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[mrmulberry]

Hi,

 

We are considering buying an Egg Cube in February and wondered if anybody had owned one for a couple of years now. We are especially interested in how the plastic has lasted through the various seasons. Has the colour faded much with exposure to the sun or have any elements gone brittle.

 

I think they are a great idea, but they are expensive so I want to know the down sides to them as well s the obvious good sides.

 

Any HONEST opinions will be greatly received.

 

Happy New Year to all at the forum.

 

Mr Mulberry.

[ubereglu]

Eglu cubes haven't been around a couple of years as they were only launched halfway through the year of 2007. However the normal eglu has been around for a lot longer than that and they last really well, I have a feeling that my green eglu has faded a little bit, but not noticeably. The plastic is still going strong too. Hope that helps a little!

[Redwing]

I think some colours are probably worse than others when it comes to fading (like cars!)my red eglu is over two years old and shows some signs of fading but not enough to look particularly old

 

Any plastic left outside is prone to little tiny black spots appearing on the surface but my Eglu doesnt have any as yet

 

The run clips get pulled tight in places so can degrade on their bends (they go sortt of thin and pale) the newer clips seem thicker and I have had no problems with those, just keep an eye on them. (I hasten to add that none of mine have split they just look a bit aged!)

 

When it comes to wear and tear the Cube has a few movable parts which like anything with movable parts might give you gyp longer term however if you visit the Chicken Run Inspiration thread you will see a few cubes that have been owned for some time that look like new

 

Owning a pressure washer really helps!

[moochoo]

I've had a purple cube since August 2007 and it looks as good today as the day it was delivered. The only parts that look worn are the bolts that lock the sliding roof, they're just tinged with rust, nothing major. Everything still moves and slides as it should. I've not had any problems.

It's a big investment but money well spent, I think.

[chelsea]

I sold my green eglu in 2008 which I had since 2006. Apart from a few scuffs it was as good as new, and the cube is made of the same stuff.

 

As with anything, IMO if you look after something it will last - my eglu's/cubes are power washed every week.

[mrmulberry]

Thanks guys,

 

It sounds like they seem to wear quite well. What was it that made you go for a Eglu cube rather than a wooden housing, was it the funky design, the ease at which they can be cleaned, the fact that they are less prone to red mite or was it something else.

 

My loved one thinks the wooden ones look much nicer and are obviously cheaper, I'm trying to present a solid argument as to the positives for the extra outlay.

 

I don't think I have given this much thought to buying a car or house...the effect chickens can obviously have on you.

[Plum]

The wooden ones do have an aesthetic value and remind me of childhood and climbing on them in the fields. The cost of a decent one is almost as much as a cube that is one with chunky wood and finished well so it opens easily in wet weather etc.

I was very split but went for the cube because the wooden ones have runs only 2-3 ft wide by whatever length and the cube gives 4'+ and in the limited space I have it gives the best floorspace plus height for perches and things. Its sold as being easy to look after and it is. I loved the colours as well.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum, mrmulberry .

 

I don't have a cube, just an eglu but what swung it for me was the knowledge that I would never have to repair or maintain the eglu. I know I would have never managed the upkeep required to keep a wooden coop in good condition.

 

That, the red mite issue and the fact that you can wash and dry it so easily were what decided me .

[Angels4]

Welcome to the forum form across the pond I got an Eglu over a wooden coop because I KNEW I couldn't build my own, and the wooden coops that I found while looking for coop ideas didn't look like they would last very long. I could have bought a shed and converted it I suppose, but again (not good with power tools). The Eglu (and soon to be cube) fit my needs.

[chelsea]

I went for the eglu purely for the fact its so cleanable and scrubable, im not knocking wooden houses (as some of them are gorgeous) but I cant imagine myself on a cold wet winters day standing out in the garden trying to wash and dry a wooden house.

[SAB]

I have a rablu for my guinea pigs and love the design, look and ease of cleaning. I think an eglu for chickens looks great too, but I also fell in love with the cube and decided to go for that when getting hens as knew that I would want a few. I find both designs equally gorgeous, easy to clean and cope well with the environment (bear in mind that I am in cold and rainy Scotland!). The red mite issue was also high on my decision making when deciding on this rather than wooden coop, especially after plastic roosting bars have come in. They also hold their value well if ever need/want to sell on.

