Omlet Eglu Cube w/Run - Number of Hens?

[Amgill0415]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the site and this will be my first year keeping chickens! Based on my research and what I want for my chickens, I have decided to go with the Omlet Eglu Cube with 9 foot run. I plan on letting the girls out in the yard outside of the run when they can be supervised. I'm curious on people's experience with the Elgu Cube and more importantly, how many hens are you housing in it? I've read anywhere from 3 - 8 would be fine. I was thinking of 4 - 6 personally, but want everyone to be comfortable and happy. I'm going to go with a rainbow egg maker assortment from a hatchery. Considering a rooster also, just since I think they are so fun Thanks in advance!

 

[Mayakovsky]

I think the Eglu is adequate for 4 egglayers (think med-lg breeds as most egglayers are...RIR, sussex, barred rocks) or maybe 6 smaller hybrids. My goal is also movable, plastic for easier cleaning and disinfection, easier access. I live in a 4 season climate but will also not be doing a full tear down in the middle of winter. The poop tray cleaning is appealing for that time of the year. My Eglu will be sitting on a 4' x 8' raised bed (rotating annually) within a 10' x 10' chain link enclosure with a lid of chain link panel covered with hardware cloth and a tarp in the summer for shade. Also, we allow some free ranging on 1/2 acre when we are home to supervise. Pretty sure the rare bear or coyote we get around here could break into an Eglu, but so far they always come during the day and we have learned how to prevent the snatch and grab. But the more common danger here is owls, raccoons, skunks, and snakes. The Eglu looks sufficiently tight for those predators at night. Not one of our wooden coops has stood up over time to those predators. Wood rots, decays, cracks, needs to be replaced regularly. Or, if you make it sturdy enough to withstand the predators, it is too heavy to move. Constant cleaning and disinfecting degrades wood walls and floors, even in our dry desert climate. I've spent enough on wood and hardware over the years to buy a Eglu many times over. I'm almost retired and want to make my chicken hobby a bit easier to maintain in the future. The Eglu will also keep a limit on the number of chickens I will be able to house ;-) .Waiting to build a few more raised beds first this year, then time for an Eglu Cube and some Fall chicks.

I think you will be okay with the Omlet...especially if the chickens have a place to run around during the day......mine has been great - no issues with pecking and boredom.....

 

[featheredplanets]

It can house no more than 4. Honestly don’t get why they advertise such high numbers on their site, it’s terrible. I’d recommend adding extra ventilation. Also, a rooster may be rough on just 3 hens.

Are you sure you want an Eglu? They’re expensive for something that is really quite rubbish (and tiny) compared to other options.

 

[Building Bridges]

Thanks for responding! Yeah, I want to go with the Eglu cube. I want something that is mobile so I can move it around the yard. I like the enclosed run and the skirt around the base. I also want something that is plastic, as I've had wooden enclosures and houses for things before and they are so hard to get CLEAN. I know its pricey, but when compared to the price I would be paying for the wooden coops that would be stationary and not have an enclosure included with it, it actually pretty comparable. Plus, if the weather should get SUPER terrible, I should be able to move the whole thing into a garage for added protection.

Also, as far as the rooster goes, are you saying that in general, or because I want to use the cube?

I do not yet have chickens and have spent tons of time looking at coops. I was also looking at the Eglu because of the idea of cleaning plastic rather than wood. I watched some videos on youtube where people discussed it....and showed it with chickens inside. I felt it was just too cramped....chickens were staying in the "nest" area (pooping all over it) because it's on the same level as the roost and because the entire thing is small. I also don't like the idea of them being contained for days with no natural light....and I felt ventilation was lacking. I was tempted....but the youtube videos helped me see it wasn't going to make me happy. Perhaps you'd like to watch some of those (not the ones posted by Eglu).

