Chicken bald back

[Kirstie]

Hi,

I was just wanting some advice on what to do with my cube.

 

It flipped over back in November (I think it was back then) and the roof had fallen off - we put it back on but since the cube has been very leaky. I line the nesting box and trays with newspaper and then put straw on top in the nesting box and whilst the straw doesnt feel wet the newspaper is sodden and if I didn't then change the newspaper and straw I think that would eventually get wet too - not nice for the girls to have to sit and lay on wet straw. But seeing as we live in Cornwall, quite a wet place, it's going to get very tedious and possibly expensive having to change the bedding every time it rains!

 

I have looked at the lid and don't know how to get it to fit any better - I do think it's more wobbly, so am guessing that's why it leaks but seem unable to fix it. Apart from covering the cube house with a tarpaulin I don't have any other ideas that don't involve spending a shed load of money (ie building a covered large run, buying a new cube!) but then I'm concerned that I'd have to cover a significant part of the house as I have no idea where the leaks are that it would cover the ventilation holes, or that it would cause the house to flip again(something I'm quite cross about anyway - esp as I had set my cube up as omlet tells you too!! Anyway that's another story )

 

Any ideas please

 

Kirstie

[chuckmum6]

Wow a cube flipping, it must have taken very strong winds! My cube is also leaking somewhere into the egg port again, this is after I fitted the extreme weather kit given to me by Omlrt. I did ask for replacement rubbers for the drainage points either side, but was sent the kit mentioned, I was happy to fix it as it is an improvement, but not what I needed. The rubber channels perish easily and some how water get in, I have had replacements before and they worked, but they are very hard to fit. I think I am going to cover the roof again with a cover as I am fed up with the wet nest box as are my girls!

[Mercedes55]

Silly question I know, but are you sure it's leaking? We also have a Cube and it's in a WIR and the roof and sides never get wet. However when I used to put newspaper in the bottom of the nest it was always soaking wet after a few days. In the end we stopped using paper in it and just use Rapport and it's a lot better. We just assumed that as our 4 ex batts are sleeping in the nest that it's either moisture from them being so snuggled up all night or from them using the nest as a loo all night

[Kirstie]

Hi,

 

I'd love to say the winds were really strong but they weren't that bad - we have had worse!

 

I'm not 100% sure it is rain getting in but it seems to be worse when it rains - also I cleaned their house out 2 days ago and I know one lady sleeps in the nesting box whilst the other two sleep in the main bit, so don't think one chicken could make it that wet - plus we didn't seem to have this problem before it flipped.

 

They are in a quite exposed area compared to a normal garden with fence - they are in our field up against the hedge - so sheltered slightly. Under the trays gets a big pool of water too - so it is everywhere.

 

Yesterday one of my girls got bitten by my dog and had to have 3 staples so this is why I'm now extra concerned about her getting damp when she is trying to recover!

 

Did you ask omlet directly for something to fix the leaking or was it something on their shop pages you bought?

 

I didn't think I'd be having these issues after spending £600+ on a chicken house!!!

just really wan to sort it though x

[Egluntyne]

I'd give Omlet a call to discuss it. You may have not quite replaced the roof correctly.

[OllieNLucys Mum]

Despite moving my cube very carefully in the summer I was annoyed to find it had started leaking. I considered taking the whole thing to pieces and reassembling but never got round to it so don't even know if it's possible.

 

Thankfully mine is only a small leak in the corner near the door and drains under the roosting bars and then gets tipped out in the tray in the morning. When the weather is severe I chuck an old horse rug on top and that keeps them dry and snug. it doesn't look very scenic though

[Redwing]

If its only happened since it flipped over then I'd say the roof needs adjusting - as Egluntyne says you may not have replaced it quite correctly

[The Dogmother]

It could also have knocked the other joints out of alignment. As you will know if you built it yourself, all the panels attach with brackets, which have a certain amount of tolerance in them so that they can be adjusted for a snug fit. I'd advise that you have a good look at these and alter if necessary, then replace to roof panel.

 

My roof panel is easy to mis-fit and you need to get your head inside to check that it is actually on the runners.

 

As Mercedes55 has said, I never use newspaper in the housing; it wicks wetness towards it and ends up a soggy mess. A light covering of Aubiose or another other hemp/woodchip bedding will suffice.

[Plum]

I'd also check the ground it's resting on and make sure its not tipping forward slightly. I had a bit of water draining in but resolved it with a slither of wood under the front rests - blinkin builders not making concrete level

[Valkyrie]

I've snipped away the rubber bit along the channel as it sticks up and any water goes straight into the nest box. I discovered this by squirting diatom around inside and that made a thin film of dust on the walls. Very easy to spot the drips running down. Hopefully this will have worked looking at the rubbish weather outside at the moment.

[Dodge]

About 2 years ago I was having problems with my cube leaking, I tried various fixes but to no avail. So I bought a nice big clear tarp and strapped it over the cube and run and my girls have been bone dry ever since

I was not happy after paying a lot of money to find that the cube had a basic design fault/quality control issues that Omlet have STILL not sorted out.

I think that Omlet have got to accept that the weather in this country has been getting progressively worse and worse and they need to overhaul their designs to ensure a guaranteed 100% waterproof solution to their products……

[Kirstie]

Thank you all for your responses. When the weather gets warmer and sunnier I will have a good go and sorting the roof but I think until then I will buy a tarp big enough to cover it.

I agree that omlet aren't really thinking about the weather in this country and equally not all of us with an omlet house have our houses in enclosed gardens - some of us have them in fields and if this isn't suitable for omlets housing they should make it clear - only for shelter gardens!

 

Sometime this year I hope to get the girls under proper cover and make a covered enclosure for them - when I have the money though x

[chuckmum6]

I'm fed up with the girls next box getting wet, the whole cube is now under a clear tarp, just a pain to have to lift to get to the egg port but at least it's dry! I have unscrewed and readdress, fitted the ext ream weather kit to no avail and it is totally level arrggghhh!!!!!!

[Angie]

So sorry your cube flipped and has given grief all winter.

I have a cube and it has been just fab....but in a garden.

When i think of the cost of my WIR for just three hundred more i could of had a very nice wooden coop built for the WIR. And still had chage from the amount a cube and metre run costs.

My choice of the cube was purley as i have arthritis and it saves me alot of bending and is so much easier for me to clean. Omlet have been excellant in supplying extras for my needs .

I hope they have kept track of this thread and are studying the cube in more open aspects of fields or large gardens putting it under extreme conditions to test for future modifications or improved design.