Stoat killed hens asleep in the Eglu

[aaronmusgrove123]

is the winter shade for the eglu as bad as the reviews and have they updated i have ordered 1 with my blue eglu and i was just wondering how bad are they and can you post pics of them

[mostin]

I have one on my eglu and it seems to be holding up ok so far, but you are probably best waiting for someone to post who has had one survive a winter.

 

The pictures of mine are on the chicken page link in my signature

[aaronmusgrove123]

wow your garden is huge its massive im shocked hehehe

[mostin]

Thanks, the house is a 70's monstrosity but we bought it for the garden and we will gradually bring the house up to date. Lots of work to do but far too busy watching chickens for all that. You will soon know the joy of that yourself.

[aaronmusgrove123]

well i already hyave 2 chicks ive hatched them and raise them they are now about 6 weeks so when it comes theey can start to go in it during the day they are 2 white silkie bantams funny little things (we live in a new estate so the gardens are small 30ft by 25ft so a bit poo for chickens ahhahaha

[Looney]

My winter shade has just started falling apart and I've had it for two years. It has been pretty much left on the run all year round due to the miserable summer we had last year and the unpredictable weather this summer.

 

I think I'll try a shower curtain next time (purely due to cost) but have no complaints about the winter shade.

[Jules.]

My winter shade was holding up well after a year on the run. During our "summer" I folded it back to make smaller shade, & where it was exposed to the sun it faded loads, but as for being waterproof I had no problems with it.

 

here it is, after a year of use next to a brand new summer shade which is on my converter.

 

[mostin]

Oh how wonderful raising chicks!

 

my boss would never get me in to work if I had those to watch, it's bad enough leaving the girls I have never mind little bundles of fluff.

 

What a lovely challenge for you, and now you get to watch them grow up and move outside. Hope it all goes ok for you. To be honest though I think I have daft hens.

 

Read the forum topic Wet muddy and miserable, it seems everybody spends a fortune on winter shades and shower curtains and then when we've had the downpours over the last few days everyones ladies have gone and stood out in it and got drenched.

 

Somebody, who may have even had silkies, I can't be sure, had to blow dry them before letting them roost!

 

How spoilt are our hens?

[Daphne]

I think most of the comments were about the 'old' winter shade - which I have to say was rubbish. Came out last week to find it ripped in half by the wind and 4 very wet hens. However, had had it for about a year and it did regularly support half a ton of orpington jumping on it with her long nails. The 'new' shade is much better (thicker and more waterproof seeming) but as I've only had it a week we'll have to see how it lasts through the winter and under the trampolining orpington. Yesterday she jumped off the highest bit of the run and did a somersault. Horrible. Have you ever seen an orpington on her back with fluffy knickers on full display Thankfully she seems fine. I've tried the shower curtain trick several times but a) it looks horrid and b) it always seems to be a bit of a faff - though its cheaper.

[Egluntyne]

Mine were all ols and pretty much were in ribbons by the end of their lives.

 

To be fair, they have had the hens flapping up on top of the Eglu runs and scratching at them.