Solitary chicken - need advice

[Electricbarbarella]

I have an Cube on order, coming 11th july and I was going to get 4 chooks for it, I am now wondering wheter I would be better off geting an eglu with an extension and getting 3 chooks, wouls they have to free range a lot if I did this?

We are going away for a week soon and in the cube we would just leave the door open and smeone come round to feed and water them, would this be a big problem with the eglu as they wouldn't really be able to free range for the week that we were away?

I am loving the idea of my cube but it is a lot more money and people on here seem to be very happy with there eglus, on seeing them I thought they were too small but I have never actually seen one in the flesh so to speak.

Anyway opinions gartefully recieved,

Thanks.xx

[Olly]

You can keep 3 chooks in an Eglu + converter quite happily - of course, they would enjoy free-ranging but mine were in there almost all day every day over the winter, and they were fine.

 

It's true, the Eglu is cheaper. However, it does limit you really to 3 or maybe 4 chooks - you can get more run extensions but there's a limit to how many full-size chickens can sleep in an Eglu. Besides, too many extensions and it starts to look like a polytunnel!

 

The Cube, on the other hand, will let you have up to 10 chickens although you'd need a lot of extra run for that many. However if you think that you might expand your flock in future, it's worth investing in. The other advantage of the Cube is its height - it gives the chickens shelter underneath the house, and it's easier to clean if you have a bad back or find bending difficult. It isn't easy to move, despite the wheels - I've got one extension on mine, and I need to have someone to lift the other end if I'm shifting it more than a couple of feet.

 

I love my Cube, wouldn't go back - but if you think 3 chickens will be enough for you, and you want something that's fairly easy to move and can be positioned in lots of different places in the garden, then go for an Eglu. If you change your mind later, you'll get £250 at least for the Eglu if you sell it, not including any converter or extension that you've added.

 

Either way, they will be ok for a week in the run with the door open, as long as the run is secure and someone is coming round to top up feed and water. There are a few rare instances of chickens being 'got' through the run by a fox, but you can protect against this by covering the run and making sure the edges are secure.

 

Welcome to the forum, by the way - and let us know what you decide!

[whittlewitch]

I have had my eglu for a couple of weeks, and I am already talking of selling it in a couple of months and up grading to a cube, i love my little chickens, and it is quite a addictive, so you might fond yourself, like me wishing you had got the cube in the first place.

[WitchHazel]

The Eglu is great, but the Cube is fantastic! I only have two in mine at the moment, but have two new girls arriving next week (I've bought an Eglu for them to stay in until they are old enough to join the big girls).

 

The Cube footprint isn't much bigger than the Eglu; it's great to clean; there's the area underneath the Cube for the girls to shelter; it has more headroom than the Eglu.

 

I would stick with the Cube. If you find you've made the wrong decision (and you won't!), you can sell it on Ebay and recoup your money easily. Plus there's the Omlet return guarantee.

[Steppingstone]

Hello,

I used to have a mark 2 Eglu and now I have a cube. I think that the Eglu is better looking, because it's so stylish and looks pretty cool in the garden.

 

However, I find that the cube is a lot more practical. My garden gets very damp and muddy in the winter and often has standing water in it, so I felt that it would be better to have the 'house' raised off the ground. We now have it standing on slabs in the corner of the garden which provides more shelter and does not get water logged.

 

It takes longer to clean, but seems easier because you can do it standing up. Also you can climb into the run and sit with your hens. This may sound a bit odd, but sometimes you can't always let them play in the garden. That way you can still get to handle them (altho' today I was thanked by a peck in the eye. It really hurts and is still watering an hour later ).

 

I keep 4 hens in mine and have the run extension. I want to get another 1m run extention as well because mine can't go out as often as I would like because of my dogs. You can keep more hens, than this because there is loads more room in the cube. My 4 hens were just as content to all sleep together in the Eglu as well.