 

[Amgill0415]

Ive had at least one raccoon try to get into my enclosure (eglu cube with 13ft run) and it didn't get in. The latches on the back and side are pretty secure. I don't think a raccoon could figure it out. Ive had my 6 girls in this setup for about a month now and I'm very pleased with it. Cleaning is a breeze, there is plenty of room for them at night, and find they even go in during the day for nap time! I will let them out of the run for an hour or so when I can be out there to supervise, but they are happy enough enclosed. I LOVE that I can move the whole thing every few days. We've had a TON of rain, so being able to move it to a fresh patch of grass had been awesome. Gives the girls new ground to explore and allows the previous patch to recuperate. Otherwise they would just be in a poopy mud hole at this point. I wouldn't go past 6 girls personally though. Maybe if I had an additional place for them to roam, but them I couldn't move it around. (Note: I only leave the tarp on when I know we're getting a full day of rain. )

 

[aart]

Honestly don’t get why they advertise such high numbers on their site, it’s terrible.

All prefab coop manufacturers population numbers are about double what is generally healthy, especially in a harsh climate.

I also want something that is plastic, as I've had wooden enclosures and houses for things before and they are so hard to get CLEAN.

What other 'things'(I'm assuming other animals) have you had?
Well, poop happens.... pretty hard to keep a chicken coop pristine.
Think about your access to get in there to clean, especially during a blizzard.

Plus, if the weather should get SUPER terrible, I should be able to move the whole thing into a garage for added protection.

Might think about building a large weather proof run to put the cube in.

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @Amgill0415 ..thanks for adding your location.

 

[Mayakovsky]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the site and this will be my first year keeping chickens! Based on my research and what I want for my chickens, I have decided to go with the Omlet Eglu Cube with 9 foot run. I plan on letting the girls out in the yard outside of the run when they can be supervised. I'm curious on people's experience with the Elgu Cube and more importantly, how many hens are you housing in it? I've read anywhere from 3 - 8 would be fine. I was thinking of 4 - 6 personally, but want everyone to be comfortable and happy. I'm going to go with a rainbow egg maker assortment from a hatchery. Considering a rooster also, just since I think they are so fun Thanks in advance!

I have an Omlet Eglu....live in Minnesota....this is my take on it - It houses 4 hens for me. Here they SLEEP and LAY EGGS. When the coop door is open, and it is light out, they are always outside. That said, at night they all cuddle together without much pecking at all. The nest boxes stay clean - chickens are not sleeping there and pooping all over the place. The poop tray is easily removed and emptied. There doesn't APPEAR to be adequate ventilation, but I have had no issues with ammonia smells or high humidity. The plastic DOES lend itself to being hosed down easily....and face it, no one is going to be cleaning a coop in the middle of a blizzard, as someone intimated. Although it IS mobile, it might be a hassle if you move it infrequently, as the grass around it will matte and make it hard to free it from the predator guard around the run. One suggestion, though - don't put more than 4 in there, and consider building a BIGGER run around the one with the omlet. That is what I did...I covered the one from Omlet to protect it from the wind/rain/snow, but the chickens have a MUCH larger run to explore as well.....that small a run as comes with the Eglu seems unfair......do consider this coop for starters....I think you will like it.

 

[Stephoney]

I’m a little late to this party, but I thought I’d share my experience with Eglu Cubes in case anyone is still interested. Sorry in advance for the length of this post! Here we go...

In July of last year, I purchased my first Eglu off of Craigslist after reading about them and deciding, like many, that a moveable coop would be a good idea. This is my first experience with raising chickens and I wanted the easiest, safest setup. I knew I’d be selling our house and I didn’t want to move a heavy wood coop to the new house. The previous owner sold the coop with 4 hens. Though the coop was several years old, it still looked new and cleaned easily. Something that no one has mentioned, but was a concern for me, was red mites. Plastic coops do not have as much of an issue with them as wooden coops have- not as many nooks and cracks. After my 10 minute weekly cleaning, I put DE in the places where the side pieces and roof are connected just to make sure. The coop also came with an autodoor which I immediately loved and a 6 foot run. We lived in a development so I knew that the girls could free range while I was home, but still have enough room during the day when I was at work. The set up worked great. All 4 hens snuggled together at night so there was plenty of room. Poop falls through the roosting bars to the Sweet Pdz I put in the tray below. I scoop it out a few times a week. I couldn’t resist adding another hen and she fit fine as well. For reference, I had a blue Orpington, a speckled sunsex, 2 Russian Orlafs and an Easter Egger at the time. This mix of medium and a large hens fit just fine in the coop. There was no sign that any of them were stressed and they were all very healthy.

