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

[tooties]

I've just made a trip to a poultry breeder to start 'thinking' about getting some additional chickens to go with my 2 remaining ex-batts. I really only wanted to look at the different breeds, sizes etc and to forward plan as I don't want a lone chicken if one of mine goes to chookie heaven and I know you have to take time to integrate them etc, thought I'd start planning now.

 

Anyway, the guy was really nice and the chickens all looked healthy and well cared for etc BUT he said a few things that have left me confused and feeling a little upset:

 

1) He said the Eglus are not good for chickens as they are unable to perch, particularly at night, and this leaves them prone to peritonitis (although mine are ex-batts which I know are more prone to it, I believe the first one died from peritionitis and one of the remaining ones has sterile pertitonitis)

 

2) He said that as battery chickens are vaccinated using live disease (and I know that this is what vaccines consist of, a weak version of the disease so that the immune system can build up antibodies to it) some of the chickens become carriers and can infect non-batts that you introduce to the flock

 

3) Another point he made, although not as serious as the above 2, was that as the runs are not covered they get wet and the poo never dries out and has a chance to disintegrate. I poo pick every morning as far as I can reach into the run, and rake the chippings over every wk or so to pick out any more, but I can see what he means. I have covered the run with a shower curtain (matching green, of course!) to protect my baldy girls from rain and sunburn, but one side is left uncovered to let in light and air, and of course the end is also open to the elements. Should I pull the shower curtain right down each side, would that help?

 

Apologies in advance for my very long post, I just realised that this forum is the only place I have ever been able to get any advice and information about my chooks and so of course it was the first place I thought of turning to....

 

I've got a headache now.... its been churning round in my head, did I make the right choice getting an eglu? And will it be taking a chance to get 'normal' chickens to mix with my ex-batts, or am I risking killing them? Obviously I do know that many of you on here have mixed ex-batts and normal chooks, but if I did this and any died i would now feel it was my fault.....

 

Are any of you local to me and would mind me popping over to see your chooks and set up? (I'm based in Slough) I suppose I feel now that maybe I don't really know what i'm doing at all

[Snowy]

1) He said the Eglus are not good for chickens as they are unable to perch, particularly at night, and this leaves them prone to peritonitis

Rubbish!

 

2) He said that as battery chickens are vaccinated using live disease (and I know that this is what vaccines consist of, a weak version of the disease so that the immune system can build up antibodies to it) some of the chickens become carriers and can infect non-batts that you introduce to the flock Rubbish!

 

3) Another point he made, although not as serious as the above 2, was that as the runs are not covered they get wet and the poo never dries out and has a chance to disintegrate. Rubbish!

 

 

Sorry for being blunt, but some people do seem to have it in for the eglu withour ever having tried it for themselves!

Vaccines are usually inactivated - there is no way a vaccinated hen can pass disease onto an unvaccinated one. Even if the vaccines are live, they can only shed the virus for a few weeks after vaccination - certainly not after a year.

Covered or uncovered doesn't really make much difference either. The poo is still there and needs removing! OK, it is less smelly if dry, but the chooks don't mind a bit of damp ground. It's only really a problem if it is constantly boggy and wet. Don't be tempted to completely cover the run - hens need good ventilation!

Don't worry - as long as yu take the normal precautions of a gradual introduction, you will be fine Hope this reassures you.

[tooties]

thankyou so much, I feel better already!!

 

I suppose i felt bad because this was the first 'chicken person' I'd actually talked to face to face and although I had my doubts about some of what he was saying, he was quite persuasive. He probably just wanted to sow some doubts about the Eglu so that I'd go back and buy a chicken house from him..... !

 

thankyou

[Egluntyne]

I've just made a trip to a poultry breeder to start 'thinking' about getting some additional chickens to go with my 2 remaining ex-batts. I really only wanted to look at the different breeds, sizes etc and to forward plan as I don't want a lone chicken if one of mine goes to chookie heaven and I know you have to take time to integrate them etc, thought I'd start planning now.

