Omlet Eglu MK2 - Perches

[KatyT]

Hi there!
I need help.
I want to buy an EGLU MK2, but now the county veterinary office (in Germany where I live) surprisingly advised against it.
I want to keep 4 regular-sized chickens in it.

They claim that
a) it does not have enough or the right kind of perches
b) the coop heats up too much
c) the nesting area is too small.

I am not a handy person at all, and I really like the EGLU and was hoping for some input from experienced keepers.

Re. a) Any idea how/if I can add “normal” perches, e.g. out of wood?
Re. b) I was thinking of adding some cover (maybe bamboo canes) over the coop for shading… ?
Re. c) Do you agree that the nesting box is too small (for 4 chickens)?

Thanks for your help! I really want the chickens to be happy.

Your newby,
Katy

 

[DobieLover]

I can't find that specific model but I agree with your vet.

Chickens thrive on extremely well ventilated coops that offer 3.5-4 sq ft of area per bird (not including the nest boxes) and 1 linear foot of roosting space per bird.
Most people who have not had chickens before think that putting a few little vent holes is lots of ventilation. It is not. You need to target 1 sq ft of permanent ventilation per bird that keeps drafts off them when roosted during cold weather and the ability to have even more ventilation that blows across roosted birds during warm weather. And all this ventilation needs to be installed so that blowing rain and snow cannot get into the coop. This is most easily accomplished with large roof overhangs and top hinged windows.
The vast majority of pre-fab coops do not offer any of these things and are flimsy and cheaply built.
Do you have an old shed or out building you can convert into a coop? Or find a small used shed?
Most people know at least one person who is handy that could help make modifications to such a structure to make it into a chicken coop.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

The one thing to be said for the Eglu coops is that they are better-built than the majority of prefabs. But beyond that they're undersized, ill-ventilated, and not well-designed to meet chickens' needs over the long term.

Here's some basic information for you.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

4 hens

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

This coop was specifically designed to meet all these minimums for 4 hens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/ In the article you can see how the different parts of the coop relate to each other.

Ventilation is critical in a chicken coop, both summer and winter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

 

[KatyT]

@Tonya: In the US, its called the Large Coop.
For ventilation: What if I removed the poop tray in hot weather? Then there should be much more ventilation..
I do not have any sheds or outbuilding where I live. Thanks for your help!!!

 

[KatyT]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

The one thing to be said for the Eglu coops is that they are better-built than the majority of prefabs. But beyond that they're undersized, ill-ventilated, and not well-designed to meet chickens' needs over the long term.

Here's some basic information for you.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

4 hens

• 16 square feet in the coop. 4'x4' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber.
• 4 feet of roost
• 40 square feet in the run. 4'x10' or 5'x8'. 6'x6' is a bit too small, 6'x8' is more generous and easier to build than 5'x8'.
• 4 square feet of ventilation. A 2'x2' window is theoretically enough, but in practice doesn't create any air FLOW so better to spread the venting around (and even better to exceed the minimums, especially in warm climates).
• 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice

This coop was specifically designed to meet all these minimums for 4 hens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-little-monitor-coop.76275/ In the article you can see how the different parts of the coop relate to each other.

Ventilation is critical in a chicken coop, both summer and winter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

Thank you for your great explanations.
I’m kind of at a loss and need to rethink all of this…
BTW: I live in Southern German. We have hardly any snow, but right now a major heatwave!

 

[3KillerBs]

@Tonya: In the US, its called the Large Coop.
For ventilation: What if I removed the poop tray in hot weather? Then there should be much more ventilation..
I do not have any sheds or outbuilding where I live. Thanks for your help!!!

You need the ventilation 24/7/365.

If you put your location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice.

 

[3KillerBs]

BTW: I live in Southern German. We have hardly any snow, but right now a major heatwave!

In a mild climate that doesn't get severe winters you might not need an enclosed coop at all, just a secure, roofed run with a 3-sided shelter at the windward end.

I don't know what building resources you have in your area, but hoop coops are often considered the easiest for a beginner to build:

Hoop Coops

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-coop-brooder-with-roll-up-sides.75720/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-biddie-bordello-a-hoop-coop-run-combo.72189/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/permanent-hoop-coop-guide.47818/

 

[DobieLover]

@Tonya: In the US, its called the Large Coop.
For ventilation: What if I removed the poop tray in hot weather? Then there should be much more ventilation..
I do not have any sheds or outbuilding where I live. Thanks for your help!!!

