What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[Chicken deficient]

...just wondering...have any of you lucky people that have an Eglu AND a Cube, let your chickens decide which they would rather sleep in?

I understand that some chickens prefer to go up to roost at night.

 

Also, is there a minimum number of hens recommended for a Cube, so that they are snug enough at night?

 

Still desperately trying to convince the other half that we really do need to get some hens in the very near future...I think I'm getting broody!

[Snowy]

Sorry I don't have an eglu and cube

And I don't think you need a minimum number of chickens, 2 will snuggle up just as happily as more, plus the eglu/cube is well insulated and they are quite hardy birds anyway.

But I would say go for the biggest you can afford. Even if you only get 2 chickens - they are addictive and you WILL want more in the future!!

[Egluntyne]

I would say go for the biggest you can afford. Even if you only get 2 chickens - they are addictive and you WILL want more in the future!!

 

I agree Snowy....I had to buy a second Eglu If I was starting out now I'd go for the cube.

 

You can never have enough chickens or handbags.

[Chicken deficient]

I really like the cube too. I think the upstairs - downstairs thing is the way to go.

However, I'm slowly getting somewhere with convincing the OH that two or three little bantams would be great...I'm worried he might just smell a rat if I order a nice big roomy cube...

 

Any advice on converting the reluctant over to the feathery side?

[Jaime]

I really like the cube too. I think the upstairs - downstairs thing is the way to go.

 

I was in Northampton with work last week.... it's definitely the sort of place that needs more Eglus and Cubes.

 

Actually the countryside is very pretty and the bit of Northampton that I saw was very nice.

[AnnieP]

I have both, and currently only one set of chickens, and they prefer the .... Eglu... but I guess that's through habit rather than sound reasoning on the chickens' part.

 

 

 

 

 

Mind you, yellow IS best....

 

It is lovely seeing them able to really stretch up high and flap wings extravagantly when they are in the cube, soemthing they didn't quite do so much when in the Eglu....

[urbanchick]

Hi there

I am new to chickens and waiting for delivery of my cube. I had the same dilema as you about whether to get an eglu or cube, as I only want 2 chickens. I thought so hard about it and decided on the cube, as I think it looks great, the proportions are more appealing and I liked the fact that the chickens can go underneath the house when they need some shade. Also I can put some perching things in the run and the cube has the height for this. And after asking on the forum just about everyone said get a cube. Although I have to say my plan for 2 chickens then changed to 3 as I thought "why not?". But if you decide to upgrade later, eglus have excellent second hand value on ebay.

[Gallina]

Chickens are very conservative and if left to choose would stay with the Eglu.

 

But if you force them to stay in the Cube, they grow to love it very quickly, and are very much more perky, as there is so much scope to jump about: they are up and down the ladder with excitement all the time. The only problem is that because of their conservatism they go under the Cube in the open to sleep at first, and you have to train them to go upstairs to bed (it took me three nights).

 

My Cochin, however (the only chicken -- I think -- that cannot fly) is still protesting that there is no Hennah stair-lift for her. Four chickens dive out of the Cube every morning, and she stands on the edge like someone scared to go into a freezing swimming pool. Eventually she flaps down with a huge amount of noise and the others dive out of the way. But it is good for her: she needs to lose some weight.

 

I love having both the Eglu and Cube. I have my two new babies who are very very small in the Eglu at the moment, and my two old babies (who grew up tremendously fast when isolated for a week in the Eglu with nothing to do but eat) in with their elders. It's great having an isolation wing for young, sick, or elderly hens.

[Jill]

I have an eglu but am getting a cube because:

 

1. The chickens will get more room, especially when I am out and they have to stay shut in so I won't feel so guilty.

 

2. It is off the ground and therefore much easier to clean out.

 

3. It looks great.

 

4. It means I can get more chickens - yes everyone does seem to end up getting more

 

Saying that having both should be great as I can put the old girls into the cube and the newbies can go in the eglu to begin with until they get used to each other. I had thought of selling my eglu but have decided to keep it for emergencies, sickness etc. Also it is yellow and yellow is best. Have had to make do with a purple cube!