 

Anyway, the guy was really nice and the chickens all looked healthy and well cared for etc BUT he said a few things that have left me confused and feeling a little upset:

 

1) He said the Eglus are not good for chickens as they are unable to perch, particularly at night, and this leaves them prone to peritonitis (although mine are ex-batts which I know are more prone to it, I believe the first one died from peritionitis and one of the remaining ones has sterile pertitonitis)

 

Absolute balderdash.

 

2) He said that as battery chickens are vaccinated using live disease (and I know that this is what vaccines consist of, a weak version of the disease so that the immune system can build up antibodies to it) some of the chickens become carriers and can infect non-batts that you introduce to the flock

There is the slightest risk that a an un-vaccinated hen might pick up a disease in that manner from a vaccinated hen. Not one I would worry about. Any flock consisting of pure breeds and hybrids will have run this tiny risk.

 

3) Another point he made, although not as serious as the above 2, was that as the runs are not covered they get wet and the poo never dries out and has a chance to disintegrate.

 

It is the work of moments to put a cover over the run. If the Eglu is moved every couple of days, there is nothing to worry about.

 

 

Ignore this chap and do what feels right.

[katieadams]

Hmmm what a coincidence he thinks Eglus are no good when he just happens to sell an alternative

[Lewis]

Hens can perch in an eglu.

Roosting bars?

[wooky]

I think there's a completely unfounded 'oldskool' s"Ooops, word censored!"bery against Eglus amongst certain breeders.

 

Even my Dad commented the other day that some friends had got new chickens but they'd got a 'proper' henhouse

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Can't add anything else to the above - I hope you're reassured now .

[Electricbarbarella]

what a numpty, sometimes I think experts like to put doubts in the minds of us hobby keepers just to prove they are better.

[tooties]

thanks everyone, its good to get some perspective on this!

 

What would I do without this forum

[Poached]

hi

 

i'm not trying to worry you here but my cream legbar who got PTS last month with mareks was a carrier that caught it when she was vaccinated

 

she was a purebreed though

 

 

josh

[smanners]

I've also come across the anti-Eglu brigade!

Even when I rescued the ex-batts ,the coordinator had concluded that Eglus were too small even though she said she hadn't actually seen one

However when I collected the ex batts , another lady told them, as she put the girls in their basket, how lucky they were to be going to such a posh home.

Mine have been fine!

Rocky (my hybrid )vaccinated girl is currently raising 11 healthy chicks none who have been vaccinated.

The last breeder reassured me that with the numbers I kept the risks were very very small

Good luck with whatever you decide

[Snowy]

Hmm, you've all got me thinking about the vaccine issue as it is quite often asked. I am basing my advice on human vaccination and assuming that poultry vaccines work in a similar way. Poultrysite has some good info on them - particularly Mareks. This is interesting, and may explain how a vaccinated bird can pass the disease to one that is unvaccinated:

Immunity for MD takes time to develop following vaccination and vaccination actually does not prevent infection. It only prevents the clinical signs associated with it.

So in effect a bird can be a carrier and pass the disease to one that is unvaccinated, but it is not the vaccine that gives them the disease. Does that make sense?

It also says that qute often, poultry producers will over dilute their vaccines to save money, so they are not as effective and the virus then gets an opportunity to mutate, rendering the vaccine useless anyway!

I'll carry on reading and let you know if I come up with any more useless nuggets!

[Redwing]

I think there is a belief that the Eglu is very small, a couple of people I have spoken to recently think they are for bantams only and someone else commented that as they are plastic they must get condensation I needed to buy some Ukadex from that person so bit my tongue!

 

I think what I am trying to say is that die hard 'experts' often don't like the Eglu but then they probably have never seen one or tried one out!

 

I also notice that even very dedicated Eglu owners seem to be very open to the idea of wooden housing and often mention them on here whereas real strongly pro wooden house fans have hysterics at the mention of an Eglu!

 

I recently killed a thread stone dead on another forum by posting a pic of my Eglu

 

Your hens will be happy in their Eglu

[Bald Carl]

Hi Tooties,

I've been keeping chickens for 3 years now in various forms of housing. We have a shed with a walk in run at the bottom of the garden, a small triangular run (which we started with) and an eglu cube with 2 metres of run.

 

Having used all of these for a while I do have some experience of them.

