Omlet Eglu Thread

[Phaedra Geiermann]

I love it. We have three. Easy to clean and they love them.

We have 3, too, 2 Cube and now 1 Go Up

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

If you are considering either of these units, spend the extra for the Cube. It is so much easier to keep clean. The nesting area is separate & the tray below the roost area is deeper. I can throw pine shavings in and go 3 weeks between cleanings. With the Up, I had to clean every 3 days.

Agree+100, I just received Up and installed it, a bit disappointed as we already have two Cube and they perform well.

However, I will use Up in the future for the rooster camp, so the poor nesting area can be ignored.

 

[FloriDUH JBot]

Hi all! I'm in South Florida and this is my first post on BYC! I live in a relatively urban environment, close to my neighbors, and I have an Eglu. Although we get some relief from the heat bc we are close to the beach, it can get hot in the coop /run during certain times of the day. I just recently placed a box fan at the back of the coop that blows through the coop and down the run to help with the hottest months (August /September) which are ahead of us. I keep 4 hens. I have noticed they are suddenly laying less (I used to get 4 beautiful eggs every day) now that it's gotten hotter and more still, hence the addition of a box fan.
I haven't found a lot of specific information about the Eglu on this forum, so I'm going to overshare .
It seems to me that the Eglu is really suitable for an environment like mine, where space is limited and neighbors are near. I clean out the poop tray weekly and turn over the pine shavings biweekly, and add new shavings when it starts to get a little stinky. I also use a product from Amazon that I spray in and around the roosting area and run as needed to help with odors and breakdown of organic matter.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B2CQPLN/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glt_fabc_K68DNGH79NK0YDRFY7VB?psc=1
My girls free range along the side of my house during the day. I installed an Omlet autodoor (game changer, imo this is a must-have item) that opens automatically in the early morning, and closes automatically at around 8pm. I typically go out go out and open the run gate and hook in the food trough in the run before their autodoor opens, so when it does open, their food is immediately available and so is the free range area next to my house (which they've totally destroyed omg. Are chickens part canine? They dig MASSIVE holes! Lol)
Because of where we are in the city and the growth that has occurred, I don't notice raccoons anymore. According to my "chicken cam" our problem is rats. I do see the occasional opossum, but they never try to enter the coop, just sniff around out of curiosity.
After their autodoor closes around 8, I go out, clean out and refresh their water trough, bring in the Omlet food trough, and close the run gate.
Then they are secure for the night behind the run gate and the autodoor.
I've tossed around the idea of leaving the run gate open overnight so I don't have to go out early in the morning to let them free range, but I don't want to risk inviting something into the coop that doesn't belong. I did purchase two autodoors with the intention of placing one on the Omlet run so that it will auto open to let them range in the AM, but I haven't installed the second one yet bc I don't want to become too "hands off" just yet. Maybe for a weekend away tho, so I'm holding onto the extra door just in case.
I've always wanted to have chickens and now I can have them where I live thanks to the Eglu! Although chickens are a no - no according to my city ordinance, I am crossing my fingers and keeping them anyhow, making sure that they are not disruptive.
I hope this helps!

We are also in coastal South Florida. Like you, we do get a bit of relief from a sea breeze most days. We recently ordered an Omlet Eglu Cube because our municipality requires a moveable coop. It isn't here yet, but I've been concerned about what conditions will be like inside of the coop during the peak summer months. Yours is one of only 2 posts I've found so far on this issue from Florida folks.

We've picked a very shady spot to put the coop, so that will help quite a bit. I think one of the things that the Omlet will excel at is dealing with summer rains. It looks very well designed for this purpose. I am considering adding a misting system to a small part of the run w a timer for the hottest part of the day. Our coop is not covered from the elements, so a fan will be a challenge. But I have been considering that option.

Can I ask what material you are using in your run?

 

[topochico225]

Is anyone else having mosquito problems in their coop? When I do my head count after dark, there are at least 15 mosquitoes in the coop. No standing water inside, etc. I'm going to put pure vanilla extract in there tomorrow to deter them, but I assume they're just getting stuck in there after the autodoor closes.

 

[Mama_rama]

We are also in coastal South Florida. Like you, we do get a bit of relief from a sea breeze most days. We recently ordered an Omlet Eglu Cube because our municipality requires a moveable coop. It isn't here yet, but I've been concerned about what conditions will be like inside of the coop during the peak summer months. Yours is one of only 2 posts I've found so far on this issue from Florida folks.

We've picked a very shady spot to put the coop, so that will help quite a bit. I think one of the things that the Omlet will excel at is dealing with summer rains. It looks very well designed for this purpose. I am considering adding a misting system to a small part of the run w a timer for the hottest part of the day. Our coop is not covered from the elements, so a fan will be a challenge. But I have been considering that option.

