Omlet run

Catia Silva

Catia Silva

New Born Pup
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Hello,

I was wondering if any of you has the Omlet runs for the grass time in summer?! I want a run safe from predators as I have foxes around but isn’t it the grid on the floor hurtful for their little feet?!

Thank you!

Catia
 
I’d agree.
And also make sure you stand out with them constantly during the time they are in the run. Don’t even pop in for the toilet if there are foxes around.
Equally, if the urban foxes aren’t scared of humans it may be safest that they don’t go out at all.
 
It’s exactly because of the risk of a toilet break that I want fox proof. I have an open one so I wouldn’t trust that one! I have a lovely garden and it’s a shame they wouldn’t use it so just need to find a proper solution! A wooden one can’t be safe as you can’t fix it to the ground!
 
Catia Silva said:
It’s exactly because of the risk of a toilet break that I want fox proof. I have an open one so I wouldn’t trust that one! I have a lovely garden and it’s a shame they wouldn’t use it so just need to find a proper solution! A wooden one can’t be safe as you can’t fix it to the ground!
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I will be very honest, nothing is going to be 100% fox proof. There are things you can do but with foxes around I think a lot of owners just don’t put their piggies out.

You can attach rings to the outside of the run and use tent pegs to hold it down. You can attach additional galvanised wire to it but otherwise it would be a case of never leaving them unsupervised.
 
Catia Silva said:
Hello,

I was wondering if any of you has the Omlet runs for the grass time in summer?! I want a run safe from predators as I have foxes around but isn’t it the grid on the floor hurtful for their little feet?!

Thank you!

Catia
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Hi

We don't recommend them at all - they are not predator safe, the floor grid is not suitable for guine pig feet and the plastic hut part is a death trap in hot or cold weather.

A panelled rabbit run is much better although if you have foxes, you would need to rethink the topping - there is currently nothing that is totally fox-proof unfortunately.

Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
 
I do have a pannelled one with shade cover that I can use when I’m watching. I wouldn’t buy the Omlet hutch as they have the shed for themselves. I just need a safer run really for some summer grass time! I thought that in all these years since the last time I had piggies some miraculous solution would have been invented :(.
Thank you for your kind help!
 
I would just get a strong well made ordinary run and make time to be around in the garden when they are out. You can buy large metal stakes/tent pegs to hammer into the ground to secure the run but I wouldn’t leave them unseen for more than 2-3 minutes as foxes have a remarkable instinct to get what they want
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’d agree.
And also make sure you stand out with them constantly during the time they are in the run. Don’t even pop in for the toilet if there are foxes around.
Equally, if the urban foxes aren’t scared of humans it may be safest that they don’t go out at all.
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We have biting midges in our area so I do not dare even bring my potatoes outdoors. I am itchy for weeks when I get bit. Imagine the poor potatoes☹️and especially my skinnies Jelly & Jam. 🌸
 
The best I've seen although expensive are the Run Around ones, they have a protruding lip round the bottom with metal pegs so they are harder to lift up with a nose. Heavy, all metal, with fit over lid. You don't have to buy the tunnels and doors the doorways can be sealed shut with cable ties. I still wouldn't leave them outside unsupervised even for a toilet break though. We started getting foxes last year after new building works have pushed them further into the housing estate from the green spaces. My partner and I take it in turns to be outside if the piggies are out which means they can only go out now if we are both home.

Fox pee is poisonous for piggies so last summer I didn't move the runs so much in case I moved them to where a fox had been. If I moved a run I hosed the grass off before moving it in the evening, which meant them going out later the next day making sure the ground was dry.
They aren't around so much in the day in the summer as there are always people in the gardens they have to walk through to get to us but I still wouldn't risk the piggies outside alone for one minute.
 
Maybe but as I said I wouldn't leave them alone anyway, one of us is always outside if the piggies are.
With the lip they are much harder to lift than a wooden run, much heavier for a start, the lip is 3 inches out from the bottom of the run and is fixed to the ground with 6 inch long metal pegs. Instead of resting on the top like on the wooden runs the lid fits right over and down the sides by about 4 inches and is very heavy to lift.
 
I have foxes living on the Heath and they regularly come into my back garden (and front come to that) day and night (I live 7 houses from the Heath). My piggies never go outside. They get grass every day in the Summer as I have the last 1/3rd of my 50ft garden as wild and there is loads of grass that comes up that I don't let my OH mow. This is what part of it looked like in June last year. It takes them all Summer to eat their way through it. I cut it with scissors every day. If you cut it, it regrows, if you pull it out by the roots it never grows back. I make sure that when I cut the grass with the seed heads that I put some seed back on the ground.


Wild garden 3.6.23.JPG
 
Catia Silva said:
Hello,

I was wondering if any of you has the Omlet runs for the grass time in summer?! I want a run safe from predators as I have foxes around but isn’t it the grid on the floor hurtful for their little feet?!

