Solitary chicken - need advice

[chelsea]

its here!

photo's later

 

Edited March 24, 2008 by Guest

[Christian]

Congratulations Chelsea!!

[Guest]

 

Great news Chelsea

[hillfamily]

Brilliant news Chelsea

[redfrock]

that's excellent! how exciting! The only thing with them all arriving early is the question of us being home for them - thankfully mine went to OH's work, otherwise we wouldn't have been about for the deliver.

 

Looking forward to photos x

[chelsea]

phew, what an exhausting day! Its up and they are in.

 

Im still not sure about the cube hubby said we are not sending it back (cos the chickens like it). I think I loved my 2 eglu's so much its hard to see the cube in their place!

 

Pros of the cube - is that it gives my big hens so much more room to roost and to lay, they can also all go in one eglu rather than 2 in each. I LOVE the colour - a really rich purple.

 

Cons - its HUGE, cumbersome, I dont know how im going to manage on cleaning day , the rungs on the ladder are too far apart, the roosting bars fell to pieces when my husband lifted them and most of all I think its "gappy", not as snug a fit as my eglus, I have gaps at the top of the back panel (between back panel and roof).

 

I might grow to love it hopefully, at the moment im sitting on the fence.

[KimW]

Show us some pics, I love the purple but had to be boring and get the green, hubby wanted it to blend in with all the other green things we have in our garden All our birds of prey housing is green and the sheds and the garden furniture and the fences and the trees and the grass !!!

 

Did you fix it together yourself or did a nice omlet man do it?

Edited March 15, 2008 by Guest

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's a shame you're having doubts, Chelsea . You must feel a bit disappointed. Maybe when you get used to it being in the garden and you see the girls are happy in it, you'll start to feel differently .

[KimW]

Think of all the positives, like, it's off the floor and you don't need to lean over to clean it out.

[Jules.]

I'm sure you will grow to love it

[chelsea]

 

Did you fix it together yourself or did a nice omlet man do it?

 

We did it ourselves...we're in Devon so too far away.

 

The chooks love the cube, but they dont like the ladder - even my maran (the most agile of my chooks) struggled today.

 

We have replaced the ladder with a wooden one.

 

If my chooks love it...I will have too!

[ubereglu]

You saying that Chelsea makes me think that you'll end up building them a staircase with handrails, so they don't push each other off!

[chelsea]

You saying that Chelsea makes me think that you'll end up building them a staircase with handrails, so they don't push each other off!

 

 

Now there's an idea !!

[Ziggy]

We got a green one too cause it blends in the garden better... I love it, my hens seem to be fine with the ladder, though we did wonder at first if they'd be able to handle it...

Have you got any pictures of your purple one yet ?? (Not that we're nosy of course)

[chelsea]

no pics yet, I will post some by the end of the week.

 

all my hens sleep in the cube nest box now we have to block it off with some eglu roosting bars. One morning they got stuck cos Ella (fat chicken) sat in the nest box circle area and no one could get out!

[flora and fauna]

Hi, just wondered if your eglu had gone now (barbara posted a want add for me and sent me a message saying you were changing to cube and I somehow had wrong e mail address so not able to contact you) Am in Plymouth and still looking for eglu

[Christian]

Try sending Chelsea a private message F&F.

 

Click pm at the bottom of her last post.

 

Welcome to the forum by the way

[chelsea]

thanks Christian

 

F & F I have pm'd you.

[Richard]

Purple Cubes rock. I've had mine since last summer and it has been great.

 

they have made a big dust bath underneath which often has three of the girls at a time rolling around in it.

 

[chelsea]

we have done the same as you richard, we had to have our own wooden ladder as none of the girls got on with the plastic cube ladder!

[Richard]

we have done the same as you richard, we had to have our own wooden ladder as none of the girls got on with the plastic cube ladder!

 

the girls line up on the ladder on the way in.

 

[Christian]

 

the girls line up on the ladder on the way in.

 

You have them well trained Richard.

 

Is Arrietty ok with the ladder now?

[Richard]

 

the girls line up on the ladder on the way in.

 

You have them well trained Richard.

 

Is Arrietty ok with the ladder now?

 

Arrietty is terrific. She has improved no end and manages the ladder well. She takes it very deliberately, with big steps, and flaps her wings a bit to keep her balence - but it is no problem to her. I'm really chuffed with how she has come on.

[Christian]

Good news!

[hillfamily]

Richard, I like the ladder modifications :D

 

Have taken careful notes as my cube arrives in 7 days and I will be adding a Buff Orpington to my flock this summer - good to see an Orp can make it into a cube with a little bit of help