Help - Omlet Eglu owners - how to ventilate the roost?

[thecatumbrella]

Yes to both questions. Actually, on our coop, both the left and the right side doors jiggle. I don't like the locking mechanism. We started with the cube so we have both now. The cube is set aside for integration / isolation purposes. Having the experience of both, my recommendation is the cube, which I would recommend for tiny flocks but not the pro for myriad reasons. Actually, the only way to go is to build ones' own, but that was not an option at the time we started this journey. We also have bylaws to consider where we currently live.

Same journey as you! Started with the Cube because we got sideswiped by "rural" setbacks. Upgraded to the Pro for space, but the build quality is not up to the Cube's standards. I heard some people even have rain water leaking into the nest box area!

Can't believe you're having the same issue with the doors...

 

[Bawkbok]

Same journey as you! Started with the Cube because we got sideswiped by "rural" setbacks. Upgraded to the Pro for space, but the build quality is not up to the Cube's standards. I heard some people even have rain water leaking into the nest box area!

Can't believe you're having the same issue with the doors...

Yes, rain water leaks into the nest boxes and gets them soaked from front to back, that was BEFORE we removed the plastic vent and replaced it with HW cloth. I waste a ton of nesting material after rain. Best I can figure, if the green nest door is open, which it always has to be for various layers from night until evening, the rain puddles under the useless side vents and runs along the rungs of the nest door and runs into the nests, along with the fact the seal is inadequate and rain runs down inside and rain runs down the side channel by the front vent. I have pictures of all of this and worked with Omlet for a possible solution.
The roof pitch is wrong or this wouldn't happen and the seal is thin compared to the cube seal and the plastic is thinner compared to the cube design. I wish I could cram the girls in the cube as I'd have less worries but that isn't going to happen - although, the way they all huddle together so tightly I could probably do it and get away with it. In summary, the pro offers more space but is subpar in quality compared to the cube. So disappointing.
Off my soap box now - it's too hot to vent -- no pun intended.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I wish I could cram the girls in the cube as I'd have less worries but that isn't going to happen - although, the way they all huddle together so tightly I could probably do it and get away with it.

I want to do this so bad (especially since I can still return the Pro), but I'd have to convert the nest box to an extended roost area to accommodate all seven... which means they'd be laying in the run. Not a bad idea for summer, but I'm not sure they'd go for that in winter.

 

[Bawkbok]

I want to do this so bad (especially since I can still return the Pro), but I'd have to convert the nest box to an extended roost area to accommodate all seven... which means they'd be laying in the run. Not a bad idea for summer, but I'm not sure they'd go for that in winter.

wow - you fit 7 in there? What breeds / sizes do you have if you don't mind me asking. Do they seem to have sufficient space to move about?

 

[thecatumbrella]

wow - you fit 7 in there? What breeds / sizes do you have if you don't mind me asking. Do they seem to have sufficient space to move about?

They're bantams (Cochin/Pekin), and one's a d'Uccle so she's really, really small. I'd run two roost bars across the entire width of the Cube. Ideally, there would be 3 to a bar, so it would be pushing it with the 7th bird. I'd basically take my 2023 setup and extend it into the nest box. This held 4 medium birds comfortably (or as comfortable as you can be in the Eglu), so I'm optimistic it could work as a holdover until I actually build something. Still working out the logistics of that with the town's bylaws.

 

[Bawkbok]

Bantams makes sense. They should be more than comfortable in that space. I like what you did with the bars. Thinking of doing something similar. Thanks for sharing.