What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[chicken bark]

Hello

 

I am new to the forum and chicken keeping (have been reading lots for the past few weeks) and have found lots of interesting and helpful information.

 

I have recently got three hybrid chickens and am finding them really entertaining. I confess I didn't purchase an eglu - I have a solway eco hen house and I am pleased with it. However I seem to have the urge to get more chickens - I plan to wait until I have experienced some winter weather first until I do get more in case the novelty wears off in the sleet and snow. By then I should have more experience too. I know - I am thinking months ahead!

 

I have seen many second hand (ie more affordable) eglu's and cubes on this site and on ebay and was wondering whether I should be looking at getting an eglu or just go the whole gambit and get a cube.

 

Currently my three are in a run with a few hours out each day in a fenced off area (using the 25m netting from omlet).

 

I suspect I would never have more than 8 chickens - after all only one of my children actually likes eggs! They all love the chickens though. So with my current hen house (plenty big enough for 3 chickens) and an eglu I would have enough space - but cubes are quite appealing.

 

So after all that long winded ramble - I suppose I am asking all you experienced chicken keepers if you wish you had gone straight for a cube or have found your eglu's adequate?

 

Thanks again and Happy Easter.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum . I can't advise on the cube as I only have an eglu but I will say I love my eglu . I won't ever have more than 5 chickens so an eglu suits me fine.

 

I suppose if you know you'll be expanding to 8 then it makes sense to go straight for the cube. You could then use your other henhouse for introductions etc .

[chick wiggle]

To be honest, if I knew then what i know now, i would have gone straight for a cube and WIR. If you cant have a WIR, a cube (I think) is easier to clean than an eglu and the run is more getinable (? ) than an eglu run.

I also have 11 girls sleeping in the cube so that really opens up your options for more girlies and if you last until next year before getting more then your a better woman than me

[Redwing]

I wouldnt have the cube unless I purchased lots of extensions or built a WIR

 

The cube has a good chook capacity but you need a big run to go with it!

[chick wiggle]

Yep, thats right and I wasted a lot of money on run extensions before building the WIR, thats why, if its possible, I would save my money and go straight for a WIR if its feasible.

[chicken bark]

Thanks for your advice.

 

I had thought about building a WIR but have this romantic/idyllic notion of rural life with chickens properly free-ranging. This I can't do as my neighbours with chickens have them in runs so they don't dig up the flower beds. I have quite a big patch of land available and thought I could keep moving them about in the net fencing so they never completely destroy one patch of grass. Is this unrealistic?

 

It all seems to be a juggling act of keeping neighbours, my OH, the chickens, the bank manager happy.

[chick wiggle]

Well, We started with a cube and run and 5 girls, then we got a wooden house and 6 more girls. We then got an extension to the cube run. We tried to move the cube and run around the garden so as not to completey destroy the grass didnt work .

 

So, eventually we built the WIR and put the cube and wooden house in it. The first night and all 11 girls slept in the cube and have done ever since.

Since then we have got an eglu and 5 bantams, all of which are in the WIR too. They all freerange nearly everyday too.

 

So, yes, you can move it about but it will still ruin your grass unless you put it on a permanent site and maybe pave it and cover the run, which a lot of people have done very succesfully.

[ISCA]

How about NOT getting a plastic hen house at all? "Blasphemy" some may cry!!!! But I like the look of wood, it has worked very well to house poultry for centuries and you can get some great wooden hens houses with runs (just avoid the cheap imported ones that are useless and will not last).

 

I am getting mine from http://www.woodenart.org.uk

 

The Cubes and Eglus do the job but I really do not like the runs that go with them. They are just too small I think. My hens will need more space as they will be alone in the daytime when I am at work. There are advatages to plastic hen houses I do admit, and if I were to have one I would go for a cube but with a large Wooden WIR.

 

Just my opinion but I am not even a hen keeper yet. Mine arrive in 2 weeks

 

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Tutti Frutti]

I'm happy with my 2 Eglus! I think I'd find the Cube too big and heavy for me to handle and I like the way I've been able to stack my 2 Eglus to maximise floorspace in my walk-in-run.

 

Also, I couldn't have afforded a Cube straight off - so bought one Eglu and then a cheap 2nd hand one 3 months later! I'm finding Eglus almost as addictive as chickens It's also more practical for me for quarantining and introduction of my new chooks

[chelsea]

I'm happy with my 2 Eglus! I think I'd find the Cube too big and heavy for me to handle and I like the way I've been able to stack my 2 Eglus to maximise floorspace in my walk-in-run.