We have since moved to a new, larger property with an unfinished greenhouse. I turned it into a greenhouse/hen indoor run combo and ordered a 2nd Eglu with autodoor. I’ve added 2 Welsummers, 2 Ameraucanas, a Buff Orpington, an Australorp and a Salmon Faverolle to our little flock and lost one of my over aggressive Orloffs- so now we’re a flock of 11. I worried that the new hens, who came from several different sellers, (all around 6 months old) might have a hard time adapting to the roosting bar setup. They had absolutely no problem at all.

Someone previously mentioned that hens will try to roost together- that’s certainly true sometimes. I check the coops nightly and once found 10 in a single coop! I moved a few to the other, of course. 10 is WAY TOO MANY! I will say that, as long as they aren’t my largest breeds, they are very comfortable with 6-7. They’re definitely not on top of one another or too squished, but they do huddle together. Like someone else commented, they primarily use the coops for laying eggs and sleeping. Otherwise, they are out free ranging or walking around the outdoor run. I added a few Chickboxes to the greenhouse in hopes that they would use them for laying as well, but so far, they seem to have worked out a schedule of sorts for using the two Eglu nesting areas.

I live in Washington state and it’s still pretty wet and chilly out. When the weather warms up, I’ll wheel both coops outside into the outdoor run. I can easily move them myself. I plan to pressure wash both for a thorough cleaning.

One more thing- after reading the thread, I noticed a lot of people worried about raccoons. While I haven’t seen them, I know they’re around. We definitely have coyotes nearby. I have had zero problems with predators in these coops. During the cold months, I added Omlet’s Extreme Temperature Jackets to both (Yes, my hens are very spoiled). I think covering both the egg door and the back door to the coops added to the protective nature of them. Still, the handles are fairly large, and even if they use both hands, I can’t see a raccoon being able to hang from the top or stand up tall enough to maneuver them off. Maybe our racoons aren’t the monsters that other states have? My greenhouse doesn’t have doors yet- I use clear tarps that can be tied back to close them up at night so small predators would definitely have access if they were able to get around the outdoor enclosure fencing. Coyotes can jump up to 5 feet fences, so I’m certain they’ve been in to check things out.

I signed up to be an ambassador for Omlet since I have 2 of their coops. If you’re in the PNW, I’d be happy to have you over to take a closer look if you’d like to see them in person. Also, I have a discount code for 6% off as well that I’d be happy to share if you decide you want to take the plunge. I currently have my eye on an Eglu Go Up to use as a hospital/quarantine/young pullet coop. I feel like you get what you pay for and it’s an investment that easily pays off if you ever decide to sell them- they never stay on the market very long. Overall, I love my two Eglu Cubes. If you’re still reading, thanks for hanging in there!

 

[Amgill0415]

In general. If you had small bantams or ornamental fowl 1 rooster to 3 hens may not be too bad. But it sounds like you want layers and a similar breed rooster. 3 hens will be overbred, which is harmful.

Makes sense. Especially since I don't need fertilized eggs, I'll just stick with some girls thank you!

 

[Mayakovsky]

We just received our Eglu Cube with 9ft run and will assemble it, this week. We have 7 chicks and based on what I've read here, I am afraid that is too many! We initially planned to get 5-6 birds but received a "freebie" because one of the breeds we ordered wasn't available. Not sure what to do at this point but will soon need to figure it out.

Seven birds in that coop is going to be too many....I would cap it at three or four....the four that i have typically take up about a third of the coop inside - in winter they huddle even more closely together.

I have no issues with boredom or bullying, despite their having 2.5 square feet per bird in the coop proper, partly because their run is so big and they "free range" about an hour a day.

If your birds have stuff to do and room to explore during the day, it will help keep them happy.

Good luck with the coop - it is the only decent "pre-fab" one I ever considered buying here in the USA....let us know what happens!