Solitary chicken - need advice

[sheik]

We have a MKII Eglu, but we are not using the omlet run, we have a secured 11'x5' run instead, with the Eglu inside for nesting.

 

We're looking to get two bantams and two normal sized hens, which we're pretty sure will be fine (we phoned Frank from Thornes to see if it was OK to mix small numbers of bantams and normal sized chickens, as we didn't know).

 

We also asked if we could get a Buff Orpington, a hybrid and two bantams (silkies) though, and he was doubtful that an Eglu would be big enough.

 

Can anyone else give an opinion on this please? Please note the Eglu would only be used for nesting/roosting at night - otherwise they'd either be out in their run or free-ranging in the main garden.

 

Frank's a great guy, but I get the impression he's not a fan of Eglus, so thought I'd ask for a second opinion before I abandon our "1 big, 1 medium, 2 small" flock plan

 

Thanks,

 

/\dam

[CockADoodleDoo]

hmm yes i agree that you could have 2 bantams and 2 hens if they are from the same place (so they smell the same) and if you put them all in together at the same time. but i dont think that you will fit in a buff orpington because and eglu is only big enough for 2 buff orps and 2 banties and a hen is bigger than 1 buff orp so i would personaly stick with 2 hybrid hens and 2 bantams

 

Hope This helps

Sam

[feemcg]

My Buff Orp only slept in the eglu when he was a chick - as soon a s he grew up (about 16 weeks) he point blank refused to go in it

[sheik]

Thanks for the comments, looks like I'll be listening to Frank then .

 

/\dam

[chelsea]

my cochins have an eglu between the 2 of them. They are huge chooks and not even a year old yet! At the moment they are ok with plenty of headroom and we have a walk in large run so run size isnt a problem. I think eventually we might have to upgrade to a cube, but at the moment we are sticking with the eglus.

 

orps are big, just as big as the cochins, so if you are weighing up between eglu and cube a cube will be better.

Edited February 21, 2008 by Guest

[TAJ]

Advice from onlet is that the eglu is not suitable for heavy breeds - orps are one of the biggest in that catergory - having seen them when we got our hens I would not have considered them in an eglu - the breeder also advised against them as being too big.

 

Tracy

[Tara.F]

I'm sure I read somewhere that orpingtons (because of their weight) perch differently and it is actually the wooden floor bars in the eglu that are bad for them

 

Sorry, I realise this would be far more helpful if I could remember where I saw it

[chocchick]

I was advised by omlet that the eglu was OK at night, but they needed more run space than hybrids. There are one or two people who keep them in an eglu if you try searching.

[superjules]

Frank's very traditional, not an eglu fan at all, BUT, he is a lot more easy going about eglus than he used to be (I think he's realised that a proportion of Thorne's customers wouldn't be keeping chickens if it wasn't for the simplicity of the eglu).

 

Lots of people keep 4/5 normal sized hens in an eglu, sometimes more as people with 2 eglus often find all of them squashed into one!! Don't know about orpingtons though. Sorry!

[Krysia]

I queried about Orpingtons too, as long it is onlt roositng in there it will be fine,

 

We have 7 normal sized hens that sleep in the eglu despite the other eglu and cube being half empty, I think they like ti snuggle up. It may be different in summer though when they want a bit more ventilation

[The Bantam of the Opera]

I had a buff orpington livig in the eglu for a while (had to get rid of him because he started crowing). he seemed very content and shared it with a light sussex.

[CatsCube]

Omlet advised me when I was looking at getting an eglu that you could keep Orps or Cochins in one but only 2 and nothing else. I dont think it would be possible to fit in 2 AND 2 bantams.

 

TBH in seeing full grown Orpa dn cochins Im amazed you would even be able to fit one through thte door. And even more surprised if one would be able to get on the nesting box,

[feemcg]

I used to try and push big Sandy through the door and he would go rigid like a child having tantrum, and not budge - it was quite funny sometimes

[chelsea]

misty and star are both laying and are ok in the nest box at the moment.

 

Cochins are SO fluffy though, they do look huge but my 2 are more feathers than anything else!!

 

As I said im hanging on to my eglus for as long as possible as I dont like the cube, If I have to get a cube one day then I will

[bronze]

WOuld it be possible to get miniature orps instead?

[chocchick]

There is a smaller version

probably medium sized!

[CatsCube]

Chelsea how far of full grown are your girls now? The ones my breeder has as adults are larger than my 9 month old son! The overall entire size of each one is larger than the entire eglu

[chelsea]

mine are a year next month (we are actually having a hen party on their birthday! ), they have only just started to lay.

 

Luckily, not the size of an entire eglu though

[sheik]

Thanks for all the friendly replies. We went down and saw Frank on Saturday.

Our plan now is to get our two hybrids in a month's time, and then get two bantams when they're ready later in the year.

Thinking of getting a magpie and a columbine for our hybrids, and white / gold silkies for our bantams.

 

It would have been nice to have an enormous Orpington sized bird, but we definitely don't want to risk overcrowding in their eglu.

 

/\dam