Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[Jillus]

I posted this on the surveys forum but think it is important enough to put on the front page as it were.

 

I had an Eglu but sold it as I was getting more hens and could not afford a cube. However, the coop we bought two months ago from eBay that seemed such a bargain at the time is already falling apart and will need serious repair work and upgrading to get it through the winter. It looked great when it arrived but now the slide out poo tray sticks, the doors swell in the rain and need a lot of effort to open, the roof has warped, it lets in water when it rains and some bits have dropped off. It was a Chinese import. Looks great at first but is dreadful.

 

Have decided to try and save for a cube. Either that or buy a proper wooden garden shed and add a pop hole, nest boxes and a roost bar. I think this house will last the winter once we have repaired it but be warned against buying cheap, the old adage is true in this case, Buy Cheap Buy Twice (at least).

 

They are still being sold on eBay so if anyone is thinking of getting one, take a look at my blog for a picture of what I bought.

_________________

[stoice]

Oh dear, how annoying.

 

My girls live in part of my shed with a pop hole to their run. They're seperated by some home made cupboard doors that fit under the shelf already in the shed. This lets me have the rest of the shed for chickenalia and food etc. The pop hole can sometimes stick when it gets wet so i rub the track and door with a candle and it glides like a dream. Maybe try that on you tray until you decide what to do.

 

Mind you, with all the rain we've had I have now descovered a leak in our roof - just waiting for a dry spell to patch the felt. Chooks are lovely and dry though (Well, at night anyway - they love the rain!)

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Hi,

 

Was your coop from a E bay company based in Essex ( in Ongar)? I have a coop and run that I bought off Ebay that required some of the OH carpentry skills to get it to fit together.

[Jillus]

It was from a firm called gardens and pets but I dont know where they are based. I actually gave them positive feedback as it looked so good when it arrived but two months later it is a different story.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Hi,

 

I can't remember the exact name of the company but the badge thingy on the coop says comfy pets.

 

I think the problem with wooden houses is that the wood swells and shrinks with the weather. Mine doesn't had a poop tray, I have to poop scoop with one of Little Miss Webmuppets old plastic shovels! The OH had to 'pimp' the whole run/coop bofore it could be used ( he said we couldn't have an Eglu mmmmmmmmmmm)

[Ain't Nobody Here]

How disappointing and annoying . Good of you to post a warning so others don't make the same mistake.

 

I was keen to get a wooden coop when I started out but then found the eglu - it did seem a lot of money but I just knew I wouldn't maintain a wooden coop.

 

Hope you can save up enough soon (keep your eyes on Ebay too, there was a cube on there recently!) Maybe get 2 second-hand eglus?!

[bokbokbok]

Thanks for this - we deliberated for a long time whether to buy this sort of thing or not and in the end went down the shed route too. I'm sorry you have been stung this time

[Snowy]

Sorry to hear about your coop Jillus

 

Love your blog though. Especially the 'poem' thing 'Everything I learnt in life I learnt from my chickens' Brilliant! Please post it in the nesting box for everyone to read!

[surferdog]

Love your blog though. Especially the 'poem' thing 'Everything I learnt in life I learnt from my chickens' Brilliant! Please post it in the nesting box for everyone to read!

 

I agree - that poem is brilliant

[Egluntyne]

Bad luck.

 

There is always a risk with items sold on Ebay.

[Janey4]

I have been waiting for the exact same house off eBay (but from a different company) and it was meant to be with me before the 11th of Aug and I got an email yesterday saying it wont be with me until the 29th due to a typoon!!!!

Im now quite pleased that its isnt coming after reading your post, (and I have told the seller I want a full refund) BUT (and here is my issue) Im picking up my hens on Friday!

 

They are going to have to live in my old (huge) rabbit hutch until I can get another one which I am not happy about, but I cant do anything else now!

 

Dammit!!

