend more for hardware cloth to properly predator proof it. What can I say? I've had a lot of time on my hands during this pandemic.

The "coop" area is 100% reinforced with hardware cloth. Right now, the run is not. I have winter tarps up, but I do have HC to install later. HC cloth also installed under the coop/run and about a foot beyond the perimeter.

 

[Allthefloofs]

So sorry you lost your chickens. I also have an Omlet coop and walk-in run, which I love. I did understand it would need hardware cloth to make predator proof. (Thanks to all my BYC peeps!)

I'm sure others will roll their eyes at the money I spent on my coop/run, only to spend more for hardware cloth to properly predator proof it. What can I say? I've had a lot of time on my hands during this pandemic.

The "coop" area is 100% reinforced with hardware cloth. Right now, the run is not. I have winter tarps up, but I do have HC to install later. HC cloth also installed under the coop/run and about a foot beyond the perimeter.

View attachment 2469079

I like how you set yours up. I have the same coop as you do and I have three runs of varying sizes and I knew buying it I was going to have to hardware cloth it too. But structurally I like it and I liked that it could be taken down and moved relatively easily. I am now wondering if I should change the way I have my setup, we have our coop inside and it definitely cuts down on the space in the run .

 

[deidreg]

I like how you set yours up. I have the same coop as you do and I have three runs of varying sizes and I knew buying it I was going to have to hardware cloth it too. But structurally I like it and I liked that it could be taken down and moved relatively easily. I am now wondering if I should change the way I have my setup, we have our coop inside and it definitely cuts down on the space in the run .

Yes, it's helpful to attach the Eglu outside the run, though I modified that as well. I consider the Eglu and 6' run to be their coop. As such, I hardened it with HC, protected with clear tarps and made sure no mice can get in at their food is inside.

I got Omlet's kit to attach the Eglu and run, but did not like that the opening is small. I wanted to keep the larger door. So, I figured out a way to do that as well. (As I said, I have a lot of time on my hands.) When the door between the coop and run is shut, the coop is both predator and mouse proof. I can take more pictures and show you what I did if that would help.

 

[Allthefloofs]

Yes, it's helpful to attach the Eglu outside the run, though I modified that as well. I consider the Eglu and 6' run to be their coop. As such, I hardened it with HC, protected with clear tarps and made sure no mice can get in at their food is inside.

I got Omlet's kit to attach the Eglu and run, but did not like that the opening is small. I wanted to keep the larger door. So, I figured out a way to do that as well. (As I said, I have a lot of time on my hands.) When the door between the coop and run is shut, the coop is both predator and mouse proof. I can take more pictures and show you what I did if that would help.

View attachment 2469683

Yeah! Absolutely PM me the info if you have a chance. I love what you've done!

 

[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.

 

[Allthefloofs]

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.

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" .

 

[deidreg]

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.

You make good points, @Geena. One of many things I like about keeping chickens is that there are so many ways you can do it. Depending on your space, budget, DIY capabilities (or lack thereof), you can find a way to give your flock a safe and comfortable home. I knew Omlet's pros/cons when I invested in my coop/run, and knew I had enough knowledge and skills to make needed enhancements. (Thanks to my BYC buddies!)

Sorry we've sort hijacked your thread @wat_da_cluck but you've inspired some good conversation.

 

[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.

 

[paintedChix]

I'm sorry for the loss of your birds. That's hard to deal with, I know.

Yes, the chain link runs and the newer style welded fencing dog panels can work. Then can be wired the same way as the others have wired their Omelet runs and coops - in sections and then the sections can be taken apart. There are some that are built all in one 10x10 unit (I have one of those - it has been a major PITA, LOL) as well as several that can be taken apart in 5', 8', 10' and 12' panels. Some of the panels may be smaller, would have to measure, can't remember.

