4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[sandyhas3chucks]

I have grabbed this before moderators edited this on another forum. I will take it to another message if too large.SEE BELOW

Re: Omlet Eglu or Cube.....any users?

Reply #10 - Today at 08:45:36

They're definately not fox proof, and Omlet are supposed to be updating their website as it's against trading standards.

 

They're aimed at the yuppy chook market, and they dont prevent red mite as is advertised on the website.

 

They might be easy to clean, but they're not really big enough.

 

Yes Arks are small but I only used them as an example. A good poultry house will cost you about £250, a new Eglu is over twice that amount.

 

OK you got one for £250 second hand on Ebay but RRP on Omlet is nowhere near that low.

 

They're over priced, cramped, overrated, trendy converted coolboxes.

I actually find some comments offensive with a somewhat nasty & unessasary taste to them.( >:

 

I am not a yuppy, & neither are ANY of the people that I have personally met that have them. They ahave encouraged many people to give a life to some poor ex bats who would not go down the wooden route.

If you had read my post properly you would note that I said they are really easy to clean & get rid of any mite problem easily.

I think there is plenty of room for 3 or 4 depending on chook size to sleep in, but with instances of many chooks with more than one to access of many many more CHOOSING to pile in together. I believe that I said that I felt the run too small for 3 if there were problems and or if they weren't able to free range much.

I have seen photos on this forum of people with more in a small Ark.

on the forum that links are not allowed to leave here thee is a section on fox attacks.

i got into a run not secured properly, another in an open run with the door open.. I have not seen any one post having lost them in the Eglu, but conceded that some one here MAY have better knowledge.

There can be no happy debate if people cannot polietly discuss the pros & cons of both.

I would also like to hear from people on this forum who started with an omlet house and have changed to a wooden one please

[sandyhas3chucks]

The thread has been blocked on the other forum, so no chance for any one to offer their opinon.

[welsh sarah]

i am definately not a yuppy

 

i think some people are just jealous

 

eglus are one option to keep chickens in i happen to think they are fantastic and would never change but i wouldnt have a go at other people because of their choice is something else.

 

we all know the price of eglus and we then choose if we want to spend that much money dont we.

 

some people just want to spend there time belittleing others, dont give them the time of day

sarah

[sandyhas3chucks]

Funny how they locked it eh.? sooo unesessary!

[Lesley]

This happens all the time on other forums! - some of us used to go and have our say but it really isn't worth it. The comments are usually made by ill-informed people who decide they don't like the Eglu and don't bother to do any research.

 

I started with an Eglu - progressed to 12.....because even as we acquired a lot more hens and a smallholding, we didn't want to use anything else.

 

We do have 3 wooden coops and they've been nothing but trouble! We had such a red mite problem We only use them as temporary housing for table birds now and i wouldn't choose to use a wooden coop over the Eglu.

 

Best thing to do is ignore all the remarks

[sandyhas3chucks]

some of us used to go and have our say but it really isn't worth it

 

like I just did eh?

Edited January 12, 2009 by Guest

[craftyhunnypie]

I love my eglus, but not keen on my cube. But the chickens love the cube, so it stays!

I don't know what it is about the cube why I don't like it, perhaps it's because the eglu was so different & the shape of it? Where as the cube is bright & I like the ladder, it is too square. Oh I don't know! I also think there is too much head space instead of actual floor space in the run of the cube, but how Omlet would design it differently I don't know.

They are very good for cleaning especially now with the plastic roosting bars.

I would not Omit the fact that they could still get red mite - but the risk is reduced.

I just wish the egg ports locked with a sort of key & we could lock the runs too. Due to chicken rustlers.

I have 3 hybrids in the cube & 4 bantams in the eglu. They all free range when we are in (most days), but are kept in the runs when we are away. They are fine.

We also have a large wooden shed, which as its a walk in shed, is also easy to clean. We use trays under the perches to catch the poo & a layer of easibed on the floor. It gets poo picked every day & thoroughly cleaned out at the weekends. We have 7 chooks & 2 cockerels in there. They are in an enclosure in the day with trees, branches & they love it!

I think because we can physically get totally inside this house, we can keep it spotless. I'm not too sure about if we could do that with an ark?

I think the eglus are good value, I think the cube is overpriced though.

 

 

Emma.x

[BarbaraJ]

now i thought the other way the eglu was over priced and the cube worth it because you could fit more in but maybe thats because i;m not having a run.

personally after having mine in a walk in run i wouldn't use a cube with run but some of those arks are tiny!!