Can I ask what material you are using in your run?

Good morning!
I think you will be pleased with your new Eglu Cube! I find my MK2 simple to maintain. The most difficult part for me is to turn over the area and the area under the Cube unit (mine is Cube plus two, 3' extensions, making the total unit 9' long) because it's difficult to reach 9' into the run from the gate side. I find it easier to do if I remove the roosting bars, and the slide out tray, and turn over the area directly under the solid cube from the opening left by removing those two pieces.
My Cube is sitting in an area next to my home that sheltered from the E by a privacy fence is, from the W my my house, and is about 80% shaded by a massive oak. That particular area has been difficult to landscape because it's so shaded, so we keep ginger and ferns there. The ground is dirt that we used to mulch, but is so often covered with leaves and/or pollen from the oak that we gave up mulching. We placed the Cube directly on the dirt, and fortuitously the edge of the coop on two sides abuts perfectly with existing pavers, keeping it relatively level and very secure. After a couple weeks, I added pine shavings to the run area only because honestly it began to get quite poopy and stinky, and I have since evolved into the deep litter method inside the coop and it's working quite well. The area where they free range is still the existing "landscaped" area we had before, which was soil, mulch, step stones and some river rock. That area now looks like it has been ransacked by a pack of dogs! It's shocking how determined the ladies are to dig holes to find delicious things in the soil, and stay cool! I don't hold it against them, I just work with them by going out about once a week and redistributing the dirt and rocks they have kicked up over the step stones back into the beds, usually with a flat shovel. This chore also helps to keep the poops under control as they get mixed, buried and/or turned over with the soil. Then, some weeks if I'm feeling meticulous, I will hose the step stones off so their area looks a little tidier.
So, the short answer is the coop and run are the existing soil substrate with pine shavings turned over biweekly or so (depending how much digging the girls have done in the coop) with some fresh pine shavings added as needed. Their free range area is natural soil, leaves, etc.
As far as shade goes, my Cube came with the heavy duty rain cover, which is great for rain but bad for airflow. It's more of a coated canvas than a plastic tarp, and it's of excellent quality. My coop also came with a shade cloth which has pretty much disintegrated in the sun, so I am in the process of installing a Coolaroo shade sail over the coop which will provide shade, airflow, will minimize heavy downpours, and look attractive (imo).
The girls DO NOT go into the enclosed upper cube area during the day unless they are laying an egg. No one hangs out in there, so the daytime heat in the Cube doesn't concern me much. I have a wireless thermometer that I will place in there to measure temps over the next week and report back!
I have four brown sex-links, btw, and I find it hard to believe that more than that number is possible, pleasant or healthy to keep in my setup. I hope this helps! You're going to have sooo much fun and sooo many eggs!

 

[lynnrm1]

Love my Omlet cube so far and so do the girls. The only thing I am wondering is, right now it’s easy to move around the yard, how easy will it be when I add another three foot extension?

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Love my Omlet cube so far and so do the girls. The only thing I am wondering is, right now it’s easy to move around the yard, how easy will it be when I add another three foot extension?

will be quite difficult, we have added two different run, one is 1m*3m, another is 2m*2m (walk-in run), the later one has almost no chance to move.

 

[lynnrm1]

will be quite difficult, we have added two different run, one is 1m*3m, another is 2m*2m (walk-in run), the later one has almost no chance to move.

Kinda what I figured! Thanks!

 

[topochico225]

Love my Omlet cube so far and so do the girls. The only thing I am wondering is, right now it’s easy to move around the yard, how easy will it be when I add another three foot extension?

I got extensions to make the run 12ft. You need at least 3 people to move it, if not 4.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Is anyone else having mosquito problems in their coop? When I do my head count after dark, there are at least 15 mosquitoes in the coop. No standing water inside, etc. I'm going to put pure vanilla extract in there tomorrow to deter them, but I assume they're just getting stuck in there after the autodoor closes.

Hi. I live in Los Angeles just 2 miles from the ocean. Not a ton of mosquitos...except in our Cube! I make sure the auto-door closes within about 10 mins of when they go into their coop. But I think the mosquitos get in through the vents. So even with the front door close, they can get in. Not sure if they know how to exit once they get in though!

I now have a ton of mosquito/fly-deterring herbs/plants in the (10'x30') extended run (just ordered a Omlet Walk-In Run!) - 2 lavender, 2 rosemary, 2 marigold, 1 basil, 1 thyme, 1 citronella plant. Plus I sprinkle the plant clippings in the dropping tray (where I also put bedding to absorb any moisture) and on the nesting box side. It seems to be helping quite a bit. But does not eliminate them altogether. I am also ordering some Pampered Chicken Mama PestsBGone Poultry Coop Herbs from Chewy and will put that in the coop too.