 

To be honest tho', you really need to have both before you can make a decision - not much help I know. But both have their pros and cons and are equally as good as each other.

[SAB]

I have had a rablu and love it and had intended getting eglu earlier this year for 3 chickens - ended up getting Cube and 6 chickens; then went to get 4 ex-batts yesterday and got 6, so looking like another Cube - how is that for addiction for you!

[chelsea]

I have both the eglu and the cube, I prefer the eglu.

 

eglu pros = stylish, compact, easy to manouvre, easy to dismantle and clean, fits well in a small garden, transportable in a car (i.e if you are going on holiday)

 

eglu cons = cant fit as many hens as a cube, low level run

 

cube pros = can fit more hens than an eglu, higher height run,

 

cube cons = big, hard to manouvre, cumbersome, not as easy to dismantle for cleaning (more bits), my hens dont get on with the ladder, not so asthetically pleasing (ie- gaps, no sleek lines)

[AJuff]

For the same price thereabouts as a cube you could get two eglus and put the 4 hens in one or both.

 

This would give you a choice of two colours!!!???!!! It is more flexible as you could use one for introductions/sick hens or just more space.

 

I would buy an eglu and a convertor for four hens. They'd have enough space.

[Electricbarbarella]

Would they have enough space in eglu with one convertor, or would they need to free range a lott, I am very nervous about free ranging at the moment although I am sure I will come round to it.

I only have a fairly small garden so definatley wouldn't want more than one as space is a premium. Do the hens use the height, I do l;ike the the idea, would you put somethingt hrough the top to use as a perch or something?

I think I a,m giving the whole thing far to much though but I am so excited, alsdo if I was to change to an eglu would I have another massive wait, I have been waiting a really long time for my cube which is due next week now.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, Electricbarbarella (I think you'll be EB from now on .)

 

I have 3 hens in an eglu plus converter in a fairly small garden. My girls usually get out for an hour or so each day (more in the summer or in holidays). They seem quite content to be in the run if they don't get let out.

 

I have perches etc in the run - there's not a lot of room but it can be done.

 

 

They often spend time in the run even if the door's open!

 

[Electricbarbarella]

that actually looks fantastic. What lovely chooks. I am trying to see photo's from all sorts of angles, it actually look bigger on your pics than I imagine. Is it bigger than a traditional ark?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've never really seen an ark in the flesh so don't really know, but I would imagine an eglu is bigger. You'd be surprised how much room there is in the eglu. My 3 girls cuddle up at night so there would be room for a couple more. The run is ideal for 3 though, I wouldn't get more unless they could freerange a lot.

 

I'll post a few more pictures to try to give you an idea of the size.

 

 

 

[Electricbarbarella]

Ok I had decided to stick with the cube, then I have just had a look at someone's set up on another thread and they have an eglu next to a cube and it looks so much bigger than I imagained.

If I changed my order before the end of the week do you think I would still get it on the 11th or would I have to wait agin, I don't think the eglu's are in the same demand as the cubes but I could be wrong.

I wish I could make my mind up about things, mind you if I hadn't been waiting so long I wouldn't have had chance to change it so much.

[Yolky]

I think if there is an eglu avaliable in the colour you would like then you would still get it on the 11th. I think that it is when you go the other way (eglu to cube) you may have to wait because they can only fit so many cubes onto a van.

 

 

ANH you are really making me want to order 3 with a converter (Is that just a converter you have or do you have an extension too?)

[Ain't Nobody Here]

You should definitely get three . My run has a converter (no extension, yet ).

[chickenanne]

I don't have either, but I do have a house which is raised up and very easy to get at for cleaning etc. I'd hate to get one which sat on teh ground now - the chickeies can sheleter underneath it, it's so much easier for access, etc.

How about getting an eglu but with a different run, so you could raise the eglu up on a trestle-arrangement and have a big run? I think I've seen photo's of people with this type of arrangement.