Omlet Eglu MK2 - Perches

[LaysnGwen]

I have the Eglu go with 2 hens and the 9ft run. I’d agree with others that the small tractor is a bit annoying especially for catching hens and changing water.

But besides that I have a fan with built in mister the ‘misto’ that I run on one side and I’ve covered the half of the run and the coop with painters canvas.

Wow it is a chicken yurt that stays so nice and cool even in the record setting AZ hear thanks to the ranch fan. It sits just to the left in the photo.

I’ll sturdy it up and keep it for the good weather too. I haven’t done wheels or handles yet. But it is small. Everyone comes out during the morning and evening.

I just make sure that the mist drops off before the door of the coop so that only the cool air enters to keep it dry.

When I check on it at night I’m thrilled to see them with a nice cool breeze which does actually vent out

 

[Ddb123]

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.

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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.

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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.

Do you have any problem keeping the chickens from sleeping in the nest boxes? If so, how do you discourage them from sleeping and pooping in the nesting box?