Thank you!

Catia
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We have a zippi run which we converted to an indoor run a few years ago and the pigs didn’t seem to mind the mesh floor but you need flat, even ground otherwise it could be a risk to little legs. We also have a walk in Omlet run which we used to have the bunnies in. They managed ti dig out a couple of times but the regular fox visitors didn’t dig in. It has a skirt and is too heavy for a fox to lift, especially with the paving slabs over the skirt! When it finally warms up enough, dries out and we’ve cleared the weeds we’ll let the boys out in it. Sadly we no longer have bunnies at the moment. We wouldn’t leave them overnight in it and probably only when we are around in and out of the house/garden, though we have a cheap day hutch they can access and roof covers to shelter from the sun and rain.
 
I have wooden runs but they are a pain to look after and the top panels warp and leave gaps.

I have been looking at the ZIppee runs as they now do them without the mesh floor but with a skirt.

We never leave really leave the piggies outside on their own except maybe if we nip into the kitchen (the window overlooks the garden). Foxes aren't really a problem near us but the cats are.

@Idris are the Zippee runs fairly sturdy?
 
YvonneBlue said:
I have wooden runs but they are a pain to look after and the top panels warp and leave gaps.

I have been looking at the ZIppee runs as they now do them without the mesh floor but with a skirt.

We never leave really leave the piggies outside on their own except maybe if we nip into the kitchen (the window overlooks the garden). Foxes aren't really a problem near us but the cats are.

@Idris are the Zippee runs fairly sturdy?
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Zippo run is sturdy - like the bigger run and definitely cat proof. The only risk re cats is that the mesh is large enough for a paw to get in so they could scratch a pig - or be bitten by a pig! Some finer mesh chicken wire around the outside solves that. Re foxes it would have to be a determined attack- with a skirt you would want it to be secured with multiple pegs or something heavy as the cage is lighter than the big walk in run.
 
Idris said:
Zippo run is sturdy - like the bigger run and definitely cat proof. The only risk re cats is that the mesh is large enough for a paw to get in so they could scratch a pig - or be bitten by a pig! Some finer mesh chicken wire around the outside solves that. Re foxes it would have to be a determined attack- with a skirt you would want it to be secured with multiple pegs or something heavy as the cage is lighter than the big walk in run.
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We ordered one to try (we will need another 2 if we like it). Ordered some pegs from Amazon to secure it. It arrived in 6 separate boxes and my OH just looked at them in dismay. It will probably be the weekend before we build it.😀
 
At our local farm store I came across a really sturdy chicken coop with run. It takes two people to carry and is really solid and well made. Might be ideal for anyone who has foxes around, try a farm store. It cost around £150 but looks like it would last years and so solid compared to runs and rabbit hutches. Had poles on all four corners for lifting/moving and a big inside area too. I would buy it if I could get it in the car, but you would need a van or delivery. it was a real bargain and I think locally made. The online ones are rubbish in comparison
 
YvonneBlue said:
We ordered one to try (we will need another 2 if we like it). Ordered some pegs from Amazon to secure it. It arrived in 6 separate boxes and my OH just looked at them in dismay. It will probably be the weekend before we build it.😀
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Actually easy to assemble with the instructions and plastic clips but will take some time.
 
Bill & Ted said:
Photos please, not seen these runs
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I will post some pictures once we have built the run. They look substantial and you can extend them by buying extra sections. It is raining here in Manchester so we can't get into the garden and start construction until it is a bit drier.
 
I just looked them up, they are similar to the Runaround rabbit runs and tunnels. We have a tunnel and two connectors, they join up a barn and run. the only problem that we experienced was you could never catch Bill and Ted to go in on a night as both of them would hide in the tunnel and lead us a right dance. They far preferred being outside all the time, even in winter on a mild day 😀
 
Here’s a photo of the zippi with improvised sun and rain cover (old tarpaulin!). We later adapted it into an indoor run and is currently dismantled since we moved.DSC_0020_10.webp
 
Bill & Ted said:
I just looked them up, they are similar to the Runaround rabbit runs and tunnels. We have a tunnel and two connectors, they join up a barn and run. the only problem that we experienced was you could never catch Bill and Ted to go in on a night as both of them would hide in the tunnel and lead us a right dance. They far preferred being outside all the time, even in winter on a mild day 😀
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I'm not adding any tunnels. 😀 And we have bought some extra openers so that we can access the run more easily (baby Esme is a nightmare to catch).
 
YvonneBlue said:
I'm not adding any tunnels. 😀 And we have bought some extra openers so that we can access the run more easily (baby Esme is a nightmare to catch).
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yes, these little squishy bodies. I have just tried to extract Tilly from under one of the bunny boxes in the run, she has managed to find a hollow underneath and is laid there quite happy, here’s me wondering where on earth she has gone. They lead us a dance don’t they 😂
 
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