 

Chickens rule! You will love having them.

[urbanchick]

With regards to converting reluctant partners (usually male) to the delights of keeping chickens, I am in the same position. Mine has declared he is sitting on the fence and not going to budge.

 

I have explained to him that it will stop me spending so much time on the internet when I'm at home. I pointed out that it's no different to keeping a couple of guinea pigs in the garden (but he said he wouldn't want guinea pigs either). And of course the children will benefit. We did have a bird flu argument , which I think I won, but I have had to agree to discuss euthanasia if there's an outbreak in the immediate area. I've just played my trump card, which is asking him to help me set up a hencam when they arrive, as he is an IT expert and loves a gadget challenge . I'm getting there.

[Aunty e]

I now have 13 in my cube, 5 bantams, 5 hybrids and 3 pure breeds. And there's still SO much room, not helped by all the pekins insisting on sleeping in the nesting box together. Mine love jumping up and down the ladder, and they like flying from the branches I have in the run, to the door and back. Kitty has terrible scaly leg, and I was worried wouldn't get up and down, she took two days to learn how to get out and a week to get the idea of getting up the ladder, but she can now do it, and she has real trouble walking.

[Guest]

With regards to converting reluctant partners (usually male) to the delights of keeping chickens, I am in the same position. Mine has declared he is sitting on the fence and not going to budge.

 

I have explained to him that it will stop me spending so much time on the internet when I'm at home. I pointed out that it's no different to keeping a couple of guinea pigs in the garden (but he said he wouldn't want guinea pigs either). And of course the children will benefit. We did have a bird flu argument , which I think I won, but I have had to agree to discuss euthanasia if there's an outbreak in the immediate area. I've just played my trump card, which is asking him to help me set up a hencam when they arrive, as he is an IT expert and loves a gadget challenge . I'm getting there.

Trump card indeed! Not sure about the internet though - there are a lot of chicken-keepers who can't keep away from this forum!

[buffie]

I just spend on chicken stuff now yes Mikey was dead against it, we really did have a stand off and I was pretty unhappy for a while aswe always share things

 

Now he is really fond of them and helps me swap them into the correct eglu at night He tells all his work colleagues about them and 1 has not long had an eglu delivered and 3 girls! Hes a henvert

 

BBx

[Chicken deficient]

I've just played my trump card, which is asking him to help me set up a hencam when they arrive, as he is an IT expert and loves a gadget challenge . I'm getting there.

 

Total genius! Mine clicks mice for a living too! I can't wait to try that one out on him!

 

Now I'm thinking that I should get a Cube, but then an Eglu would be great for putting in the car to take to the chicken sitters when we go away, and both is just not going to happen! I see some more deliberating ahead.

[Richard]

Chickens are very conservative and if left to choose would stay with the Eglu.

 

The only problem is that because of their conservatism they go under the Cube in the open to sleep at first, and you have to train them to go upstairs to bed (it took me three nights).

 

My Cochin, however (the only chicken -- I think -- that cannot fly) is still protesting that there is no Hennah stair-lift for her. Four chickens dive out of the Cube every morning, and she stands on the edge like someone scared to go into a freezing swimming pool. Eventually she flaps down with a huge amount of noise and the others dive out of the way. But it is good for her: she needs to lose some weight.

 

How do you train them to go upstairs?

 

I've had an Eglu for 3 years and have a Cube coming in a month or so - and 8 more hens (including a couple of blue cochins). Do you carry them up, or tempt them up with treats? Or maybe just get behind them an shoo them up ....?

[Gallina]

You crawl into the run and physically put them to bed the first night. If you are lucky, they realize when they are well off, and take themselves to bed thereafter.

 

Nothing else works: I tried dangling food through from the back, but it did not induce them to come up and enter the strange object in the sky. But after spending one comfortable night up there, they judged that it was safe.