[Mrs Frugal]

This happens all the time on other forums! - some of us used to go and have our say but it really isn't worth it. The comments are usually made by ill-informed people who decide they don't like the Eglu and don't bother to do any research.

 

The topic was probably locked on the other forum because the moderators know how quickly these discussions can turn into a slanging match between traditionalists and Eglu/Cube owners. They crop up from time to time on many forums and the moderators all steel themselves for trouble. There are a few very vociferous anti-Eglu folks out there who can become unpleasant towards Eglu owners and the lifestyles they assume we lead . The best thing to do is to stay well out of these discussions if they do start to turn nasty. Lesley and I have learned this the hard way .

[Margalot]

I had a look on you tube recently and found an eglu owners video, lovely to see...but then on the comments there was an absolute like you say slanging match going on!! From a wooden ark owner, the comments were awful! really abusive and quite upsetting , if I'd had comments like that I would have felt really intimidated . the trouble is some people have VERY strong views on the subject and will not acccept that not everyone thinks the same way as them!

 

I am getting used to the cube as a very new owner but we are as pleased as punch with it. If it hadnt been available, I dont think we would have the hens. we took a long look over many months at all different types of housing and the maintenence aspect of the plastic was a definate plus point. some of the wooden arks brand new were already warped with the wet weather and for my husband it was the design and ease of cleaning it out etc that won us over.

 

Surely the common fact that we all love chickens should be the overidding factor in any debate! It doesnt matter where they live as long as they are cared for!!!! and from reading all the posts thats what comes across most strongly

 

Michelle

[helenmb]

The Eglu Envy Green Eyed monster is a terrible thing!

 

We all know what is true and what isn't don't we!

[madchickenlady]

Can I just say that assuming other people are jealous of Eglu ownership is a bit unfair I have a wooden coop, and am very happy with it. I chose it because it looks better in my cottage style garden. I wouldn't have an eglu purely because it would look odd in my garden. Not everyone who has a wooden coop is 'jealous'. The people who are against eglu's tend to be those who keep large amounts of birds, or keep birds for showing. For these purposes, it is much easier to keep birds in large sheds, and most do. The arks tend to be used for breeding purposes, not as permanent homes. It can be hard for people who have kept chooks for all of their lives, and perhaps their families for generations, to see the 'point' of the eglu, IYSWIM. As a new chicken keeper myself, I'm quite flattered to be referred to as a yuppie! I aspire to yuppiedom!

[Old Speckled Hen]

Hmmmm

I'm converted.

I gave a home to three chooks that came with their own cube. They stayed with my mother in law till my new house was ready and in the garden I installed a "proper" arc and sold the eglu A hasty decision which I deeply regretted when Mr Fox got my chooks when the door hadn't been secured for the night. My mum was looking after them and the arc door is far from simple to shut properly unless you are quite strong.

The arc was replaced by a coop and a larger run but I am now saving for a cube

I had a cube on order but the delivery time was soooo long and I so desperately wanted to replace the lost hens that I cancelled the order. How stupid

[tom123]

I have a wooden coop and I think they look better in the garden but are not as funky, easy to clean and the chance of getting red mite is far less. I haven't had any trouble with my wooden coop as me and my dad designed and made ourselves so we included slide-out dropping trays, lockable pop hole, wipe clean flooring and a removable nest box. We probably would have bought a cube however they are so expensive and we didn't think they would look right in our garden.

 

I am all for the eglu and cube and I just think the people complaining about them are probably jealous of you all (I am!!!)

 

Tom

[Happy chickens!]

Feelings run high on this one!!

 

A good friend got a wooden coop just after I got my cube, but we're still friends! It's a shame there's a bit of a them and us attitude, cos there's room for us all, we're all chicken lovers at the end of the day!

 

Some people like to post to wind others up I'm sure. Not going to let them get to me!!

[helenmb]

Can I just say that assuming other people are jealous of Eglu ownership is a bit unfair

It wasn't a generalised assumption, but only for the person who'd posted the reply to Sandy, and my comment was a very tongue in cheek one anyway!

[madchickenlady]

Oh, ok I do hate the eglu v wooden coop debate, though. I use this forum as most of you are new to hen keeping (like me!), but I don't have an eglu. I also belong to the pekin bantams site, where everyone is very knowledgable, but tend to have a lot of birds for breeding/showing, and use wooden coops. I don't know where I belong!

