Anyone own an "Eglu" chicken coop/run? Thoughts?!

[gryeyes]

I transmorgrified a plastic playhouse into a "grow out" coop for four chicks, now 11 weeks old. It's not in this picture, but I put a temporary poultry fence up INSIDE the run, so the other chickens can see, meet, bump chests, etc. for a few weeks before I take down the temp fence and let them merge with the whole flock.

Just added hardware cloth, put it up on a pallet on top of up-ended concrete blocks, added a roost, a Booda cat litter box for a "nest box" (which they don't use), put in pine shavings,

hung a nipple waterer, set up a feeder,

and kept the chicks in there for a week before letting them out into their own small penned area inside the run.

Spent far less than I would have on an Eglu, and I think it's lots cuter!

 

[Lady Henevere]

I've had an Eglu Cube for a year now and I love it. I did what MCmomof3 did and made a bigger run (we have the "extended run" but it's still a little small for 5 chickens). The walls of the Cube are well-ventilated and fully insulated (unlike a storage box or child's playhouse -- though the house in the post above is adorable and nicely put together), and even in our 100-degree summers it's not bad in there. It has trays underneath the roosting area that make for an extremely quick mini-cleaning, and the roof, back, roosting bars, and wall between coop and nest box come out easily for a deep cleaning (which involves little more than spraying with the hose). The floor under the roosting area and the nest box have drainage so the water just drains out. People often say "you can just make an Eglu-looking thing for cheaper," I agree--but it won't have the features that make the Eglu so awesome. The way these are put together make them far more easy to use than anything you can make yourself (including a traditional coop, I would think, though I've never tried to clean one). Also, not everyone wants/has time/has the skills to build their own coop. For a small backyard flock, I think it's a great choice. Here's mine.

 

[EweSheep]

i would not buy one at all. Too cramped and not enough vents to deal with the issues. I'd rather buy a Royal or Suncast or similar vinyl sheds for that cost and build a dog run. Now that would be ample room and happy chickens!

 

[heather g]

I was given an eglu classic & run about 2 months ago and couldn't believe my luck as I
I have wanted one for nearly 3 yrs, but never had the funds to pay for it !!! I now wouldn't give £50 for one they are expensive and too small for a start, I was also given the 2 omlet hens that were bought together with the eglu by the previous owner. I looked on the website to see how many hens i could house in it and they say 4, but i cannot see how they would have enough space without being really huddled together and the run seems too small for 2 especially as they need to stay in if i'm not home or away on holiday . The website does suggest that you extend the run for 2 more hens though, but i still feel the house is much too small for more than 2 hens. My big worry is that if it snows again this yr or whenever it would be burried under god knows how much snow and be near impossible to sort it out as lets face it who wants to be outside squatting in the garden, trying to slide out the plasic tray and probably having to dig it out in the 1st place. ( not me !!) another thing I noticed that it seems a bit draughty as well as there seems to be a few gaps where the plastic lid sits on the base . The other annoying thing is that the nest box is right near the door so i have had to put black plastic over the run near the door as it is very light and the hens can see the egg that their friend has just laid and they sometimes eat the egg !!! I need a roll away type of nest box to prevent this from happening again but i can't move the existing one out as it is fixed !!!I have now asked a friend to build me a fox proof run and a lovely wooden hen house with an easy roof that is hinged so i don't need to bend down to clean it out now i can have more hens and more eggs !! and ...more importantly it will cost me a fraction of what i could have paid for the eglu. With money being so tight at the moment , for a lot of people i think you would be better off getting something built for your requirements , rather than buying one. I wonder how many people who have bought one, really feel they are worth what they paid for it !!! I will keep the eglu for my rabbits to play in during the day , but not for night as they are nocturnal and prefer to run around at night and not be locked into a confined space.

 

[gmendoza]

NO thank you! Too small. 600 bills for that? all the stuff in our back yard (side fence,garden fence, greenhouse,both coops,grow out coop) barely amounted to 200 MAX! why in saint swithins would I buy a hunk of plastic like that?

Eglu = FAIL

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I have a little Eglu Go set on a raised garden bed. It is easy to clean, and I have three Black Star pullets in it. The run has been extended with an extra piece. It works for me - simple was an absolute requirement since I suffer from vertigo.

 

[chickenbaguette]

I'd say that Eglus are far too expensive for what they are. They're good, being made of plastic so no mites can live in them, but they are also tiny. You can get a much better, bigger coop for less, and your chickens would probably prefer it. I spent hardly any money on my two very serviceable chicken coops - one is a converted playhouse, like gryeyes, but more in this style http://www.binbin.net/photos/little-tikes/lit/little-tikes-playhouse.jpg It has two perches inside and is very big and easy to clean, and warm enough even in winter with pipe insulators lined up in bin bags and roofing felt over the top for the roof. The other is a cupboard. The cupboard door means it's easy to open up and clean out, and a door cut out of the front serves as both the chickens' entrance and a ramp. Eglus, in my opinion, are far too small for the number of chickens they say can live in them. They're even too small for one, or it's almost as bad as battery farming. >:l

 

[ThinkingChickens]

I find that most of the negativity on the Eglu stems from those who have never used one, or claim to have seen them but it doesn't sound like they really have. I'm an Eglu Go owner. I love how easy the Eglu is to clean, the stylish look of it, etc. I did find the run too small unless you free range (which we have been doing) but the predator protection has been working for us. As far as how they deal in heat and cold, very well. In the winter my Eglu was buried in snow and the inside temp on the house was nice. The birds provided the heat. In the summer it stays cool. It's been 95-100 here and the inside temp hasn't gone above 80.

I've had no pests, no predators, and no smells. I'm very happy with my purchase. I'm so happy in fact I ordered a second Go which arrives Wednesday. I am, however, building a walk in run as I want the girls to have more space when we go away overnight. The food and water containers work well, but aren't better or worse than others. Also, the Eglus are bigger in person that they look on the computer. As far as using a play house as a substitute? I've had three playhouses (large Step 2) and the Eglu floor space is almost the same size. I think people just love to hate on the Eglu because a playhouse is not any bigger AND has no in wall insulation whereas the Eglu is double wall insulated.

Now- cost. Okay, the Eglu is pricey. I equate it to being like the Mac of chicken coops, with the PC version being wood. If you want to pay more for the looks, as we did, because you have a small backyard garden then that's completely up to you the purchaser. There's nothing wrong with wood either but having a wood house (cedar), wood fences, wood decking I just didn't want one more thing to stain and I didn't want mites which was a big fear. TO EACH HIS OWN!

 

[stargirl]

It's just the run-size that worries me. I know a few people with eglus whose hens do not free range, and it seems a very cramped existance. One flock actually dug their way out in desperation!

 

[ThinkingChickens]

I agree about the run but I think even Omlet says you are supposed to let your chickens out to roam. The run is more, in my opinion, for the emergency when you might need to go away for a day.