Eglu Go Up (with 2m run) - South Wales

[auntielizzie]

I had ordered a walk-in wooden house and run, but there has been a delay with the supplier so I am still waiting. In the meanwhile my two girls have been living in a small house/run which is on loan. Being new to the forum I have had a good look around it and have discovered the Cube! Now I am wondering whether to cancel my wooden house and run and go for a Cube and run? They look very good and I like the idea of being easy to clean and no problems with red mite burrowing in. Also they look easily movable although I did want a WIR which the basic Cube doesn't have and I can't afford the WIR that you can get.

 

Anyway, I am waffing; I would appreciate advice whether I should go for a Cube or not while I have the chance? Do you have a Cube and would recommend it?

[no1smiles2000]

hey!

 

If i were you i'd go for the cube, but with a wooden walk in run

 

I am currently building a wir to go with my cube.

 

the cube is so easy & more hygenic in my opinion to a wooden one as you can really wash it etc & i would have thought the plastic would last longer? althouhgh obviously its more expensive.

 

Are you only going to have two chicks? if so maybe a go would be more sizeable? & cheaper?

 

Katie

[Sammiboo]

I've had my cube for 5 weeks now and totally love it! There has been comments about the ladder and hens struggling with it but all mine have had no Problem at all. A few people on here who have kept hens for years in wooden coops have gone to a cube and haven't looked back. It is easy to clean, move and get access inside the cube if required.

My thread here I posted when I had not long had the cube. Includes pictures of building it!

We did look at wooden houses but the cube meets all our needs and I love owning one and the girls are very happy chooks!

 

Please keep us updated on what you decide

[auntielizzie]

I only have two chickens - at the moment! Betty and Bessie arrived on Tuesday so I want to see how I get on with two to begin with. I have the idea that I may go up to a maximum of six but want to see how I go. I would rather have a bigger house than I need now even if I don't get any more chooks.

[Chicken shack]

I have 5 in a cube with 2 extra runs. (See signature) I would not like to put any more in there. Why not buy the cube with just the single run than save up and add the WIR at a later date. I would love to have the WIR. I only purchased my set up last year and had I known Omlet was introducing the WIR I would have a single run and save up. Hope this helps, good luck.

[auntielizzie]

I have 5 in a cube with 2 extra runs. (See signature) I would not like to put any more in there. Why not buy the cube with just the single run than save up and add the WIR at a later date. I would love to have the WIR. I only purchased my set up last year and had I known Omlet was introducing the WIR I would have a single run and save up. Hope this helps, good luck.

 

I have had a look at your lovely photos - I am very envious. Your cube looks good - how big is your run? If you have two extra runs, does that make it 4m - you get 2m with the Cube - only on your photo it look quite small (or was the photo taken before you had extra runs on it?)

[Redwing]

A really decent wooden coop with run is not a bad choice

 

Do you have a link to the sort of thing you have ordered?

 

If its well made a well designed you should be ok

[auntielizzie]

No I don't have a link, but its a Cool Pets one with the house at the rear which is raised off the ground thereby giving extra room for the chickens to run around.

 

The size is 2790x1850x1890mm. I think it might be a new design as its not on their web site.

 

The run is walk in and has a roosting bar across one of the corners as well. It seems very heavy and well-made although my husband has pointed out that the wire mesh doesn't appear as heavy duty as on the smaller runs (I have the idea that I will probably add some extra mesh of some sort around the bottom half to be on the safe side). I would probably also put some wire underneath the front back and sides to make a dig-proof skirt.

 

So, pros of Cube seem to be easy to clean, red mite proof and very strong wire with a built in skirt.

Cons seem to be that it is expensive and the run is not walk in.

 

Oh, choices choices.

[scarlettohara]

Hello Liz, glad you have joined the forum. Let us know what you decide and where are of the pictures of your girls - they are obligatory on here you know

 

Sara x

[Redwing]

When shopping for a wooden coop look for one made in the UK, min 9mm tongue and groove boards (thicker if poss) a large access door for easy cleaning, a sheet solid or pull out floor for easy cleaning, vents at eaves level, wooden or Onduline roof (as opposed to felt) pressure treated or treated with a wood preserver and removable perches

 

Cubes are not red mite proof - the worst outbreak I have had was in an Eglu, there are still places for mites to hide in a cube and if you get complacent they can take over. The plus points of a cube is that its easier to get rid of the mites

 

A wooden house well maintained and regularly cleaned and treated is no worse or better than a cube

 

I have wooden and plastic coops - I like them all, the thing they all have in common is they are well designed

[Lorax]

I have had a Cube since September, but I've never had anything else so can't really compare. It's really easy to clean but as has been said, not red mite proof. But if you do get them it's easier to deal with them.

 

We live in a modern house and well, the Cube just fitted in with our aethestic.

 

The fact that it's moveable is a plus, but in reality, IMO, you don't move it half as much as you think you will, spesh with extra runs attached. And of course if it goes into a WIR you'll move it hardly at all, if ever. I had this wonderful idea that we'd move our Cube and run around the garden every week. Ha! That has not happened, but our chooks, for the moment at least, free range (we are now going to get a WIR, which is what so many people seem to end up doing, I guess for good reason...).

 

Omlet products seem to hold their value so we looked at it that if we didn't get on with it, we could sell it relatively, we hoped, easily.

 

We ummed and ahhed so much, but our dilemma was never between a wooden or a plastic house, but between the Classic or the Cube. We have 4 chooks by the way and aim to get two more.

 

Good luck!

[Gertie]

Hi

 

I have to say a cube. I bought a CHEAP wooden house with run. I emphasise the cheap because it was not a good quality one. It was fine in the summer but come autumn it leaked and had mites in which I found hard to get rid of. Thankfully I had my cube on order. I've had it since October and it went through the terrible cold winter brilliantly. It's easy to clean. The hens are very happy. Although it might seem expensive, when i added up what i spent on the other coop and all manner of other things, I wish I bought the cube first! I'm saving now for the omlet walk in run!!

[Chicken shack]

I have 5 in a cube with 2 extra runs. (See signature) I would not like to put any more in there. Why not buy the cube with just the single run than save up and add the WIR at a later date. I would love to have the WIR. I only purchased my set up last year and had I known Omlet was introducing the WIR I would have a single run and save up. Hope this helps, good luck.

 

I have had a look at your lovely photos - I am very envious. Your cube looks good - how big is your run? If you have two extra runs, does that make it 4m - you get 2m with the Cube - only on your photo it look quite small (or was the photo taken before you had extra runs on it?)

 

The picture shows my cube with the standard 2 mtr run they (Omlet class the mtre under the cube as the 1st mtre pluss an extra metre as seen in the picture thus making 3 mtres in total. I have since bought an extra mtre as they were on special before Christmas. So it is now a 4 mtre run although this can't been seen very clearly in the snow images. Hope all this makes sense

Like I said I would not be happy even with 4 mtres with more that 6 in there. I do allow mine to free range when I can. Essentially I now have a floor area 4 mtrs by 1 mtre. I also have perches. I would till like the Omlet WIR.

[Luvachicken]

I agree that the cube is easy to clean, especially compared to my wooden rabbit house.

I just wash it all up in a big trug and leave it to dry in the garden.

Over the winter though and with a new job, getting it dry in time was a bit of a problem so I bought an extra set of roosting bars. These have been invaluable.

Then I was given some Christmas money and used it to buy an extra metre of run giving 3 metres in total.

I had the cube for my birthday 2 years ago and I love it.