Eglu

I got two Eglus for 8 bantam-sized birds. I put them up on new bricks because I thought that the price of a frame was silly. However I found that the bricks got in the way too much so I grudgingly paid the price of the frame, which proved to be much more sturdy and stable than piles of bricks.

With the Eglu go-up, I found that:

• the frame is too high for hopping up comfortably
• they couldn't land in the pop-hole doorway: there's nowhere to land. The threshold slopes outwards, is slippery plastic and is too wide for bantam feet to grasp.
• they were scared to jump down in the morning
• the nest box is next to the door. It's a smooth plastic hollow and they kept slipping into it.
• the roosting bars are narrow but ok for banties
• (good thing!) there are lots of roosting bars; all on a level, so they can snuggle up, vie for the best place etc - and all without pushing anyone off! They settled much more quickly with little squabbling and I stopped worrying about who would get hurt falling off the perch.
• (bad thing) there are lots of roosting bars; of open rectangular cross-section and hollow, so each bar has 6 surfaces to get coated with the poo that's supposed to drop through. All the surfaces need scrubbing each week.
• the coop stinks in the morning if you don't put litter in the poop tray
• losing access to their coops meant they lost that 'first-floor' area within the run.
• (good) it seems very waterproof
• (good) it seems predator-proof
• (not sure) it soon gets warm when they're in but I'm not sure there's enough ventilation
• there's no means of adjusting ventilation
• the ladder which comes with the frame is very sturdy and well-made. A bit steep for reaching the Eglu on its frame, but brilliant in other situations.

Solutions to make it work:

• In summer, I put the coop back-to-front and removed the back of the coop so they had enough space for landing and a level edge on which to land.
  I supervised them getting down in the morning and helped those who weren't confident.
• When winter arrived, I replaced the back of the coop. Having reinstated one of the old coops, I put the pophole of this coop opposite the Eglu doorway. I place a ramp across from the Eglu to the old coop to make a bridge. They file across the bridge down to their old coop, then hop out or use the Eglu ladder.
• I fill the poop tray with shredded paper and hay and put plenty of hay on top of the roosting bars. Then I can pick up the hay and shake the poo off it each morning and it saves a lot of scrubbing of roosting bars. They can't reach under the bars, and the hay is on top of the paper, so it isn't a hazard.
• Putting plenty of hay in the 'nest box' hollow helps to stop them sliding into it.
  

To quote, 'The Eglu Go UP mobile chicken house is suitable for up to 4 medium sized chickens or 2-3 larger breeds such as Buff Orpingtons or Cochins'

Q