riven Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 are they going to be too crowded? Am now getting anxious and in my overactive imagination the cube with normal run is getting smaller and smaller! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Five chickens in a Cube is absolutely fine - it's designed to hold up to ten. I've got five sleeping happily in an Eglu in my WIR! BUT the run is the essential thing, they fold up small at night and don't move around, but during the day they will need more space. I would not have five in just a standard Cube and run, I'd get at least one extension. I did have five in a Cube and extended run, and that was ok but in hindsight I would have extended it again, to give them more space, especially as mine are kept in most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 I cant afford the £100 expension and hubby is still hyper-ventilating over the cube And we have a very small garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I have six in one cube with plenty of roosting room to spare. I have fourteen in the other cube but they are bantams....average size is a pekin with some itty bitty Japanese. As long as there is good ventilation five will be fine in the cube. As Olly said it is the run that is the important factor. I would think three hybrid sized chooks would be max in the standard run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I cant afford the £100 expension and hubby is still hyper-ventilating over the cube And we have a very small garden. I think in that case, the only modification you can make is to the number of hens! I'd start at three, yes lots of us have more than that eventually - once your OH has been won over by the cuteness of chickens and the delicious eggs, you can look at options! Seriously, if you can't get an extension, then I wouldn't get five, maybe save up for one and add two more hens later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 already got 5 hens. Its why I was getting a cube! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 whoops. Guess we will start saving then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Well maybe look for a second hand cube extension on the for sale section?? Just a thought, as the others are right the cube run is just not big enough for 5 hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 why do omlet advertise it as suitable for up to 6 though? ho hum. Will look second hand ta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 it also depends of the amount of FR time they get too of course! Additional interest/space can be added to the cube run by adding perches etc. In my cube run (14 bantams and 7m of run) I have perches, a couple of kiddies plastic tables, a little ark as additional nestbox. There are some good ideas in the eglu, cubes and runs section like this: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=59066 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 right, will add mezzanine level while saving for extension. I've got an old cot side that will do the trick. Hubby is now rolling his eyes at 'mezzanine' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 they always roll their eyes, mine is making a mezzanine for my WIR I had the same thing a lot of rolling of his eyes, so I chased him around my utility room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 wait till he hears I want an extension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 make him his favourite meal then break it to him.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 bit norty omlet saying normal cube run will do for 6 chickens. Its why I bought the durn cube and run! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 well I suppose the way you look at it is, it can house 6 but their quality of life would not be as great as if you added the extension(s) which omlet sell for the purpose of making the run bigger for more hens. You would also not be meeting the required 1 square metre per hen requirement to have 6 hens in the basic cube run. I have always gone by this and found it to be a good guide. Its like many people living in only a few rooms, not ideal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoice Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Riven seems to be going the advice given by omlet when she bought the cube here maybe we should have a disclaimer on this page for potential customers to know that more space is ideal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 yup, thats what I read and believed! But there will be 5 of them. I'm guessing they will be ok for a while as I save up. Once spring hits they wont get to FR as thats when I plant my veg and also when the local foxes come round in the daytime! Now I'm wishing I'd used that money to get a WIR. I reckon I could have got agood one for 600 quid! Never mind, you live n learn! I'll spring the WIR on DH next year (cost per egg about £100 ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 it does say UP TO which is why we are giving riven advice as it's just not big enough for 5 without the run It also mentions run extensions which I believe is good. People on ebay sell houses suitable for chickens all the time and they are not suitable for as many as they state we are just helping riven to make sure the girls will be as happy as they can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emchook Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 That is very naughty of Omlet I was going to say that if it is a new cube you could downsize to an eglu ...chat with omlet ... but you already have the chooks ... tough one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I think rivens best bet is to look for a second hand cube extension or to call omlet and ask if they have any reconditioned/ex demo ones and the mezzanine level will be great too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riven Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 I've advertised on the things wanted thingy for a cube extension but will call Omlet too. Its the cube run 'footprint' smaller than the eglu standard run then? It looks bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 I've got 5 in a cube, but no run - they free range behind Omlet netting. So it is the amount of free ranging time that makes the difference Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Where are you in the country riven??? Someone may have a spare cube extension second hand.......... P.S i have 12 in a cube included 5 LF, it's there choice not mine, but I can hardly turf them out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Sorry, didn't realise the chickens were already in residence! How big is their current run - or do they free-range quite a bit? It's very much a matter of opinion. If you look at the area a battery hen is allowed - roughly a sheet of A4 paper - then the Omlet run is palatial. I don't think you'd be breaching animal welfare guidelines by having six in there, but those of us who've had a Cube and run tend to feel that more space is needed. You might get pecking problems or stress. Is there any way that you could attach their existing run to the front of the Cube or something like that, to give them a safe bit of extra space? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