[nicki9]

Firstly I loved the design, but on closer consideration I went for eglu/ cubes, because we had 2 rabbits in a conventional hutch at the time and it was nearly impossible to give them a proper clean in winter as their cage would stay permanently damp. They are much happier in the rablu and despite the fact they use it as a toilet , it is really easy to clean and dry quickly.

 

The cube is great, easy to maintain and looks fantastic.

[Happy chickens!]

Like you we spent a lot of time looking at the alternatives; we chose the cube because it's so easy to keep clean and relatively easy to move around the garden to different areas. A friend bought a much cheaper wooden coop at the same time, but, although it looks very pretty, I think it will be harder to keep really clean - you can't really power wash wood down at this time of year, it will never dry!

 

I think that if you also look at the actual dimensions of some of the wooden ones, they are smaller than the cubes - you don't get as much for your money as you might think.

 

I love my cube - went for purple so it would stand out rather than not quite go with anything! Happy shopping!

[mrmulberry]

Thanks for all your replies, really very nice of you all.

 

To summarise, basically the big advantage is.....WET WOOD - BAAAD, PLASTIC EGLU - GOOOOD.

 

Is there any other advantages / disadvantages, size wise how do they compare to the wooden ones? I think they look cool and trendy, which is swinging me alone but the wooden ones as people have mentioned who prefer a more traditional look do think the wood versions sit much better in a garden..my loved one included.

 

So anymore ammo I can provide will help greatly.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Here's a thread which shows some eglus, cubes and wooden houses in situ in people's gardens. Might give you a better idea of how a cube looks in the flesh?

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12663

[BarbaraJ]

To be totally honest when i had the time to be out cleaning the girls out the wooden coop was not a problem. newspaper under the home made roosting bars and in the nesting boxwith Aubiouse kept it dry and no sign of red mite with ample diat. earth and red mite powder. But with the short winter hours and long working days i do now i can't keep up with cleaning away the tons of poo they do during the long nights. Hence my order for a cube which looks SO much easier to clean even in the dark if needs be or could be left longer as the chickens won't be stood in their poo

[chickenanne]

I'm a wooden-house lover! But, there are wooden houses, and there are wooden houses.... some are completely rubbish, so is very difficult to generalise. It's worth researching them well if you're undecided.

I don't power wash the inside of mine weekly in the winter, as (a) it wouldn't dry, and (b) I don't think it's necessary..... however I guess this depends on how many hens/how much space. I do give it a good clean each week, which is really easy and straightforward to do... but SOME designs would make this awkward.

Wood is easier to repair than plastic, but I've never had to do any repairs on my wooden one and from the sounds of it, most haven't done on the eglu/cube.

I prefer the run on my wooden house to the ones that come with the cube, and it does "fit" the house: it's more accessible for cleaning etc, and it's bigger and wider than the cube + extensions.

I absolutely love my wooden coop, and wouldn't want to swap it for a cube or eglu; but really, ultimately a good coop or a cube are both excellent options.

[cam1]

Hi i went for an eglu (working on the idea of a cube with the other half!) I went for the eglu having previously had a wooden aivary with other birds, itwas just a nighmare to clean i never felt it was really clean and was terrible to try and clean/get dry in the winter and i have to say that the eglu is fab for that.

Cam

mya

velma

[mrmulberry]

Wow it's really good to hear from someone so keen to recommend a wooden one. Although the Cube seems to be winning, but then I guess if I was posting this on a wooden chicken house website the views may be a tad different.

 

I noticed interestingly that there is mention on another topic about the Mark 3 cube or that recently the Cube had undergone some design changes to stop leaks and also handle wear. I've got to say, if we do spend such a large some of money to house our chickens, I would expect it to be the rolls royce of houses certainly with no leaking issues.

 

Are there any other reported problems with the cube?

[abwsco]

I'd also recommend a wooden one but I'm biased as we converted our shed We changed the roofing felt for onduline though. I love it as you can stand up in it and it only takes a few minutes to poo pick under the perch and in the nestbox. A mega clean out only takes about 15 minutes as well