Solitary chicken - need advice

[Clash City Rocker]

Problems with my Cube leaking again. It only sems to happen in Bad weather.

Phoned Gwen at Omlet who said that I needed to send photo's of where I thought the Cube was leaking, send to info@omlet.co.uk

 

I did this (twice), eventually got a reply 4 days later (copied below).

 

Thanks you for the pictures, we all had a look here and the fitting of the cube looks fine.

When there is strong wind and rain, the cube can let the water coming in, so it can get wet in the nesting area. As I said previously the fitting of the cube is perfect.

 

Gwen at Omlet

 

Have asked for the Cube to be returned and a full refund.

[Laura&Sean]

Oh dear!

 

Keep us updated please, good luck!

[Gallina]

That's a shame.

 

I have one Cube that is quite dry, and the other that lets in a little water in the nesting area when it is very stormy. I think it is all to do with the prevailing wind; the "good" Cube has its eggport door protected by the fence.

 

I have cured it simply by wedging a strip of old towel in the groove where the eggport door fits. It stays in permanently and doesn't show when the door is closed.

 

Where are you going to put your hens instead?

[Jules.]

Cubes or eglus should not leak under any circumstances. Full stop.

 

Hens need housing that has good ventilation, but is draft-free. They also need housing which is dry. These are just some of the reasons why we bought poultry housing from Omlet.

In your case CCR this is not being fulfilled or provided for your hens, & I'm totally surprised by the response you have had from Gwen. In fact I'm a bit gobsmacked.

 

Does this mean that I should pass on Gwen's reply to my hen party guests then? I'm sure that when they hear that they'll be off ordering wooden chicken arks in their droves................

 

Your leaking cube has been going on from day 1 if I remember correctly, & it's so sad that things haven't been rectified in all that time. My cube leaked through the eggport, & it took a few goes to get it right, but it is bone dry now & quite frankly I expected nothing less.

 

Have you asked them to send you out a brand-new cube to replace your leaking one?

 

Try contacting the CAB for information & help?

 

I'm so sorry.

[Lesley]

How long have you had it for now Clash? - I know it leaked from the beginning

[Clash City Rocker]

I have cured it simply by wedging a strip of old towel in the groove where the eggport door fits. It stays in permanently and doesn't show when the door is closed.

 

 

I fail to understand why you would pay over £700 (Cube/Extension/Winter Cover/Delivery)

and then have to protect the Cube from the weather with "old towel".

[Jules.]

I agree CCR. It's not something I would do

[Clash City Rocker]

How long have you had it for now Clash? - I know it leaked from the beginning

 

27th March 2008 it was delivered, but the Roof did not fit correctly (installed by Omlet).

 

A week later a new Roof was supplied and fitted again by Omlet and according to James @ Omlet (this week during a telephone conversation) "it wasn't leaking then".

[Clash City Rocker]

Below is one of the photographs I've emailed to Omlet this week. The photograph shows the side panel (nesting box side) and the back panel. Omlet confirm (at the start of this thread) that it is fitted correctly.

 

[Lesley]

I can't help much as I don't have a Cube - it does look like a big gap though

[Jules.]

I've just been out to look at my cube & I can't see inside it at all from back & the panel where the NB is.

I can see into the cube ever so slightly on the right hand side panel near the bottom.

[Clash City Rocker]

 

the "good" Cube has its eggport door protected by the fence.

 

 

 

Will a shed be OK ?

 

[Gallina]

That Cube eggport door looks protected well enough from the wind: I don't think the rain would drive in if I had mine in that position. But as all cubes seem to fit together slightly differently, I would not like to give my firm opinion on any specific leaks: I think the water comes from different places, depending on the gaps.

 

As for the big gap shown in the earlier photograph, I have nothing like that in either of my cubes.

 

I didn't give up quite as easily as you might think with my small leak: James came and inspected my cube personally, and pronounced that there was nothing wrong with it. I was asked to take photographs of where the water came in, and eventually deduced it was definitely coming in via the eggport door when the weather was rough.

 

It was either cure the problem myself with a very simple solution that cost nothing, or find a different kind of henhouse, which I didn't want to do.

