Omlet Cube chicken coop and walk in run for sale £900

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I wasn't expecting them till next week .

 

He has Cuckoo Marans, Mendlesham Blues and White Leghorns .

 

I'd like the CM for the dark brown eggs (although I hope she won't look too similar to Molly) but can't decide between the other two.

 

Does anyone have photos of a Mendlesham Blue's eggs? They are gorgeous looking girls but I'd like the eggs to be different to my existing eggs . Maybe I should get a White Leghorn - but are they too flighty ?

 

Am I just being too fussy .

 

Also, I don't have the accommodation yet . Will they be OK in a sturdy cardboard box for a few days? I can segregate them, I just don't have the spare house yet.

 

Aaargh!! I've got to do a major jetwash/poultry shield/red mite inspection first .

[Falkor]

Hi ya

 

I housed my newbies in a large pet carrier for three nights when they first arrived. Providing your WIR in secure (which we know it is as Tony built it!) then i don`t see why a cardboard box wouldn`t do. Although you might want to put a tarp over it incase it rains?

 

I have a bluebelle which I assume is the same as a Mendlesham blue and I have just taken pics of her eggs for ya...currently uploading onto photobucket

[Egluntyne]

Mendleshams lay a bog standard beige egg I thin.

 

 

I'd get one of each, me.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Egluntine, you're a bad influence . Sadly, I really don't have room for 3 newbies .

 

Palmer, I'm planning on using a pet carrier but my Ebay one might be falling through and if I order one off the internet, it won't be here till mid next week .

 

I suppose I should wait till next weekend . Or should I ...... ?

[Falkor]

Yep....bog standard egg from my Bluebelle

 

 

Bluebelle (Fizz) egg on the left and Amber Star egg on the right.

 

Leghorns will lay a white egg I spose but personally I would forefit the egg colour due to their reported flightyness as my friends reckons her leghorn easily clears the fences and won`t come within ten foot of her

 

Fizz, my bluebelle is a real character, she isn`t keen on cuddles but will follow me round the garden and quite often is the reason I trip head over heals into the veggies Love her though!

 

But as Egultine says I would get one of each too!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

OK, you two, let's consider this seriously.

 

I have one eglu (with a large pet carrier to double as a second nestbox).

 

You've seen the size of my run and freerange area.

 

Is 6 too many, realistically?

[Space Chick]

You can buy the large pet carriers in wilkies for about fifteen quid.

 

When my Wernlas girls arrived they slept in large pet carriers in the segregated bit of the WIR, and thats where my ex batts will be sleeping until they are stronger and integrated. OH made roosting bars to put in the pet carrier, took him about an hour made with some packaging wood that came with a photocopier in his office.

 

I'd go for a white chicken, my Rose is a nutter, a little flighty but with her wings clipped is controllable She is my best layer too and her white eggs are fab

 

Get them now ANH you know you want too, although I think you know in your heart of hearts that you have space for 2 more not 3

[Ain't Nobody Here]

By Wilkies, do you mean Wilkinsons? Wilkies up here is a clothing shop for ladies of a certain age .)

 

(I know, I know, 6 is too many .)

 

 

Edit: I've just checked Wilkinsons website - they have a medium one for £11.99 & £5.50 P&P . That's almost as good as the Ebay one and the same size too .

 

Thanks, Debs - I think I'll cancel the Ebay one and go for this .

[Space Chick]

Yes Wilkinsons

[Falkor]

Ok Vicki, seriously we know you should allow as much space per chook as poss so the sensible thing would be to get two newbies. I think five in the would be fine, my lot (6 inc three LF Orps) decided to go to bed in the batams the other night and there was still room on the roosting bars for more but I would of liked to have seen more if you get me.

 

It is up to you if you get them this weekend.....I think you could do a clean, buy a pet carrier and have them all at home before tea but it is really up to you to make that choice.

 

I used this http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8706416/Trail/searchtext%3ECAT+CARRIER.htm as a house for my newbies withing in WIR and they were quite happy. It was also a decent price and I can jet wash it I placed black weed membrane stuff over it at night to keep the light out as I have to keep my lot quiet until 7am ish.

 

Sha (Wildmum) has been using one of those covered cat loos which I thought was a good idea too

 

SO....i vote CM and MB

[abwsco]

I'd have thought you'd have plenty of room in your WIR for 6. Compare it to the size of the cube run. My friend had white leghorns who weren't flighty at all and the eggs were lovely although her black leghorns are flighty:? If a Medlesham Blue is the same as a Bluebell she could be on the large side so would 6 all fit in the Eglu?

[tom123]

Bluebelles/Mendleshams blues are lovely and have a real character but their eggs are bog standard so If I was you then I would go for the white leghorn, they are extremely pretty and elegant and then you would have an egg of every colour.

 

or 3 maybe I think 6 would be fine in the run BUT not the eglu. I have seen one in real life and I don't think 6 would fit. However, what my friend has is a massive WIR with a small house suitable for 10 hens. she has 16 but ALL of the hens sleep outside on perches in the run 80% of the year. You could do this couldn't you? Leave the door open and they would probably come out?

