quirkas Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 My girls ,Speckledys in the cube, Pekins in the Eglu seem to managing fine. Runs covered over at the sides and top, not the front, with clear plastic, houses stuffed with straw. Pekins apparently (according to them) don't do snow so I have built a barracade in the run for them to jump around on and they seem quite happy. Big girls are fine and stay outside in the run all day, pottering. I am very aware of the extra threat from Foxes so they only come out for a few hours when I am there and chopping wood etc. outside. My fear is that the houses being plastic will get brittle in the cold and split or snap. The top of the cube will not slide as it is iced up and I am reluctant to force it all, waiting for the sun to melt the ice, have to poo pick through the nest box. What do others think? Quirkas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 They have been tested to -10 degrees C apparently. American Omleteers, who have winters far hasher than the one we are enduring do not appear to have reported anything about the plastic cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenopolis Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I can't really offer any great advice, as we have only been keeping chickens for about 6 months - although ours is frozen up and I can't get access to the roosting bars for a clean. Our cube hasn't shown any signing or cracking or being brittle yet and I think we have had a -18 here last week. By the way, if you reach through the nest box to try and move some frozen poo and it doesn't work, or your arms aren't long enough - try using a small cane to poke the poo into the tray - I call it "Poo Snooker". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I call it "Poo Snooker". Now there's a good game! Is there time to get it into the 2012 Olympics?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I call it "Poo Snooker". Now there's a good game! Is there time to get it into the 2012 Olympics?? It also needs to go into the Omlet English Dictionary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angels4 Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I am very happy to report with the sub zero temps we have been having here I have had NO PROBLEMS with the plastic of the cube (nor the eglu from last year) having any damage or cracks from the extreme cold of a New England winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I call it "Poo Snooker". Now there's a good game! Is there time to get it into the 2012 Olympics?? It also needs to go into the Omlet English Dictionary Consider it done . Edit: 'tis done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quirkas Posted January 9, 2010 Author Share Posted January 9, 2010 Many thanks to all your replies re the houses standing up to the cold I feel much reasured! Plus the added new sport/word 'poo snooker'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I have found the poo tray is frozen solid to the eglu floor (my fault for not drying it fully before reassembling it last week end) Primrose was most unhappy when the whole roof had to be lifted off to free the poo tray just as she was thinking about laying an egg!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jac and Rory Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I have an old cotton rug draped over the cube roof and that has stopped the roof freezing up in the last couple of weeks, although I'm sure it won't work if the rug gets saturated with rain/snow. At the moment the rug is frozen but the cube is not. The poo trays have frozen (impossible to get dry after cleaning!) and I use an ice s"Ooops, word censored!"er to knock the poo off the roosting bars and then wash the s"Ooops, word censored!"er in the snow after! Longing to get back to normal weather..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nannyhill Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Hello all. I've only had my eglo and the girls since the end of Oct, i have been so worried about them being warm enough, so today i bought them a hot water bottle and popped it into the droppings tray at bedtime. I;s been very reassuring to read all your posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 hello, nannyhill, welcome! I'm doing the same - hot water bottles galore - but I suspect they are a lot hardier than we think..... but it makes us feel better! Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatedog Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 They have been tested to -10 degrees C apparently. American Omleteers, who have winters far hasher than the one we are enduring do not appear to have reported anything about the plastic cracking. Minus 10???? It's been minus 17 here....... and still it seems OK........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KateG Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I've not been doing anything special for the girls - just shutting their door like normal. Should I do more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMcHen Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I don't give mine hotties or blankets - they are wearing first class duvets every night. Up until this past two weeks, when snow started blowing in through the doorway, I haven't shut the Cube door either. I bring in their water if a freeze is forcast but that's about it usually. One of mine has now started a bit of a moult too - bad timing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I've not been doing anything special for the girls - just shutting their door like normal. Should I do more? Take a look **here** Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
