furball Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 As kindly suggested by cheaky chuck i have started a new thread as well as asking this question on the morehens thread. I would love to add 2 more hens to my flock. Hybrids so i have eggs in winter, hopefully. I have an 80 sq ft run. The run is along the side of the house that is overhung by trees so is very shaded almost woodland like. I was considering another eglu if funds allow but some of the posts i have read say the girls almost all sleep in one eglu , ignoring the other eglu, I Just don't want to waste money on something that may not get used. I have read that the main problem could be egg laying but that can be overcome by providing another nest box like a cat box so the girls don't have to cross their legs. It is north facing so shouldn't overheat in summer and i leave the eglu door open all the time as it is. Thankyou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Not too sure what your run is in metres as ft are not my unit of measure. However, 6 girls in one Eglu seems tight to me, why not get a cube? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I have 5 in my . It does look a bit full in there though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Thankyou, funnily enough someone on the morehens thread mentioned a cube I will have to think seriously as the cube can only be in the run and not outside butted against it. I should have plenty of room though as 80sq ft is over 25 sq metres. I didn't want to get more than 6 girls though, i know if i get a cube it will lead to more. Not sure if i can persuade OH that the extra outlay is worth it for 2 more hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Thankyou Percy, and you have a bluebell Please can i ask how large is your run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 She lays just about every day! (about 6 a week). We don't have a run; we let our chickens free range all the time (in 16 years of our house's history, we've never seen a fox). Our gardens about 2400sq ft according to my dad. We do have a WIR, but we only shut them in their occaisionally (when we're doing lawn mowing etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I would say 6 in an eglu is a couple too many. A cube would definately be more comfortable, and if it's in the run, the girls can get underneath to use the space there. I think cramming too many into an eglu kind of defeats the object, really. Just my opinion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Thankyou Barkisland, i see what you mean about the cube in the run as my eglu is raised and they get all the floor space available. My worry was sliding the cube lid back, at the moment i have the eglu at the end of the run on a platform and just swivel it to clean it. I would just have to rethink the positioning, must admit that i am a little scared of the cube and very attached to the eglu classic design. Might have to put my morehens on hold (is that possible) or start searching for a second hand cube (if funds and OH allow) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 The cube is definately better than the classic, I have both and love my cube and like my classic. Get a cube they are fab! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Thankyou chuckmum but i don't think OH will go for a cube, i am pricing up the difference between another bargain eglu and selling my eglu and putting funds towards a cube. It's not looking good though as my eglu doesn't come with run and extras. Got a couple of things on watch on fleabay so will see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I have both too. I use my Eglu for intro's and as a sick bay if I have a poorly or bullied hen, and if it is not being used for any of those reasons, I leave it open as a second nestbox for busy periods! The Cube is generally where they all roost together. You'll have to work on him furball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Lol will do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I've had five in a Classic quite comfortably. Perhaps not ideal but I think six would probably all want to squish in together, even if you had two Eglus. There might be a queue for the nesting box, but you could get a rollaway one and put it underneath? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Thankyou Olly, this is what i thought, i was worried about introducing 1 chicken and thought it would be easier introducing 2, but not sure if i should risk introducing 2 now due to the squash factor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I have six and one eglu but they all sleep outdoors (in the WIR) . No problems with the nestbox as only 3 are laying. I have had 5 sleeping happily in one eglu before now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Thankyou ANH, all my girls sleep in the eglu, but i did look in the coop when they were all asleep and was suprised at how much room there looked to be, this is what started my morehens. Shouldn't have looked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
