Cinnamon Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I think different people do different things,. I leave it open all night when its nice & warm (it was open all last summer),& in winter I leave it open about 2 inches,so they can let themselves out in the morning. We are going away in a couple of weekends time, & for those few days the Eglu doors will be left open, & I don't think that will be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I leave the Eglu door slightly open (as long as there is a little gap where the daylight can get in my Chickens know they can get out) from March until November. The Chickens push the door open themselves in the morning, saves me from getting up early to let them out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratugwell Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share Posted March 20, 2007 Thanks everyone for their help and advice. Definitely decided to go ahead with the Eglu now and chickens are being collected on 2nd April. I'm so excited as they are my birthday present!!!!!!!!! On the more practical side, have purchased various cleaning equipment to keep chicken stuff separate from other stuff, but is it ok to disinfect all the areas with ordinary household Dettol (I bought the clear, no taint, no smell stuff)?????????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I tend to use warm soapy water with a few drops of tea tree oil. Just beware of any cleaners that go cloudy in water as they're toxic to most animals. I use Stalosan F powder to keep it all fresh, you can get this from Terry Beebe at Regency Poultry. He does a trial size shaker and a bigger tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Congratulations on your Eglu purchase What colour did you go for? How many Chickens are you having? I use washing up liquid (Ecover) and a couple of drops of Tea Tree oil to clean the Eglu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 We leave all of our Eglus open all night, all year round. ....and we clean ours with a jetwash and either tea tree/ecover washing up liqhid or I use a drop of Jeyes fluid and rinse it away well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveypup Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 (edited) Thanks for the tip and yes it is Millers. Only spoke to a man there - can you remember your lady's name so that I can say "I've been referred"!!!! Sorry not sure of her name but she had blonde hair Do you know what they have in at the moment because we are going to get another two - I fancy a Speckledy and another Gingernut Ranger, because Clucky was so adorable. Saying that though when we last went she had some Black rocks that were mainly brown with black instead of mainly black with brown like our Hilda, kind of a Yin and Yang effect! Hilda lays huge eggs so who knows what I may get. Edited March 20, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SillyClucker Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Sorry to sound like a heating engineer but thats cos i am SO DO YOU LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN ALL NIGHT ONCE THEY ARE BACK INSIDE? yes i do, if the forcast looks like it is going to drop well below freezing and the wind is blowing then i close the door but leave it ajar. As a matter of interest do any of your chooks go into the EGlu for anything other than laying or sleeping. Our chooks would rather be out even if it is freezing and blowing a hooley, they never think of getting out of the cold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 No probelms with the eglu at all, the double insulation allows a cooler house in summer and warmer one in winter. I know where I would rather live. Each to their own BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 You wont regret getting an eglu. SO easy to clean, just a blast with the hose and its fab. We use some soapy water with ecover washing up liquid in to clean the eglu. I bought a spare set of roosting bars from omlet (under £7) so that I can rotate the bars once I have cleaned them. I have had no problems with my eglu, I do cover mine in winter with a king size duvet (which my sister was throwing out) because im a softie and in my head I keep thinking they are cold - which they are clearly not !! We go away in our caravan for a couple of nights sometimes and I leave the door open then no matter what the weather is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I have put a snugglesafe in the eglu for my girls in the winter as well as 2 blankets over the top at night yeah, and I took the mick out of you about it on Saturday! xx I know, i know! I have pampered poultry!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Steed Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 The thing is the Eglu is very well ventilated. There are ventilation holes designed in as well as significant gaps around the poo tray. Also i never close the door. This means that in summer, due to the high air change rate caused by infiltration through the designed and non designed ventilation holes, the Eglu will stay close to ambient temperature during the nighttime. However if the eglu is in the sun and there are 'still' air conditions the temperature could rise well above ambient. So in the summer during the day they will be better off outside in the shade in a breeze preferably. In winter, the adequate ventilation is a detriment to keeping warmth in the eglu. The heat loss due to ventilation will make the heat insulating properties of the double skin relatively insignicant especially if you leave the door open like i do. but my attitude is that although domesticated, our chooks can cope with the general weather conditions that we get in UK. CRIKEY IT'S GOOD< GET ONE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratugwell Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hi everyone - it's me again with my questions!!!!!! Much obliged to everyone who's contributed so far - it has really made my mind up to get the Eglu now I've heard everyone's comments. Can anyone help with the following: my girls will be in the run during the day and out for about 3 hours each evening + weekends when I'm at home. Do you think this will be sufficient? In addition, does anyone go round the garden cleaning up after them. Have a 3 year old daughter so don't particularly want her rolling around the lawn covered in chicken poo, but just wondered if it's really necessary to follow them round cleaning up so to speak!!!! Also thinking of making a bark chipping area in the near future to keep them on, instead of the lawn. Does anyone else do this? Lastly, wood shavings or shredded paper for nesting box? If wood shavings, is there a particular sort I need to buy or can I just go to the local saw mill and ask for a bag????? MUCH OBLIGED. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hi Debra, they'd be fine in the run fulltime if necessary, so long as you give them some greens. Mine are freeranging all day and go back in the run before it gets dark, the eglu and run stay in one place and I use Aubiose/Hemcore in the run, poo tray and nest box as it's far less damp and smelly than bark or woodchip. Don't worry about the questions, I asked loads too That's how you learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaps Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Two slightly negative points - but only slightly - we are very fond of or chickens and eglu and it must be the easiest possible way of keeping them. I found that leaving the bits in the sun to dry after cleaning caused a abit of warping in the actual arky bit so that the steel rod that holds it in place was a devil to reinsert. But the warping did right itself over time. And I would definitely blame myself for leaving it in hot sun for too long. Secondly, some chickens produce an extraordinary amount of poo. Our first two were Isa Browns and had the run of the entire garden. I was constantly cleaning up after them because our (then) puppy couldn't get enough of chicken poo. We have fenced off part of our garden because of this and because of occasional child visitors (our children are grown up and don't count but I would have been concerned had they been three or so) and they have their own area. Our current two are Light Sussexes and produce a harder, larger poo and not so many, rather than the smaller sloppier more frequent ones.of the Isa Browns. (I know how everyone loves poo so I won't hold back.) I clean up their patch regularly and put it in the compost otherwise I think it might get a bit - well, pooey. I know it sounds a bit frivolous but if I were in your position I would try and find out the pooing habits of different chickens and go for ones which produce firmer, less frequent poos - they are easier to clean up without doubt. Believe it or not I am not obsessed with poo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Get bantams - tiny poos and they don't wreck the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hello Debra My two are in the run all day until I get home from work at 3pm, then they get let out until bedtime. They obviously get longer out at the weekends. I dont have a lawn - just concrete and decking so I do have to go round cleaning up after them but it only takes a couple of minutes and a bit of kitchen roll. I use Aubiose in the run and also in the nest box and poo tray - it's brilliant stuff (the cat also gets it in her litter tray) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 My dog used to eat all the 'free-range poos' Do you have a dog, Debra? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratugwell Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 My dog used to eat all the 'free-range poos' Do you have a dog, Debra? No - two cats so don't think they would be awfully interested in the poo aspect of the chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 No, I must admit, the cats have never shown any interest in poo eating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 I don't bother to clean up the chicken poo as it disappears in the rain quite quickly. We all wear our mucky clothes in the garden just to be on the safe side. With a three year old though you may want to think about designating an area just for the chickens, perhaps using some Omlet netting. We are building a big run for our 6 chooks so that they have more room when i'm not in and also to save the garden in winter from turning into a bog The floor of the run will be woodchip bought from B&Q, we used to use bark but that tends to get really soggy. In the nest box i use shredded paper; newspaper, bills and telephone directories which are particularly soft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 you are asking all the questions I wanted answers to before I started! I worried about keeping them in the run, because I am out of the house 7.15-6.00 every day, and sometimes longer. I've only had mine six weeks or so, but they seem to be fit and well and entirely happy, and they are both laying which suggests they are ok! I emailed Barbara about this very question (months before joining the forum) and she said that keeping them in the run full-time is fine. of course they love to free range when they can, which is ONLY when I am home and going in and out of the garden - if I go for a shower, they are back in the run because I don't trust foxes. When the clocks go forward this weekend, I'll be able to let them freerange for an hour or so in the evenings. I am thinking about a run converter/extension, but only because I am now tempted to get three .... This site should come with a health warning, chickens are addictive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratugwell Posted March 21, 2007 Author Share Posted March 21, 2007 you are asking all the questions I wanted answers to before I started! I worried about keeping them in the run, because I am out of the house 7.15-6.00 every day, and sometimes longer. I've only had mine six weeks or so, but they seem to be fit and well and entirely happy, and they are both laying which suggests they are ok! I emailed Barbara about this very question (months before joining the forum) and she said that keeping them in the run full-time is fine.of course they love to free range when they can, which is ONLY when I am home and going in and out of the garden - if I go for a shower, they are back in the run because I don't trust foxes. When the clocks go forward this weekend, I'll be able to let them freerange for an hour or so in the evenings. I am thinking about a run converter/extension, but only because I am now tempted to get three .... This site should come with a health warning, chickens are addictive! THANKS FOR THAT. My eglu should be arriving this week with chickens coming 2nd April. Regarding the run extender, do you know if you have to buy both the converter then the extra piece of run i.e. £94 or do you just need one of these items? How much longer does it then make the run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 The converter adds an extra metre onto the length of the run, you can use that on its own, or add an extension too, which will add 2 metres. The converter evens out the slope on the end of the existing run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Good luck with keeping hens! I love all mine to bits and I'm sure you will too. Before I got my eglu-after months of saving via the recycled hens on my website! I had a wooden coop, and I have to agree that eglus are so much better, no offence to my Dad who helped make the coop with. However eglus are fab and the plastic will never seize up like wood does in the rain, like the coop used to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
