Locking Bar Eglu Classic

[Isabel]

Idle curiousity really ... aside from the fact that I'm doing some sneaky research in anticipation of having to get a second henhouse soon!

 

Our house is the FlyteSoFancy Maggies on legs - brilliant. However, FSF delivery charges to N. Ireland are around £100 so it really adds up.

 

Can anyone recommend some websites which I can browse?

 

Thanks

 

Isabel

[Jools]

I don't know of any suppliers over there, but you may find that some of the bigger manufacturers (like Forsham) have stockists there.

 

Otherwise, maybe you could find someone near you who could build you something similar to the Flytes house you want ??

[midori]

The penny has just dropped...

 

This is my house, built by a local guy. He had quite a few different designs, some with onduline roofing, but I thought the tongue and groove was prettier. My husband says the house isn't pretty though, but the 'frankenstein' of henhouses!

 

(excuse the bedraggled, soaking wet hens. They do have shelter, but insist on staying out in the rain)

 

 

 

 

We paid £235 which included delivery, but we are fairly local to the guy. We did get a run too, which we don't really use except for shelter, as he kindly gave us some onduline cut offs which we use as 'roofing' for the run. One side of the roof opens for cleaning and the perches are removable. It has two nest boxes which are more than big enough for our cochin girl, they are bigger than most of the nest boxes we've seen, which is great as the cochin sleeps in them.

 

We also saw Willowtree Cottage at the show on Saturday and they are based in NI. Their houses were really nice and I have to admit maybe more professional looking than ours, their run is certainly much better, but for the price difference, although it's not that much, I'd choose ours every time. Plus, the chap who did our house was absolutely lovely and kept his own hens very, very well and rescues dogs, so I prefer giving him my money...

[Isabel]

Thanks Jools & Midori. Midori - you've twigged!

 

Your house looks fantastic Midori - a really good job. Don't know if you saw my other post on the Chickens board but Fudge is definitely a boy (he did a lot of baby-crowing this morning ) ... I put my hard-hearted hat on and said 'he goes back', DS wept and DH went soft! I'm not 100% convinced about keeping him - I need advice!

 

But, I am looking at houses, the Willowtree small house amongst others. I was worried about quality but your post has reassured me on that front - they will deliver here cos I spoke to them before I ordered our existing house. Have surprised myself by considering an Eglu Classic ... am tempted by the ease of cleaning - Pekin poops are teeeeny and just having to brush them off a pull-out tray each morning rather than painstakingly pick them out of the aubiose is sorely tempting. If we do keep Fudge, then I want to get 2 more Pekin-girls and I wonder would four be comfy in the Eglu? Then I like one of the smaller houses from FSF - so does DH. However, we do need a run and the shipping alone for the FSF house & run is about £169!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grrrr. Eglu & run shipping is about £15 which is amazing. Eglu might be too suburban for us though IYSWIM - the rustic look suits our house but the ease of moving the Eglu & run really appeals - esp if we keep it up in the garden closer to the house. I'm presuming the big girls and (potential) little girls can't all fr together with a bantam cockerel. Shoot, I don't even know if one can eat eggs from hens running with a cockerel

 

So, as you can see I'm going round in circles. And looking at spending another small fortune.

[Bertrum]

Eglu might be too suburban for us though IYSWIM - the rustic look suits our house but the ease of moving the Eglu & run really appeals

 

Have a look at our set up. I like to think it manages to fit in with the cottagey style.

[Isabel]

Sure does Bertram ... that is such a neat job. How is it going a few weeks in?

[Bertrum]

Thanks Isabel. I'm proud of it.

 

After a few weeks it all still looks rather nice. The hens love the wood chip and seem to get most of their food from insects in the run . They have not (yet) attacked the plants near by. We keep them in check by offering a meal worm when ever they look threateningly at something ornamental

I've no experience of a wooden house, but I certainly find the Eglu to be so easy to maintain and clean that I don't think I'd like to swap.