[Jillus]

I'm sorry that I spoiled your plans but the house is really not up to the job and to my mind was a waste of money. I am sure your girls will be quite happy in a rabbit hutch until you source something better. From what I can see all these imported chinese houses look the part but fail to live up to expectations.

[Janey4]

I'm sorry that I spoiled your plans but the house is really not up to the job and to my mind was a waste of money. I am sure your girls will be quite happy in a rabbit hutch until you source something better. From what I can see all these imported chinese houses look the part but fail to live up to expectations.

 

O no I would much rather know than get a sub standard house!

I did have my reservations but decided I was being silly and to just go for it -wrong decision!!

 

Been researching other coops today and found quite a few made in the UK that sound really good, that can be with me in a week or so, so Im quite happy with that really!

[HENthusiastic]

I'm sorry you've had bad luck with your wooden house. Its not always that way though. I am very pleased with the wooden house I purchased from ebay. Ive had it about 4/5 months now and I've had no problems at all. It might make a difference though that it is in a walk in run, so its not been getting wet when it rains. Hope you manage to get sorted.

[Guest]

Hi,

 

Was your coop from a E bay company based in Essex ( in Ongar)? I have a coop and run that I bought off Ebay that required some of the OH carpentry skills to get it to fit together.

 

we got the same one as you, from the same seller, do you remember me saying? Ours was/is absolutely fine but then DH used to work for MFI so knows how to put flat pack stuff together

 

Ours is still going strong.

[Guest]

Love your blog though. Especially the 'poem' thing 'Everything I learnt in life I learnt from my chickens' Brilliant! Please post it in the nesting box for everyone to read!

 

I agree - that poem is brilliant

 

I enjoyed your poem very much, the last line is lovely

 

it's like the poultry version of The Desiderata

 

can I pinch it for my blog, full credit to the author of course?

Edited August 13, 2008 by Guest

[S & S]

Oh no sorry to here about your coop.

 

I got mine from flytsofancy its good quality and recomended by someone off here. bit pricey but at least you know its going to do the job they sell other chickeny things too.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Hi Poet,

 

Ours is fine now but the OH had to do a bit of work on it to get it together (planing doors, adding extra screws and used some pretty serious clamps to hold it all together whilst putting it together). Fortunately he has had plenty of practice at flat pack as most of our furniture is from Ikea

 

I think the moral of this tale is if you buy a cheapy wooden house/ run be prepared to put in a little extra work to 'pimp' it to acceptable standards!

[chickenanne]

That's terrible. I've been stung with e-bay purchases before (not coops etc, but clothes) as well as getting some great bargains - it is really annoying when you get a peice of junk!!!!!!!

If it's a consolation, it isn't wooden coops in general that are at fault, it's the particular one you have....

[wombatally]

Me too!

 

I got mine, the same as yours, from Albany Pets on Ebay - it is made by Comfy Pets. I got the run with it and when we put it together (bits missing of course) it looked good so we ordered an additional run for it. That was in March and now it needs weekly repair to stop the roof and egg box buckling. The wood has clearly not been pressure treated or prepared for the outdoors at all. I'm a bit worried about winter actually. I had though of putting roof felt on but I think that attracts the dreaded red mite.

 

I wouldn't care, in all we've spent upwards of £400 on it, so not cheap at all - I could have had a cube

 

Customer service was rubbish too!

[beach chick]

this makes me glad I bought a 2nd eglu... when I looked at the cost of wooden housing versus another eglu, there seemed to be about £30 diff, and being a lazy so and so I decided the extra maintenance of wood would be a pain in the behind and therefore decided the eglu was vfm.

 

HOWEVER, everyone I have bought my chickens from sucks their teeth when I say I have an eglu, and doesnt want to know about ease of cleaning, no maintenance etc and just goes on about the price!!

 

initial cost is one thing; ongoing extra hassle is quite another! having said that, I know lots of people have wonderful wooden houses which look stunning and much more traditional and therefore better in some settings than the eglu.