 

1. Perching. Eglus have roosting bars anyway so the chickens can perch on them.

 

2. Sounds to me like he is verbally stating a non-disclaimer against Marek's disease has the ones he is selling aren't vaccinated and they may catch it from your ex-batts. For what it's worth I have non-vaccinated purebreeds which were home incubated and they haven't caught Marek's from the ex-batts. It is my personal opinion that anyone who breeds and sells chickens for a profit should vaccinate them anyway. They should also be responsible for the chickens health (accidents withstanding) for the first week or two.

 

3. I would reccomend waterproofing the top of the run anyway which you have done like me. All I have done is put thick plastic on top with eyelets in the corner and tied it to the mesh on the run. The sides are open but I've got a shed a few feet away to keep the wind away on one side and compost bins/mini greenhouse on the other side a few feet away for shelter.

 

Maybe other users can reccommend a decent, honest breeder in the Slough area.

 

You have done the right think getting an eglu and I don't think you are taking a high risk mixing them with ex-batts. Unfortunately ownership of chickens is not all smiles and eventually they will go to the big eglu in the sky. So long as you give them a good life you will have done the right thing.

[Guest]

Hi

 

I have not got a clue about vaccines etc (just know its good if they have had them...humans have live vaccines too...dont remember quarantine any of them..UM)

 

As regards the eglu, I visited Thornes prior to getting my chickens and was annoyed as the chap there told me categorically not to get an omlet etc. I never went back to him again as I saw red, he had just become a distributor for Forsham wooden housing(which i have had before and they are really good..lasted 10 years but it is rotting in my manure heap as I type).

I have a cube for two months now and love it, I am considering getting an eglu too, as I may do the charitable and get a trio of ex bats at some stage. Omlet have an outstanding product and I cannot fault it. So like all the other responses just smile and ignore.

 

Plenty of other places to get chickens from,probably a bit of a trek but Northendhens in Bedfordshire were good (vaccinated for £10 /£15 columbines). But you are near Oxford and I believe there are lots of chicken keepers in that area?

 

Good luck and continue enjoying your eglu

 

indie

[RubySlippers]

I'm so glad to hear that it's not just my pseudo farming, country-s"Ooops, word censored!"by extended family that have turned their noses up at the eglu!

I was a bit concerned when they started spouting negative things back at the beginning, but, happily, I had done my reading so I was able to argue the eglu's case.

 

Even still I think they think I'm being a silly city girl who will never quite "get" chicken keeping. I reckon they think that unless you make it from actual trees, varnish it yourself, and then watch it rot anyway, it doesn't count.

 

Needless to say, these relatives are low on my list of people to proudly give eggs to

 

 

forever!

 

Agnes

Margaret

Millicent

[sheik]

As regards the eglu, I visited Thornes prior to getting my chickens and was annoyed as the chap there told me categorically not to get an omlet etc. I never went back to him again as I saw red, he had just become a distributor for Forsham wooden housing

 

I was quite surprised by this comment, as I went to Thorne's a few years ago when I knew nothing about chickens and they were not negative in the slightest about my Eglu (in fact they told me many of their customers had eglus). Last year I did ask them if I could fit a Buff Orpington in along with my existing flock and they advised against it - but I received the same advice on here.

 

Anyway, I asked the owner, and was told:

 

"We may say to people not to get the eglu if they want bigger birds or more than 3. We thoroughly endorse the Cube for larger birds and flocks."

 

Also, just a matter of record, Thorne's is not a distributor for Forsham (and in fact Forsham would probably not be best pleased if such a claim were made). Thorne's do sell two types of Forsham arks, which is two products out of about one hundred.

 

In the interests of full disclosure, I have recently created the Thorne's website, but other than that have no business interest with them (I've been a happy customer of theirs for two years though).

 

Hope that helps clear up any confusion,

 

/\dam

[Guest]

Hi Sheik

 

I can only repeat what I was told and it was in fact a cube that I was getting and now have.

 

I dont think I was the first person to encounter this too, I have many friends around the area and they highly recommended Thornes to me for their chickens and it was not my first visit to the garden centre.

 

I am only repeating what I was told.

 

indie