Stoat killed hens asleep in the Eglu

[xsoggyx]

I have an Eglu but would like to get a few more girls I am put off by the following';

 

1. Price £700 is a bit steep but hope to get £300 ish for our 6 month old Eglu

2.They Leak??

3. Small Door at the front

4. Long Delivery times and failed deliveries.

 

Can anyone help or advise as I need to put a presentation together for my financial adviser/Boss/Anoying Wife

[SAB]

Recently got a Cube - pricey as we were getting run with extension, BUT - having had a Rablu for a while we knew it was a better easy to clean option than wooden chicken houses and less worry about foxes. Would have preferred to get without the run as hoping to build a bigger run in future, but too much work to do on garden before this is an option and so decided run made financial sense as can sell on when no longer need.

 

Despite the fact that it has been extremely rainy (even by usual Scottish standards) we have had absolutely no problem with leaking.

 

The small door is far from ideal though.

 

Our delivery time was not long, but it all arrived a day early when no one was in, resulting in this very expensive item being left in our garden (in addition to the annoying fact that my OH had taken day off work to be in on correct day).

 

On balance, pleased with it and will be even happier when have walk in run so don't have small door issue and can then sell on run, or use to keep new birds apart when introducing.

[BeckyBoo]

Hi there, if you get the £300 for your Eglu, which you should fairly easily, then you'e looking at about £400 then. Which for a hen house suitable for 10 hens plus run, feeder, drinker etc is about right. I know £700 is a lot but we've never had a problem with leaks, it's been easy to clean, the hens love it and its a funky orange colour! We've now got ours attached to a walk im run so we don't have the dor problem but I think the door is it's real failing. That said people have adapted them (personally I don't think you should have to adapt anything that pricey but tere you go)

 

Can't comment on the delivery thing, ours was right on time

 

 

Go for it, you know you want to

 

Mrs B

[Olly]

Don't be put off, I know some people have had problems with leaks, but I still think it's true to say that most people haven't had a problem - and Omlet are now producing a solution.

 

The small door is a pain, but to be honest I only use it to let the hens in and out - if I need to clean the run, I shunt the Cube to one side. Not easy (it has an extension and is on uneven ground) but possible.

 

I love my Cube, I am much happier about leaving my hens in it all day. Oh - and I didn't have any problem with delivery, it came on the day they said and was delivered and put together, no problems.

 

I'm not dismissing the problems some people have had, but it's a fact of life that you're more likely to post on here if you have a problem and want advice or support, than if you're happy with it. In the same way that by reading the Chicken Clinic you can get paranoid about health issues, reading all the posts on here may not give you a truly representative picture of Cube owners. Good luck with whatever you choose, and do let us know what you decide to do.

[Gallina]

I love the Cube so much I am getting a second one to replace my Eglu, because I think it is a far superior product.

 

I would recommend getting Omlet to put your Cube together, and insist on checking everything works properly before you let them go (including pouring a bucket of water over the Cube).

 

As Olly says, the vast majority of Cube owners are very satisfied and don't bother to respond to posts about leaking, or vote in polls. And in any case Omlet should by now have rectified the leak problem for those buying a new Cube.

 

The small door at the front of the run is tedious: it's the same size as the one on the Eglu run. The problem is that the Eglu was designed to be dragged around the garden, and the Cube to be wheeled around the garden, in which case there is no need for access.

 

Omlet have designed something suitable for Tuthill Park, but not for the average garden today, where there is barely space to move a wheelbarrow, let alone a Cube with an extension. We must all keep telling them this.

 

It ought to be possible to design a simple kit so that the whole front swings open when required. I am hoping they achieve this soon, otherwise I shall have to give up keeping chickens in my old age.

[Lesley]

I was complaining about the small door size alomost 4 years ago - and is one reason I chose not to have a Cube.

 

You could always buy another Eglu - see my signature!

 

All ours now open into a covered, walk-in run so I don't have the problems with the run access door.

[HRC99]

My cube doesn't leak. The small door is a bit of a pain but not the end of the world. Go get one!

[Helly Welly]

We had two eglus and switched to a cube so i'd only have one chicken house to clean out. Ours is attached to a walk-in run, by far the easiest solution. We've only had a leak problem a couple of times and this is being resolved anyway.

 

I've never regretted getting a cube. We built our own fairly easily, it did come a day early but i was in so it wasn't a problem.

 

I'd say get one, they are lovely and its so much easier having it at waist height for cleaning.

[redfrock]

I loved my eglus, I love my cubes - so much so that I own two. I find it much easier to clean out the cube - mainly because it is higher and also because I found the shell of the eglu quite heavy to lift. I prefer the fact that there is more room for them to lay, so they are not sitting on top of each other (quite literally). My nest box is also no longer filled with poo! The water seems to drain out of the cube easier when cleaning it out.

 

yes my cube came a day early, yes my cubes had a leak - nothing that Andy wasn't able to sort out, and it has never leaked since (I agree it shouldn't have leaked for that amount of money, but at least it is fixed) I loved the shape of the eglu (my little apple macs, whereas the cubes are more like caravans), I liked the fact that the girls could push the door open on the eglus, where as the door has to be slid open on the cube by a human bean. The door on the run thankfully isn't a problem - ours are attached to a walk in run. Oh and my arms aren't quite long enough to s"Ooops, word censored!"e the bars of the cube, even with the roof slid forward, but again this has been resolved with a bit of baton attached to the s"Ooops, word censored!"er.

