The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: SallyintNorth on July 10, 2022, 12:01:32 pm
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Sorry to bring this up yet again, but...
Searching previous threads, I see quite a few recommendations for Chicken Guard, but stipulating the fox proof version and something about wood or metal that I didn't quite follow. And a few posts that were not as positive about them.
One or two fans of the Omlet ones and quite a few said they were going to try them, so there may be new info on those.
We all used to rave about the VSB ones but I assume that Brexit means they don't export to here (from Germany) any more?
And what do people find the best :
- timer for close and open
- light sensitive for close and open
- light sensitive for close, timer for open
- timer for close, light sensitive for open
- something else (please say what!)
Our chicken run is huge and supposedly fox proof, but we recently had the fox decimate the flock after we had neglected to control overhanging foliage for a few years. So now, as well as trimming back the encroaching forest, we just want to do belt and braces!
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Unless you have a reason for not wanting to let them out at first light (e.g. at this time of the year when that's very early), definitely just light sensitive for close and open.
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Although do make sure bottom ranking hens actually get inside on time, as they can be kept out by bossier birds and miss the slot for getting in before the door shuts. In the dim and distant past when we tried an auto closer this is exactly what happened and we would find the bottom ranking hen standing miserably in the dark in front of a closed pop hole on several occasions. The very fact that we had to keep going out to check she was in made us decide we might as well just go and close the door manually, so we stopped using the auto closer. It's now gathering dust somewhere as we keep pop holes open 24/7 nowadays, but then we don't have fox issues thankfully.