In different areas of our county (Moore/Harnett down to Cumberland), we regularly have "packs" of roving, abandoned dogs of mixed breeds. 12 years ago it was really bad in a couple of "neighborhoods" - people were afraid to leave their homes, children couldn't play outside - the dogs would attack and pull down other dogs, cats, birds and then ponies/horses. When they started going after other livestock around the neighborhoods - Animal Control FINALLY got involved. Yes, the neighborhoods were "semi-rural" - but most homes only had 1/8 to 1/2 acre of land and the backyards were usually fenced in some way to keep in small children and pets. A lot of NC neighborhoods around Ft Bragg and Raleigh & counties/towns in between aren't allowed to have the front yards fenced at all (aesthetics). These dogs routinely jumped 4' fences or tore through the lighter weight chain link.

Pit bull & shepherd types can "cut" right through the chain link fencing - especially the type that is most often available today (much, much lighter than the types of 30 years ago when we had it installed around a yard - south of Ft Bragg in Hope Mills, Cumberland county). They'd make really quick work of the Omelet type fencing even if covered by HC. I am becoming a better shot - hawks are protected - but rock salt and paint guns work. Had a neighbor get all upset when his "farm dogs" (pit mixes) showed up covered in paint - from 3 miles away. I took the dead birds to them and they dropped the issue.

Tried the free range inside of electric poultry netting 2 1/2 yrs ago - only to watch two hunting dogs (coon hounds?) jump the perimeter field fence, then the poultry net and demolish some of our birds and then jump back out. Too far away to shoot and guns inside gun cabinet in house... At least one of the dogs appeared to be starving, but dropped the bird he was carrying when he touched the hot fence on the way out. So I just had dead birds left behind.

I have quite a few different tractors, coops and pens, on this new 21 acres. The coops/pens that were on this property when we purchased were all fenced in 2x4" wire. The 3 CP hooped coops I brought from our previous property were covered in 1" chicken wire. After the last 5 yrs, I've spent part of 2020 and probably throughout the whole of 2021, going back and putting up 1/4" HC. It will take a while... New tractors are being built with CP & 1/4" HC, but I understand that it still may not be completely "dog" proof. Will not be bear proof at all w/o very hot electric wire.

I knew some critters could get thru 1" holes (that's not very big!!) but had no idea of others my own self. Surprise!

The predators around us have changed too, as there are several new "rural" communities being built, and the wildlife is being dis-placed and concentrated in smaller areas... Also, as communities come in, there are a lot more feral cats that come out - folks here don't understand that a kitten that is 4 months old can get pregnant and at 6 months have up to 9 kittens (that's the most I've seen in that young so far). Our own next door neighbors turned two kittens outside when they couldn't "handle" their crying when in heat. I offered to take them to be spayed (I work for a high volume spay/neuter clinic - in 10 yrs we've spayed/neutered more than 80,000 cats & dogs) but they turned it down as being too "mean". You guessed it - they went from 2 cats to 15 almost overnight... Some have had their bums sprayed w/ rock salt when they show up here.

My own cats "appear" to leave our birds alone - but -





Our original barn cats were raised with my first chickens in 2012. Mr Black, Mr Blue, Mr Red (told apart only by the collars they wear) & Panther (Mr Red & Panther now deceased) were all regularly chased by our chickens. They have had a healthy respect for the mature ones and I even feel at times, as shown in one pic above, they have guarded them. However, I have free range bantamXs and chicks that have routinely disappeared. Wouldn't put it past my own cats - if they've run out of cat food (try not to, but those same free range birds hop up and eat the cat food, so...) - especially some of our newer ones - several of which were in feral colonies before neutered/spayed and I brought them home. Cats can also reach thru a 1" and 1/2" openings and kill birds.

Food for thought!

Edited to change years above - it was between 2005-2008, when our oldest still in High School and 4H, so 12-1/2 to 15-1/2 yrs ago that "dog packs" were a problem. O, and the one neighborhood was only 3 miles from the Western Harnett Middle and High Schools... There are now two newer schools closer to that & sandwiched between those communities.