Chooks Aloud Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Well, hubby is getting on really well with the Hen Hilton Hotel and hopefully quite soon my chooks will be living in it. The question I have is about the eglu run. Hubby is going to build a second level inside and he thinks the eglu should be raised off the ground, thus giving the chooks more room to run around as it will free up ground floor level space. I originally had thought the eglu and run would be put in on the ground, thus giving more security for the chooks. The new run has been laid on a rectangle of slabs and we are going to put mesh into the ground. I do like the idea of giving the chooks more running room, but would this be at the expense of security. What do other people think. Should I put the eglu with the run on the ground or elevate the eglu without the run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Hi, Mine is elevated & it works a treat. There is always a nice shady or sheltered spot for the hens, it makes for more room in the pen & most important of all it is much,much easier to clean out Have it about waist height for easiest access. My hens had no problem using their little ladder & settled into high rise living right away You say you are worried about security with it being off the ground.I think its more secure (form predators anyway) being above ground In this photo my green Eglu is up on a stand, & the yellow one on the ground.They are now both elevated & it is so much easier all round. By the way,I don't make my daughters live in a yellow Eglu despite how it looks in the photo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy Loo Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 My eglu's are raised about 2 -3 feet off the ground on wooden slats which originally came out of a greenhouse. It has worked perfectly - they have more room on the ground to run around and go "upstairs" to sleep and lay. I used to have a wooden ramp which they used to walk up but now I just have a straw bale in the run just where they hop up to the eglu. Even my large lazy Buff Orpington can manage it with ease! They also like to walk/sit on the slats and use the straw bale for sitting on or for a bit more shelter. An added bonus is that the eglu's are at a convenient height for cleaning and egg collecting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Presumably you could lock the eglu door at night, which for us is when there would be a fox. Lindy loo, you have so many lovely sounding chickens I want a Buff Orpington one day Cinnemon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy Loo Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 I used to lock the eglu doors at night but recently all 9 of the girls have been sleeping in one eglu - which is no mean feat! When they started to do this the nights weren't cold at all and I spent ages too-ing and fro-ing trying to get them to divide themselves between at least two of the eglu's but to no avail...so I have just let them get on with it! We have strengthened the bottom section of the run so that a fox can't get in. Buffy, The Buff Orpington does look very glamerous - sadly she is not the brightest "chook in the run", nor the friendliest, nor the best egg layer. Still lovely to have for decoration though! Having waited months for my Buff Araucana to lay, on Wednesday when there was snow ankle deep on the ground she finally sprung into action and in the nesting box was a perfect very green egg. Yippee!!! What clever things chickens are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Wow 9 chickens in an Eglu that must be a tight squeeze............Good excuse to get meore chickens though.... In theory you could have 18 more to fit in the other 2 Eglu's......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Congratulations Arri!!!! - you need to amend your signature now Linda - I had just been reading it and thinking it was a shame you hadn't got a blue egg yet! We have all our Eglus on platforms. We started with Eglu Towers when we lived in our previous house. Two Eglus on a platform and a ladder for the hens to go up. We now have 4 Eglus on lower platforms - the hens love to shelter underneath it and make dust baths. The Ducklu is the only one on the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy Loo Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 My boys are working on me in the hope of getting a couple of Poland's in the Spring. Well actually, 3 boys so most likely 3 Poland's. I'm quite keen on the idea but by all accounts Poland's need a bit more TLC than most other breeds and would also need to be kept apart from the others. I feel a bit of a purple eglu moment coming on but would have to wait to pick one up second hand /reconditioned. Yes, Lesley, I must change my signature...I hope I can remember how to do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 We have a Poland in a mixed flock of Bantams with no problems at all. You just need to keep a watch on their little eyes, as the feathers on their heads can irritate them, but they are so funny looking & sweet that it more than makes up for this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chooks Aloud Posted January 26, 2007 Author Share Posted January 26, 2007 Thanks everyone, I think elevation is the way to go. What did you do with your old runs? Any good uses for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 On the poland subject - I have an araucana/poland cross - she isn't massive and lives happily with my banties. She is grey with a white top-knot and lays beautiful turquoise eggs. I tend to trim the sides of Dolly's 'hair' so that it keeps out of the food and water, and so that she can see where she is going. Dolly has a lovely nature, if slightly batty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 Thanks everyone, I think elevation is the way to go. What did you do with your old runs? Any good uses for them? Keep it!!! You never know what is around the corner, & I have used mine attatched to the mesh of my pen to isolate a hen before.I was also prepared to set mine up outside the pen if a tree had damaged the pen in the gales last week. Saying that,Omlet do sell Eglus without runs if you have yet to order one, or you could sell it on eBay for around £60. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy Loo Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 On the poland subject - I have an araucana/poland cross - she isn't massive and lives happily with my banties. She is grey with a white top-knot and lays beautiful turquoise eggs. I tend to trim the sides of Dolly's 'hair' so that it keeps out of the food and water, and so that she can see where she is going. Dolly has a lovely nature, if slightly batty I have a feeling i may have asked you this before but can't find the thread anywhere but where did you get Dolly from? I have sent my cheque off to the Poland Society and in time they will send me a breeders list so hopefully I will be able to get hold of a couple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 26, 2007 Share Posted January 26, 2007 I got her from a lovely lady called Pearl near Oxford, but she's since retired from breeding to sell. Try looking in the back of Practical Poultry mag - there are loads of breeders listed on there. Or look on the pekinbantams.com forum - there's a fairly healthy stock for sale section on there - post a request and see what happens. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