 

 

I agree. I'd vote eglu too, even though I have the cube also - I love my

[Patricia W]

I started with an eglu. Bought a second pre-loved one. Then run extensions. Then bought a cube.. then a second cube came along...

 

I keep 5 in a cube without a run but behind Omlet fencing so they have loads of room. It is electrified - which is one of the two ways to keep foxes out ( the other is a WIR).

 

My 3 banties live in the other cube with a run and don't free range at all, but are perfectly happy in the run.

 

One eglu is about to house 3 ex-banties and the other is being loaned to a friend to get her started..

 

I find the cube easier to clean personally ( no bending down!). The other thing about the plastic houses is that they hold their value very well. But everyone makes their own choices.

 

Tricia

[Egluntyne]

I'm not much help. I have a cube in a WIR, and several Eglu s and runs, and I like them equally and for different reasons. If the free ranging option is not on for you, then I'd go for the cube and the wir. Go for the biggest you can afford/accommodate.

[chickyhazel]

We started with an eglu, 3 chickens, and no run extensions. We then got a run extension, and when a chicken died, got another run extension and 2 more chickens. We then inherited a chicken (chicken of fate!) so bought a secondhand cube and a run extension, put our 4 oldies in it and put our inherited chicken and a companion in the eglu. I love both the eglu and the cube and can't decide between them! I would definitely say plastic over wooden thouigh.

[chicken bark]

I agree from my limited experience plastic seems to be the best option.

 

I think I will just have to wait and see what comes up for sale second hand. I think I'll probably go for a cube - I'd love a but if a bargain eglu came up I may have to get that.

 

When my children are a bit older I could electrify the fence netting I have then I wouldn't have to worry about runs and extensions so much. That could be a long way off though as I'm nervous using electric fencing near children and cats.

 

I seem to go round in circles. I can truly say I hadn't expected chickens to be so exciting!

 

Louise

[Busybird]

I have a cube and an eglu - both with 4m omlet runs.

 

I can get into the cube run for cleaning so never move it. Yes I am bent over but I don't find that too awkward.

 

The eglu run is, of course, very low so the whole setup has to be moved for cleaning. This is easy enough to do but requires help (my 11 year old son is normally called upon).

 

I like having the two coops and would recommend plastic over wooden for ease of cleaning. If I had to choose one I would prefer the cube.

[Eggasperated]

Hi Chicken Bark, I have the solway eco hen house as well (also with three chickens), you're the only other person I've heard of with one

I had a few teething problems with mine - finding quite a few gaps where it fitted together but seemed to be under stress from the run wire. I don't know if the design has been modified but I did let them know about my concerns. My hens seem quite happy in it but hardly ever use the perch prefering to sleep on the floor - also my three hybrids look a bit lost in the house as it seems quite big.

 

I use 50m of electric fencing to give mine a large moveable area to free range in but I would love another house to enable introductions so I could increase my flock, however as I currently have a persistent feather plucker that will have to wait.

 

Look forward to hearing how you are getting on with your hens.

[chicken bark]

I am so pleased someone else has a solway house!

 

There are a couple of gaps but nothing that seems too worrying - I have seen pictures (can't remember where) and they had some gaps but I think the chickens will be glad of it in the summer for a bit of extra ventilation. Mine all sleep on the floor (although one did perch for the first time the night before last!). I also think I could fit about 10 more in there as they huddle up and take up about a foot of floor space between them.

 

My main criticisms of the house are that the door in the end of the run is too small and I find it a bit heavier to move than I expected - but then I have nothing to compare it with so all hen houses might be like that.

 

I have also decided to electrify the fence I have and just be extremely vigilant when the children are out. If I am near the hens then I can switch it off.

 

I feel as though I am heading towards the idyllic free ranging scenario I had hoped for.

[Eggasperated]

We've got a double length run on ours and it is very heavy to move, I have to give my OH a few days notice that I want to move it as he always moans so much .

[chicken bark]

Same here - and I've ordered another run extension so I think I will need my OH and my mother's help too when I come to move it

[Chicktastic]

I have a with 2 run extensions and to be honest I can move it on my own if I need to. Btw, I'm only 5ft tall so not exactly a body builder!!