 

Having owned both, which would I choose? The cube every time. The only 'alteration' I would have liked would have been doors that swung open, rather than slid (although the mechanics of the sliding door are pretty cool).

[ajm200]

We've had ours for a month now and so far (touch wood) it hasn't leaked.

 

From comments on here I don't think the door issue will be sorted out but the whole thing is fairly easy to move for cleaning out if you have a big enough garden or you can unclip the end panel..

 

The courier deliveries do seem a bit erratic but Omlet delivered ours without a problem

 

The long wait is a pain but they are very popular...

[chickflick]

my cube leaks and it was put together by on of the omlet bosses.I would wait and see if they bring out a mark two cube without leaks or gaps.

[AJuff]

I ordered a cube two weeks ago and I am now having second thoughts. I really love the shape of the eglu . . . I'm thinking perhaps I should change my order for another eglu. They are so funky! It would be better value for money than paying £700 which means I could afford a large permanent run too.

 

I've not been impressed with the leak and retro fit stories on here at the moment I must admit.

[Gallina]

Nearly all the people on this forum who have both an Eglu and a Cube find the Cube much better in every way.

 

Don't be put off by the minority who have suffered from a leak: that is now cured.

[Guest]

Nearly all the people on this forum who have both an Eglu and a Cube find the Cube much better in every way.

 

Don't be put off by the minority who have suffered from a leak: that is now cured.

 

I think the people with leaks should be the ones who decide that

no one who has had a leak has posted that since the retro fit they no longer have a leaking cube, mainly because the were first sent out to people who did not have leaks

 

We will fit the retro repair over the weekend and see how it holds up to wear and tear and cleaning (don't know how it will stay in place once we jet wash the cube though

 

On the positive side we have a cube and an eglu and would choose the cube over the eglu every time. The biggest plus side to the cube is you can have more chooks

[cammy73]

Hi,

I have a pink cube,which arrived in november 2007. Omlet delivered it and assembled it and I have no leaks, In fact I have no problems with it at all and the irls love it!!! If I were in the need of another house I wouldn't hesitate in getting another. Or recemmending them to my friends.

Sharon x

[chelsea]

Nearly all the people on this forum who have both an Eglu and a Cube find the Cube much better in every way.

.

 

 

Im in the minorty , and I dont have a leaky cube. I much prefer the eglu, the eglu is of an excellent design and I wouldnt change a thing on it. The cube is heavy, cumbersome, awkward (there is no handle to pull /push it with), the handle on the door gets stuck, my cube serves a purpose but that is it as far as im concerned - I dont love it.

 

There are lots of people that love theirs though!

[moomin]

I'm in the minority too! I had a Cube, it was horrendous to put together, the bits literally had to be FORCED with 2 people's weight to get them to fit so that the holes would line up.

 

Then it leaked

 

So we sent it back as my husband was very annoyed (to put it mildy!), that we had paid so much money.

 

I now have a blue Elgu and I love it.

[Gallina]

If you still can't decide between the Cube and the Eglu, I can tell you for certain that the hens themselves much prefer the Cube.

 

I suppose I am lucky in that Johannes himself put together my Cube and checked it over as it was one of the very first, and I have had no problems with it at all.

 

And I also suppose that not everyone has rats burrowing under the Eglu at the same time as foxes lying on top of the low run. This is what has put me right off my Eglu: I used to like it too.

[Guest]

I have both and I don't love the Cube as much as the Eglu - the Eglu is funky - the cube isn't.

 

BUT we will get another cube - it is still funkier than a wooen coop and more practical. Having the poo trays at the right level is brilliant - I now have the eglu on a table with a ladder going down too. I don't have a run so I can move the cube on my own and as for putting it together - I did that pretty much on my own - it said it was a 2 man job but 1 woman and a 5 year old managed OK.

[xsoggyx]

DUN DUN DAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

Ahhh what the heck, just orderd the cube !

 

When will it arrive?

Will it leak?

Will the wife get her garden back and stop nagging ? 100% she will never stop nagging.

 

Stay tuned

[Snowy]

Well done! I must say, even with it's niggles, I love my cube for ease of use and cleaning

[Egg Lou]

Well done !! I also have a few worries but still thought the benefits outweighed the possible issues .. so mine in due 2nd June.. only time will tell if right decision but very excited anyway! I am sure you will find it wonderful!

[Helly Welly]

DUN DUN DAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

Ahhh what the heck, just orderd the cube !

 

When will it arrive?

Will it leak?

Will the wife get her garden back and stop nagging ? 100% she will never stop nagging.

 

Stay tuned

 

Well done, i hope it goes okay for you. What colour did you go for?

[xsoggyx]

Went for green again as the eglu sits well with Green.

 

Will be selling my Eglu as soon as the cube arrives and hope to get £300 for it.

[Gallina]

I really think you will be happy with the Cube. It is nicer for the hens if they have to stay in the run nearly all the time like my poor things -- more scope to fly up a little, more air, more light, and a chance to get away from each other.

 

The Eglu is an attractive design. But when you have made it a strange tunnel-like object by adding two extensions and have covered it with shabby Omlet or improvised shades, it is not so good looking. And it is not a practical use of space because of the way it tapers. (I thought it was the bee's knees, however, until I had a cube, so I must be fickle.)