[helenmb]

I don't know where I belong!

Here of course

[Ygerna]

I think that the Eglu/Ark debate is an emotional one, and feelings can be quite strong on both sides. The Eglu works for me because its easy to clean, warm, safe and well, looks cool. I have three children so the easy to clean one is the top one, I need to be able to get out there and clean the poop deck once a day quickly and efficiently, at the weekends I need to be able to clean the inside in less than half an hour. It needs to be fast frying too, a quick once over with an old towel is all I have time for. I can with the Eglu. A deep clean once a month or so and bobs your uncle.

That all said, I do like the look of the Arks, and they give a lovely 'days gone by' look to gardens.

I dont believe that anything is totally Fox Proof, but I do believe the Eglu is fairly secure, and the run is too proivided it is assembled and maintained/used properly. Nothing beats vigilance though.

Some people are very determined and vociferous in their arguments and sadly this often bruises the people they are aiming it at. I only hope it is unintentional.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I have a wooden run & coop and I really don't like it. I am 'vertically challenged' (PC term I believe) and struggle to reach the far corners for cleaning out ........It involves kneeling down and near climbing through the nest box flap to clean the coop ( I usually only end up with the lower half of me stuck out ) to clean the run I have to unhook it then lift the whole thing onto the lawn ( and trust me it's pretty heavy). Plus wretched thing keeps falling apart and I have to fix it ( am I the only woman to get a tool kit from OH and a screwdriver from her friend for Christmas? )

 

Just changing the water & feeding involves me bending double to reach in..............

 

Poor Little Miss Webmuppet gets quite cross because she can't do the basic chicken keeping stuff...............she wants a Cube and is hoping the Daddy will give in soon. She has pointed out that then poor Mummy won't have to do it all........and risk injuring herself!

 

I am hoping that the lovely Janty can work some magic on the OH when we attend the coffee morning!

[sandyhas3chucks]

Feelings run high on this one!!

 

A good friend got a wooden coop just after I got my cube, but we're still friends! It's a shame there's a bit of a them and us attitude, cos there's room for us all, we're all chicken lovers at the end of the day!

 

Some people like to post to wind others up I'm sure. Not going to let them get to me!!

Plenty of room for both I agree, I wouldn't dream of being nasty because someone choose wood, I agree they look nice, traditional & homely.

Cleaning and the foxes decided me. I would never have met my adorable girls & felt so much or met you lot either were it not for my Eglu.

So thank you Omlet from me, my 3 ex bats and no doubt many others free to be real chooks due to the Eglu.

[chickenanne]

It's only a chicken house!!!

 

Why do some people insist on thinking it gives a huge insight into the person who owns it.... it's only a chicken coup!

[Olly]

It needs to be fast frying too, a quick once over with an old towel is all I have time for.

 

Sorry Ygerna, know what you meant but this has made me spit my tea out!

 

This forum is open to all chicken-lovers, coops, Eglus, Cubes, converted greenhouses or whatever - it's funny how some people on other forums get so worked up about it! I know where I'd rather be posting.

[fowlbird]

It's only a chicken house!!!

 

Why do some people insist on thinking it gives a huge insight into the person who owns it.... it's only a chicken coup!

ONLY a chicken coop???? what's that quote that someone has in their signature? Something an architect said about fine buildings and chicken houses?

 

edit: it was chickvic

"Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral."

Frank Lloyd Wright. Innovator in American Architecture 1868 - 1959

 

love it!

Edited January 13, 2009 by Guest

[Mutrix Farmers]

I'm not a yuppy!!

 

When OH and I were thinking of keeping chickens we looked at loads of different hen house and run combinations, and can categorically say the Eglu isn't expensive by comparison. It'll last a lifetime but no wooden ark will. The nooks and crannies for mites etc to hide in are much reduced in an eglu, and just like a coolbox, it's insulated.

 

Some people are very change averse and others like to maintain an air that something they do is really complicated. The Eglu (and Cube) have debunked the theory that ordinary folk can't keep chickens, that it requires special skills and loads of land.

 

Not everyone liked the bicycle when that was invented!!

 

Plus wretched thing keeps falling apart and I have to fix it ( am I the only woman to get a tool kit from OH and a screwdriver from her friend for Christmas? )

 

I got one a few years ago! No-one else is allowed to use it!!