Slide out droppings tray - beware!!!!

Hayley'sHens · « **Reply #15 on:** May 17, 2010, 19:40 »

Thanks for the warning, Will get DH to bolt my tray in, Luckly only 1 has the pull out tray, I thought it was easier to clean this one, I'd rather struggle a little and keep my girls safe, Glad my other coop doesnt have a pull out tray now, This is the coop they tend to sleep in, Only really use the other for laying in.

Sorry to hear about your girls

lukasmum · « **Reply #16 on:** May 17, 2010, 20:07 »

Quote from: wolverine on May 17, 2010, 18:58

Now your making me worry about my coop I'm gonna put a bolt on the tray now. I never would have thought a fox would be able to actually slide it out.

Me neither Wolverine...otherwise my wyandottes would still be pecking about in the garden

I'm pretty sure nobody would have even thought about this; hence the warning.

dizzylizzie · « **Reply #17 on:** May 17, 2010, 22:03 »

Quote from: Pretty Chick on May 17, 2010, 18:43

Quote from: dizzylizzie on May 17, 2010, 18:29
Im so sorry for your loss, you must be deverstated. These coops are sold everywhere and they make it look like such a good idea

Quote from: Pretty Chick on May 17, 2010, 18:21
Shame, poor little things
I myself, would make the house a little more foxproof, but would definately concerntrate on making the area around it fully predator proof.

Thats not helpful!!!

Well that's your opinion dizzylizzie and might have been better if you had kept that to yourself.

i simply ment its like bolting the stable door after the horse had bolted.The poor woman has lost her chickens the last thing she needed was to be told 'if i were you' sorry if this upset you i was merely thinking of how poor lukasmum must have felt having loosing her girls when she obviously thought they were safe

HeliFella · « **Reply #18 on:** May 17, 2010, 22:51 »

Thinking about a solution to this issue.

The tray is very shallow, so even if it had been removed the open gap to the side is very narrow and probably too small for fox access.

The achilies in this design problem is the whole floor area being wide open once the tray is removed - great for cleaning and great for fox access.

I think a section of fox proof mesh could be installed to proof the underneath regardless of whether the tray is in situe or not, as well as the aforementioned fox proof bolts.

When the time comes for our first house & chooks I will take a good look at security loopholes in the build of their house.

spizanne · « **Reply #19 on:** May 18, 2010, 00:09 »

i hate to say it but electric fencing works. I run electric fencing, 4 strands, 1,2,3 and 4' high round my field to keep the pony and goat in and ran a single strand off the fence round the base of my coop and run, about 4 inches high,never had a fox problem. Rats however are a different matter, they got my blue cochin cock, so fearless they would come out when hubby fed the hens so he would wait and got them with a big stick (we had already tried poison). They are quite intelligent and have now moved, not had a problem for weeks now

andreadon · « **Reply #20 on:** May 18, 2010, 10:43 »

sorry

Jeanette · « **Reply #21 on:** May 18, 2010, 12:23 »

I am so so sorry it is heart breaking to have a fox take your girls a simialar thing happened to me i now :(hammer thick fox proof mesh under my coups and any open areas that i cant cover with mesh i concrete in some bricks.

hendreary · « **Reply #22 on:** May 18, 2010, 14:03 »

Sorry to hear about your birds.
My coop has a slide out metal tray but there is a solid wooden floor beneath it. Are you sure that your coop is complete?

tamnwill · « **Reply #23 on:** May 18, 2010, 14:24 »

Probably is complete, i seems to have the same potenical problem, although the bottom of the tray is steal! Shall get hubby to secure it somehow with a bolt on the outside perhaps tonight. thanks for pre warning me my friend, soory for your loss but thanks for saving mine potentially

cheriton · « **Reply #24 on:** May 18, 2010, 17:22 »

So sorry to hear of your loss lukasmum

I have 2 coops with the slide out trays ( I also thought they would make claening easier)and there is nothing there to stop a fox if it can slide it out

. I am now going to fix bolts to mine

Basil_UK · « **Reply #25 on:** May 18, 2010, 19:58 »

So sorry Lukasmum,

I cannot beleive the fox broke through the fence panel , let alone pulled out the tray ! Thanks for taking the time to warn us.

I lost one of my girls yesterday , and know how that feels , but to lose the lot you must be devastated. I feel for you.

Sending you a big hug .

lukasmum · « **Reply #26 on:** May 18, 2010, 20:10 »

it was tooooo quiet this morning - not hearing my bantie wyandotte cockerel telling the girls he was up and ready! And the run seemed much emptier without them joining their buddies from the 'big house'.....

I hope all the bolts and steel mesh help protect everyone elses babes.

Only saving grace is that my pekin is sitting on 8 eggs, fathered by naughtie cockerel!
Hopefully his legacy will live on!

Thank you all for your kind thoughts.

albertofrog · « **Reply #27 on:** May 18, 2010, 22:18 »

Sorry to hear about your lose, feel for you. Would not have thought a fox could that, I struggle to open ours so just end up reach in via the nest boxes. Will put protection on mine in morning. Thank you for the warning

uba · « **Reply #28 on:** May 19, 2010, 06:44 »

We have the same design coop it seems and I will get a bolt fixed on it. Your loss in such a cold blooded way is simply terrible, but telling your story here to a host of chicken lovers will surely save many lives and i hope you might gain some comfort from that.

Nige

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Slide out droppings tray - beware!!!!

Hayley'sHens

Re: Slide out droppings tray - beware!!!!

lukasmum

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dizzylizzie

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HeliFella

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spizanne

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andreadon

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Jeanette

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hendreary

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tamnwill

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cheriton

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Basil_UK

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lukasmum

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albertofrog

Re: Slide out droppings tray - beware!!!!

uba

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