 

Good Luck, But I would get them this weekend as you know that next weekend they will probably be all gone and you'll be kicking yourself!

 

Tom

[simone]

i have a dog cage if you need to borrow, am in gilmerton, is that near you?

[Space Chick]

 

SO....i vote CM and MB

 

Are we voting? Do I see a Poll coming on?

 

In that case I'd vote White Leghorn and Cuckoo Maran

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Simone, you're just a couple of miles away from me . I work in Lasswade Road too . Thanks for your kind offer but I've just cancelled my Wilkinson's order and reserved the Argos carrier (thanks Palmer ) for collection. Argos is on the way to the chicken breeder . (I looked at Argos before but obviously didn't search properly ).

 

Oh help, that's the trouble with this forum, you get opposing views then can't make up your mind at all .

 

I plan to leave the pet carrier beside the eglu (on the table) so someone could sleep there if they chose. Would it be suitable as a long term over-spill accommodation though?

 

I do worry a bit about the freerange space too - it's not huge but there's no way they're getting into the garden proper .

 

I might just set up a poll and go and clean the eglu & run while I wait for the results .

[Space Chick]

Formal vote submitted

[xScrunchee]

I would get all three if I were you

 

There will be plenty of sleeping space in the Eglu. You can always rig up a second nest in the run or even a plastic childs potty inside the eglu during the day-just take it out at night

 

As for the run space-I would agree that if you compare it with Omlet's cube run, you have plenty of room.

 

And if you consider how battery hens are kept-your girls will have ample space. Plus you have your free range area.

 

Go on, y'know you want to

 

My run is 11ft x 5ft and I have an Eglu.

I have 5 girls who will all be sleeping together at some point and I reckon I may even get one or two more at some point.

 

[simone]

Simone, you're just a couple of miles away from me . I work in Lasswade Road too . Thanks for your kind offer but I've just cancelled my Wilkinson's order and reserved the Argos carrier (thanks Palmer ) for collection. Argos is on the way to the chicken breeder . (I looked at Argos before but obviously didn't search properly ).

 

no problem

 

where abouts is the breeder you go to, as neighbour is interested in getting chickens now

 

and as we got ours form all year round birds wasnt happy how the were kept

[Jules.]

Vicki, you need 3 new girls It means that the girls are evenly numbered for introductions.

 

From tonight I'm having 9 hens in my 6x9 WIR, with some free ranging space along the bottom of the garden & up the side, but no longer are they allowed on the grass except for once a week, just before I mow it to remove the poo I think I have spoiled my hens too much ( if thats possible, & I want to be able to make the most of what summer we have left being able to walk bare foot on the "lawn".

 

Even if I had a run with 3 or 4 exrtensions the area wouldn't be as big/high as my WIR with mezzanine branches, so I don't fell guilty about putting all the hens together.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

where abouts is the breeder you go to, as neighbour is interested in getting chickens now

 

and as we got ours form all year round birds wasnt happy how the were kept

 

I'm not surprised about All Year Round Birds - there have been a few forum members not happy with them .

 

I go to George Ogilvie at Ballencrieff Mains Farm near Longniddry. My girls have been lovely and very healthy so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him .

 

He's got loads and loads of 16 wk girls in just now - Columbines, Rhode Island Reds, Mendlesham Blues, Cuckoo Marans & White Stars.

 

http://www.eastlothianlivery.com/poultry.php

[Falkor]

Ok, formal vote cast

 

So.............when are you going??

[Ain't Nobody Here]

ES is out cycling with OH so it might be too late to go when they get back . I suppose I can wait till tomorrow morning .

 

I've jet washed and Poultry Shielded the eglu and set up the accommodation (apart from the dog crate which I've reserved at Argos!)

 

What do you think?

 

Maisie checking that the glug/grub are up to scratch for the new girls .

 

Temporary access to the garden for the old girls.

 

[Space Chick]

Looking good ANH

 

So have you made your decision on what you are getting?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I just can't decide . YS and I decided that a nice mix of hen colours was more important than mixed egg colours but all those voting that I have got room for 3 have got me thinking about getting 3 .

 

Those who voted "no", is that because of the run size or eglu size? I will have the dog crate which will sit beside the eglu for any hen who vants to be alone .

 

We're tending to leave the girls out in their freerange area the whole time we're home so they won't be cooped up all day every day.

 

Possibly going to collect soon .

[Space Chick]

Ok ANH, I know your run is 2.5 metres by 2 metres, so 5 square metres, so based on the 1 square metre per chicken, that would be 5, and I also think that 5 in the Eglu would be fine, 6 would be a squeeze.

 

Now, 6 could fit with an extra "Bedroom" but I would be worried that there is more likely to be squabbles if they are within an enclosed space. However, some forums say 8 square feet per girl which is 0.8 square metres which is what 6 would have in your run.

 

Now, my run is twice the size of yours, and do I think that 12 would fit, yes probably but personally I wouldn't want to chance it. I am sticking with 10.

 

I suppose its your view on how many hours free ranging your girls would have as to whether you decide to go for the 6.

 

Hope this has helped explain my voting