Omlet Eglu Cube w/Run - Number of Hens?

[aart]

It is my hope that we can add another small Coop to go inside said run.

Do you know that they will all likely want to sleep in the same coop,
unless you prevent them from doing so by fencing them into 2 flocks.

 

[Asharer]

Do you know that they will all likely want to sleep in the same coop,
unless you prevent them from doing so by fencing them into 2 flocks.

I did not know that! Currently, we have them in separate brooders (large tubs); three in one and four in the other. I’ve noticed that when we combine them to clean out a brooder, the grouped chicks tend to stick together.

Do you think they will naturally separate if we get another coop?

 

[aart]

Do you think they will naturally separate if we get another coop?

No, I do not.....

unless you prevent them from doing so by fencing them into 2 flocks.

 

[Asharer]

No, I do not.....

Ok, gotcha. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Spikeandbean]

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’

I have the 9x12 walk-in run from Omlet attached to the narrower 9 ft run, and I think you can actually get even larger. You can purchase individual sections (or "customize" your size on their run builder page). That said, if you have the means to build something permanent, go for it! As far as number of chickens, you could also look into adding an Eglu Go or something like that to your run set-up. They may choose to sleep together, but at least there'd be multiple options...? Good luck!

 

[Quail Newbie 3]

Ive watched and read everything I could on them, both from omlet and other independent reviews. I think for my set up and what I'm looking for il still give it a go. What coop did you end up going with if you don't mind me asking?

What did you end up getting?

 

[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!

 

[Ccort]

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.

I know its a year later....but is it big enough for 3 average sized birds and a brahma?

 

[Releasethecluckin]

Sounds alright to me. I have the cube in a 9 ft run with 2 buff orpingtons and 3 easter eggers in mine. 2 of the ee are on the burlier side. Have no problems. BUT def not tempted to add more birds. They are close to maxed out with 2 large hens and 3 med-ish henss.

 

[galaga6846]

View attachment 2605092 View attachment 2605093 View attachment 2605099 View attachment 2605100
View attachment 2605119View attachment 2605120
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!

Are you an Ambassador yet? I would love a.coupon code referral