Just FYI... you tagged my real name which also happens to be the username of a different member! My username is DobieLover.

The fact that it has a "poop tray" is an indicator of poor design. Those things never work. But, no, it is not adequate ventilation. I'm sorry.

Do you have the equivalent of Facebook in Germany?
What about Craigslist?
What about shed builders?
Any place that might have a used shed for sale?
Or try buying a small shed kit and converting it.

 

[AnnPann]

Hi there!
I need help.
I want to buy an EGLU MK2, but now the county veterinary office (in Germany where I live) surprisingly advised against it.
I want to keep 4 regular-sized chickens in it.

They claim that
a) it does not have enough or the right kind of perches
b) the coop heats up too much
c) the nesting area is too small.

I am not a handy person at all, and I really like the EGLU and was hoping for some input from experienced keepers.

Re. a) Any idea how/if I can add “normal” perches, e.g. out of wood?
Re. b) I was thinking of adding some cover (maybe bamboo canes) over the coop for shading… ?
Re. c) Do you agree that the nesting box is too small (for 4 chickens)?

Thanks for your help! I really want the chickens to be happy.

Your newby,
Katy

I have an Omlet cube (MK2). I agree with your vet's specific concerns, but it's not something you can't overcome. I am not that handy either, but I loved that I could get the Cube and the walk-in run built almost entirely by myself. Cubes are also super easy to keep clean.

A) Yes you can add your own perches. Adding your own perches means removing the nesting box divider, which I'd recommend anyway to give them more space to spread out, especially in the heat. If you ditch the grey roosting tray and use Sweet PDZ in the bottom, it's even easier to keep clean.

B) Yes it heats up quite a bit in the summer sun. You will need to put it in the shade or add shade over it. Depending on how hot it gets where you live, this might not be sufficient. I lock my hens out of the coop during the day when it's hot as it gets over 100 degrees in there. I spend my energy keeping them shaded and cool in the run during the day, and then if I need to cool off the coop in the evening, I hose it down. If it's been really hot for days, then I sometimes take out the tray/bedding and hose off the inside, which will cool it off by more than 10 degrees instantly. It dries quickly because it's plastic. Closing the pop door during the day allows me to open up the back and egg doors which improves air flow during the day.

I also replaced the grey vent covers with hardware cloth for the summer. It's an easy cheap change and makes a big difference in air flow, especially on hot nights.

C) I have my hens lay in a litter box on the ground in my well-protected, shaded run, in order to 1) give them more room in the coop for sleeping and 2) keep them out of the hot coop during the day. It's the kind with the removable top, so I put the top on in winter, and take it off during the summer.

D) Ventilation. The Omlet Go model has horrible ventilation and is not big enough for 4 hens. The Cube has better ventilation than it appears, especially if you do the HWC cloth swap for the grey vents. During the winter I monitored the temperature and humidity inside and outside the Cube and the humidity never exceeded the outside air. However, I also got blowing snow and rain INSIDE the Cube (blowing in from the top/roof vents and side vents). I finally had to just throw a tarp over the top if we were going to get blowing snow. So air flows through the thing quite well!

E) Insulation-wise, Omlet's claims of "cool in the summer and warm in the winter" just didn't pan out for me. It is the same temp inside the coop during the winter as it is outside, and in the summer, it's hotter.

The short runs that come with the MK2 are OK but not nearly enough space for 4 hens, even if you get the 13' one. They are also a pain to get into to change food/water, catch a hen, and to keep clean. Moving the Cube gets old fast and overrated. You will want a walk-in run (whether it's the Omlet one or another brand).

The knob covers you see on mine are child-proofing door knob covers to keep raccoons out.

Depending on predators in your area, you may need to add hardware cloth to the run, so budget for that expense as well.

All that said, I purchased my Cube when I got my first 4 hens and it has been a great starter coop, although expensive. I have learned a LOT without having to put in all the effort of designing one myself, and accidentally making some fatal mistake that allowed predators in. After a year of having chickens in this coop, I learned what I want in a coop and run, and I'm in the process of building a custom one. I'll probably keep my Cube for a broody/injured/chick coop.

 

[AnnPann]

The fact that it has a "poop tray" is an indicator of poor design. Those things never work.

Been using it for a year now, and it actually works great. It's very solid and easy to pull in and out. I use PDZ in it and it stays very clean. The only downside is it's heavy so my kids have trouble with it (but they are happy to get to skip out on poop scooping anyway!). I can see how if it was cheaply done and not really strong plastic as I'm sure is done on other brands, it would be a nightmare though.