[Jules.]

Gallina, with the leak I had through the eggport Johannes asked me to pour water over the door while the back of the cube was off, so I could see exactly where the leak came from. The water came from the top of the eggport & then in through the bottom in streams. One very soggy nest box.

 

In the end it took 2 new eggport doors & 2 new side panels to get my cube leak-proof, & Omlet said at the time of the leak, June 2008 when my cube was brand new, that I was an isolated case.

 

I'm happy now with how things are with my cube- and my eggport door is 30cm from my garden fence, yet still it leaked even though it was protected by the weather.

It was a faulty door I had, nothiing more, nothing less, & I got it replaced.

 

I was sooooo disappointed when my cube arrived that it leaked ( & I had to fit the retro leak kit myself, as it hadn't been supplied with the cube) I just couldn't let it lie. I'd have gone back to an eglu if the leak hadn't been fixed.

[Phoebe]

www.adviceguide.org.uk, the CAB website will give you advice on your consumer rights.

 

My cube does not have any gaps like that; yours does not look right. I am surprised at their response; the guy who assembled mine did it on 16th dec; I then got a call next day saying the back was n't quite right in his view and he would come back after christmas to put it right, which he did. The only "fault" seemed to me that the roof was stiff to slide, to get the back out. its much better now.

 

Have you sent the photo of the gap to Omlet ? (soory if you have already explained this). Perhaps an email pointing out that a gap like this makes it "not fit for purpose" and asking for repair/replacement at their expense will show them you know your rights and jolt them into action.

 

best wishes with it

[Clash City Rocker]

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk, the CAB website will give you advice on your consumer rights.

 

Have you sent the photo of the gap to Omlet ? (soory if you have already explained this). Perhaps an email pointing out that a gap like this makes it "not fit for purpose" and asking for repair/replacement at their expense will show them you know your rights and jolt them into action.

 

 

Yes, sent the photo, the response was "the fitting of the cube was perfect".

[Cooks]

send the info again to james@omlet.co.uk he's lovely and I am sure he will look into it for you.

[BarbaraJ]

I have been checking my empty cube through torrential rain here the last week and no leaks. maybe its sheltered a bit but i wouldn't be happy if it leaked!

[Groovychook]

The nest box in our cube is ALWAYS wet when it rains! It seems to come in through the air vent. The cube is assembled properly... I'd just assumed that it was normal. It's annoying though... I'm always scooping out wet bedding!

[Clash City Rocker]

send the info again to james@omlet.co.uk he's lovely and I am sure he will look into it for you.

 

I believe it is James (operation manager) and Gwen who I have been in contact with over the last week.

[The Dogmother]

There are two James' at Omlet - the one you have been speaking to CCR is not the same one as Loopyloo spoke to - she was in contact with James tuthill, who is one of the directors

[Nutmeg]

Before I speak with Omlet in the morning I wonder if any of the good people on here can help first.

 

Had my cube a year this coming May and it has started to leak in the nesting area. At first it was just in the corners, not too much of a problem, so sent for the foam bits and information sheet from Omlet. When OH came to fit them, he said that my cube does not have the recess in the plastic to fit the foam (as shown on the info sheet supplied) and so was unable to fit them.

 

Have cleaned the girls out this afternoon and the nest area is soaked through, so I am going to speak with Omlet in the morning, but wondered if anyone else has managed to fit the foam bits successfully although there did not appear to be the recess for them?

 

If any of that makes sense, thank you in advance for any help

[The Dogmother]

It would be a good idea to take some photos of your cube roof and runners for Omlet - you can email them to james@omlet.co.uk

[Nutmeg]

Thank you Claret, never thought of that!

 

I really hope it can be sorted as I am feeling disappointed at the moment; my cube was perfect and has been working brilliantly up until a few weeks ago.

[Nutmeg]

I have posted photos of the cube and received the following explanation from Gwen

 

My cube is the latest version and therefore has been updated for leaks and so the foam bits cannot be fitted. My cube will still leak but not as much as the older version.

 

Can I ask what others have done in this situation, fixed it themselves or had panels replaced until the leaks stopped?