Omlet Eglu Cube w/Run - Number of Hens?

[Mayakovsky]

This thread came up when I was searching for Eglu and raccoon - are you sure about the raccoons not being able to turn the handles? I’m in Toronto, Canada and our raccoons are smart and strong. I have my handles covered in heavy tape for now but I’m worried they’re going to get in anyway. I already lost 3 birds in my last coop, want to make sure they’re secure now.

I agree with you about raccoons possibly being able to get into the Eglu coop. A quarter turn of a handle and the raccoon has access through the nesting boxes or the back....In that these coops are from England, I don't think they have as many problems with raccoons as we do. I would take extra precautions. I have also heard from someone that some animal was able to enter the coop through the poop tray. My own Eglu coop is in a bigger run with hardware cloth. Nothing is 100 percent secure. A mink could get into the run through the hardware cloth. A raccoon could break through the netting on top of the run. I have a trap set outside, and motion lights....so far so good. In one year all I caught was an opossum. Hawks are everywhere, but cannot get at the chooks.....Best of luck in Canada!

 

[GaloCantou]

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival or my Cube w 9 ft run. I have 5 birds right now but they are just chicks and two will be tiny, one may be a rooster and may have to go or live in the garage I will say, I am thoroughly impressed with customer service at Omlet, they are so responsive and they take pride in their products. For this reason alone I would continue to support them knowing that they are legit and stand behind their products. Will post about the coop once it arrives! I live in a suburb with small lots and have direct neighbors on two sides, my main concern is raccoons. We had 7 living under our deck when we first moved in!!!! Since getting a dog though I have not seen one in many years (maybe the pee smell keeps them away?) My husband set up outdoor cameras (LOL) facing the coop/run using RING products so we can monitor and see if there’s any activity we should be aware of during the night.

 

[Asharer]

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.

 

[GaloCantou]

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.

Are they all regular size chickens? Will they have pasture or free range time during the day? If any are larger breeds or full size it could be tight.

 

[rosemarythyme]

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.

Sell the excess chicks? Should sell very well right now.

 

[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!

 

[GaloCantou]

Check out the omlet USA pet tips Facebook group... there’s a lot of helpful info and many pics and posts from people who already have your set up, you can see how many chickens they can fit in there. I am planning on 3 normal size birds and 3 bantams in there myself... they are still half size now so hard to say how it will work out...

 

[Asharer]

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!

Thanks for your feedback, Mayakovsky. I will definitely share our experience. We are thinking of purchasing/building a large run that will house another Eglu. It appears that the largest run Omlet has is 9’x12’

 

[Asharer]

Are they all regular size chickens? Will they have pasture or free range time during the day? If any are larger breeds or full size it could be tight.

They will all be full size. Currently, they are 4 weeks old.

 

[Asharer]

Sell the excess chicks? Should sell very well right now.

We hadn’t considered doing so but it may come to that. They are currently 4 weeks old so I hope we have at least 2 months before it becomes too crowded. We are purchasing or building a larger, permanent run. It is my hope that we can add another small Coop to go inside said run.