2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Mercedes55]

I am very new to keeping hens, in fact we don't even have ours yet, but we are picking up 3 ex batts on Saturday.

 

My question really is how can I get them to go into the Eglu? I know they are going to be in a distressed state when I get them due to the awful life they have had and apparently they will need to be put straight into the coop and not left in the run unless the weather is very hot. So short of actually trying to get into the run myself, which I'm sure I could do, but don't know if I would be able to get out again, I'm not sure what to do.

 

My other half has suggested putting them in through the egg box door, which does make sense, but not sure if it would confuse them. I would love to know how other Eglu owners have tackled this

[midori]

I haven't got an Eglu, so not sure I can be of much help, but if they would fit in the egg box door, then I don't think it would confuse them. Or is there any way of putting them in the normal door then re-attaching the run afterwards?

 

You must be excited about your upcoming additions.

[kinsk]

When I got mine I posted them in through the eggbox door/hatch . This was back in February though so by the time I'd got them home it was already going dark. The next morning I opened the door and left them for a bit, after an hour of showing no sign of working things out a bit of gentle persuasion convinced them to go into the run, that night and every night after they put themselves to bed.

 

It's a learning curve for them as well as you but it'll all work out.

 

Good luck, hope you get as much enjoyment out of them as we have with ours

[Mercedes55]

Thank you for the replies. I shall try putting them in through the egg door and see how it goes. Having set the Eglu up it does make you wonder why they didn't put another door at the side of the run so that it's easy to just put them into the door of the coop. I can see us taking the run down and building a proper big one that is easy to access

[miss_spent]

The Eglu Go has one large door at the back to collect eggs from and get chickens in and out of

[Mercedes55]

I bought the Classic Eglu as you can buy the run extension to that, otherwise I would have bought the Go Eglu too. Mind you as I said in my earlier post the run isn't huge when you see how big chickens can be. As someone who has never had chickens before I had wrongly assumed they were the size of a pigeon. It was only when we went to a farm on Sunday to buy some chicken food that we had a look at the ex batt hens they have there and I was quite surprised at how big the hens were

 

Our garden is about 60ft long by 32ft wide, so I'm sure we have enough space to build our own run once we get used to having chickens and in the meantime I'm sure they will be okay in the run that we have, it has to be better than what they have had up to now

[Pharaoh]

Collecting 4 x ex-bats on Monday night, probably nearer 9pm by the time we get home. It seems they should be put straight into the Eglu but I wondered if they would be thirsty after travelling and should go into the run first? But then how to get them into the Eglu? Any advice appreciated.

[kfc]

We had 3 young hens around 15 months ago, they were happy on their first day just mooching around in the eglu run. At dusk they didn't want to go to bed, so we tried the torch trick and shone a torch against the back of the Eglu, they were attracted by the light and it worked a treat!

 

Good luck with your new ladies

[Forge Cottage]

Do not open the travel box in the house, as they will shoot out like wet soap. If it has been a long time since they drank, or a long journey, they should have some access to water. Otherwise they should be put straight from the travel box into the House together, through the egg door, and be shut in there until lunchtime the next day. This helps them imprint each other and their new house and they will be more likely to go to bed automatically. Sometimes they may need coaxing with the torch trick, but ours were fine after a few days. Gertie is our Zebedee and when she says Time for Bed, they troop in after her.

[Mercedes55]

I've never heard of the torch trick but it sounds a good idea. I keep looking at the weather forecast for the weekend and it looks like it's going to be hot. I have no idea what happens when they rescue the hens, don't even know if they will have already been fed and watered before they are taken off the farms, but I am guessing most likely not considering how they are kept the rest of the time.

 

I've pretty much got all my things bought, I think! One thing however that I am a bit concerned about is getting the ex batts to eat and drink when we get them home if they are hungry or thirsty. I am assuming that the Eglu glugs would be too unfamiliar for them at first.

 

I was going to get a couple of heavy dog bowls and put them in the run with food and water but not sure if they will know what they are

[Pharaoh]

Hello Mercedes,

Like me you are wondering whether the ex-batts will be thirsty and/or hungry. I don't think we can put any water or food into the eglu itself or the box they will travel in so what can we do? Some-one mentioned leaving them in the eglu until lunchtime the next day but that seems an age without any water.

Good luck with your collection on Saturday. Mine is on Monday night.

[Mercedes55]

Hi Pharaoh, it's quite a worry with the ex batts isn't it. The more I read about the condition they will be in when they are picked up the more I worry. I read somewhere, can't recall if it was on here or not, that the farmers don't even feed them on the day they sell them, so they are going to be hungry I guess.

 

LIke you rightly say there is no room in the Eglu itself for food or water, so I think I am going to put them in the run and try to get them to eat and drink before it gets dark and then maybe use that torch method to get them into the Eglu for the night.

 

I think it might be hard to get them to eat and drink anyway at first as they will be used to the trays of food on the farms, so I will get some bowls and put them in the run as I doubt they would eat or drink from the Glugs until they are more settled.

 

I don't know how you feel but I am excited and worried about it all at the same time