Chicken bald back

[figlette]

Hi all,

 

I will be the proud new owner of a Cube as soon as the crate is full and ready to head across the sea. I am SO excited! I have been anxiously awaiting their arrival in the States for a long time.

 

So my question; do any of you have your Eglus/Cubes/Coops on concrete? How has it worked for you?

 

I have two locations where the Cube will work, one of which is concrete. It is behind the carriage house and surrounded by Asian pear trees. Truly ideal for chickens, except for possibly the concrete. With sufficient bedding, I am thinking it would be okay and frankly, way easier to clean. Our weather is similar to that of the UK. Fairly mild, with only a very rare excessive high or low. Anyone mind sharing their pros and cons for a concrete slab base?

Edited February 28, 2009 by Guest

[Falkor]

Cookie Monster has her walk in run and cube on a concrete base, i am sure she will be along soon to offer her opinion and wisdom.

[Christian]

Hello Figlette and welcome to the forum. Don't think I have said hello yet

 

I would recommend concrete Mine are on paving slabs (2x eglus) with the runs filled with aubiose (a horse bedding) within another area for them to free range when I am around.

 

Every so often, I move the eglu + runs and sweep up the aubiose, blast with a hose pipe, sprinkle powdered disinfectant and replace the bedding. Simple!

 

Much easier to keep clean and fresh

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

C x x

[figlette]

Thank you both. And extra thanks for the welcome.

 

Glad to hear that it works and will not be considered any form of chicken abuse. I couldn't think of a reason not to, but wanted to check with the eggsperts. The two spots are separated by a garden fence, so changing my mind would be rather a hassle.

 

Thanks again. Enjoy your weekends!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Hi Carrie and welcome to the forum . Congratulations on getting a cube - when do you reckon you'll get it? (Another of our US members, Angels4, has just received his .)

[figlette]

Clare thought the second shipment of Cubes will arrive in late April. Fingers crossed that they are here by mid May, otherwise we may have permanent house chickens. The older girls stayed in the house a little too long and to this day, you leave a door open and they move back in.

[Guest]

.... Our weather is similar to that of the UK. Fairly mild, with only a very rare excessive high or low....

 

 

we dream of "fairly mild"!

[figlette]

Okay, so perhaps mild was the wrong adjective.

 

We don't see north of 37.5 and south of -3.5 very often. Kind of an "it could be worse" climate.

[maryeadrian]

Hi Carrie -

 

I'm from Portland originally and all my family is still there. Great city!!! I'm in SF now. I was going to get a cube, but have decided on an eglu with a walk in run. After we build the run, it's going on concrete slabs.

 

So you have your hens already!? That's great. I'm getting 1 wk old chicks just a bit before all is set up.

 

I read that Portland is really happening when it comes to having chickens!!!

 

Welcome,

 

Mary

[Cooks]

Cookie Monster has her walk in run and cube on a concrete base, i am sure she will be along soon to offer her opinion and wisdom.

 

and here I am , yes I have mine on concrete and I can thoroughly recommend it, it's easy to clean, and maintain. Exactly as Christian has already said

I put a base of Aubiose down for them also and the girls love it!

 

I would never have them on anything else now, and I wish I had done this a year ago when I first got them.

 

edited to add, my girls do come out and free range for about 3 hours a day and more at weekends, so they are not confined to the run. But when there are times that they are confined I scatter meal worms through the aubiose for them to find

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I was going to get a cube, but have decided on an eglu with a walk in run.

 

So you decided against the cube then? I can understand your concerns - it's not like you could phone Omlet up and get replacement bits .

 

You won't regret getting an eglu - I love mine .

[maryeadrian]

You know, we went back and forth and finally decided either was good, but less risk from over here with the Eglu. Although there probably wouldn't be a problem with the Cube and some folks over here just got their theirs and love them. I figured I could put it outside a WIR and give them more space than with the Cube and standard run. I can't fit and extension, so found workarounds for the WIR and Eglu. Plus, the Eglu will be up off the ground, so no bending!

 

Thanks to everyone who've posted pics of their set ups, I got loads of ideas and could see how others used their Eglu or Cube.

 

Sooo glad to hear you love yours. I'm so excited to order it!!!!!

[maryeadrian]

Oh, I forgot....and to be fair, James did say they're stocking up on parts in Ohio, so it wouldn't be so bad. I love the looks of both of them. And in my mind I'm still going back and forth, but the bottom line was more space for the chooks.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's good that you'll be able to get spares easily, Mary . Maybe eventually all new cubes will be leakfree and you can upgrade then .

[dancing cloud]

Hello and welcome from me and mine *waves to you across the pond*

 

I have a cube and an eglu on a concrete driveway and like Christian and Cookiemonster find it a very easy way to keep them. A brush up of the bedding from the runs and a jetwash, and it's all clean again

 

My little monsters spend most of their day free-ranging in the garden (and traumatising the cats ) and I hang up veggies for them if they have to be on the concrete all day. Not that they're at all pampered or spoiled!

[eggscombobulated]

I've just been on a chicken course and the school of thought is in the ark's on grass that you move around. All these new-fangled ideas of greens, worms and feeding treats are defiantely an no-no. The chickens don't come out of the ark - free rangeing is out. You don't treat them as pets....they are chickens for goodness sake! As for aga folk and country living subscribers ( I am both!!)...well.......all this romantising of chicken ownership and plastic cubes and homes......not a subject to be aluded too! But I stood up for my cube! So I looked at my chickens, darlings that they are, today - freeranging and loving their dustbaths and messing my garden and thought what a great time they must be having and half of me is confused.......concrete base, stalosen , worming them, poultry spice ,, auboise .....am I doing it wrong?