3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[UKMARCH]

Hello

I currently have a classic eglu with 3 hybrids we have lost one and one has egg drop syndrome so produces eggs with weak shells but is otherwise in good condition. We are thinking of getting some more girls to boost the egg production. The eglu is attached to the outside of a fairly large walk in run over two levels. If we got another eglu and attached this as well and got either 2 or 3 more using a divider to separate them to start would they do you think use both eglus or try to squeeze into one?

[Keats]

I have six hens in one eglu. I was a bit dubious at first whether that was too many for the space but they manage fine although they do get out of their run most days to free range around the garden. Two eglus for six or so hens would seem like an expensive option to me. Good luck anyway

Keats

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum . I have one eglu and 5 girls (I have had 6) and they manage fine with one. Having said that, they do sleep out in the WIR and only 3 are laying but I have had 5 sleeping happily in one eglu before.

 

You could always rig up another nestbox in a pet carrier or something if need be.

[UKMARCH]

Hi thanks I haven't used the forum to post but have used it loads for advice since we thought about getting the chickens a couple of years ago especially the WIRs section which was great for ideas. Do yours sleep out in the winter too ours have always seemed to take to the eglu from day one perhaps they like the pink!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

They used to sleep in the eglu but they all just decided en masse that they liked sleeping al fresco. And, yes, they sleep out in all weathers, even the horrendous snow we had this year .

[scarlettohara]

You don't need to go to the expense of another eglu - I have some little rabbit hutches which I use for spare housing about £25 from ebay. My lastest ex-bats actually prefer theirs to the cube

[UKMARCH]

Thanks I'll have a look on ebay I notice the eglus seem to go for a high price. I do love the easy cleaning though. I can ask my OH if he can maybe adapt something for me he did a good job on the run but he's so busy at work at the moment he'll probably prefer the easy option! I am getting him some vouchers for the new hens for his birthday which is coming up so he can choose

[hammy72]

Hi

 

There is some great advice on here. I notice at the end of your post that you have 2 greyhounds and wonder if you have any advice on socialising my dogs with the chickens when they arrive. I think the labrador will be fine, he is 8 and quite laid back but our other dog is a 2 year old weimaraner. She loves to chase things (cats, pigeons) but I did get her to stop the other day with a stern 'NO'. I have also taken them to see some chickens, our lab wandered off not interested at all and Tess was interested in them but not in an aggressive way, think she wanted to play.

[The Dogmother]

Playing with or chasing chickens can be fatal as they have weak hearts. I have two lurchers and they don't go outside if the chickens are free ranging.

[migsy]

I bought a 2nd Eglu once which turned out to be a waste of money as all 6 hens slept in just one of them. At the moment I have 4 in one Eglu and 3 ex batts in a rabbit hutch. All of them lay in the Eglu. Sometimes the ex batts sleep outside in the run and sometimes they sleep in the hutch. I think the main thing is that they are secure from preditors.

[UKMARCH]

Hi, thanks for that I don't want to go to the expense if they don't use it, do yours lay in the second eglu or do you now just use the one? I guess its hard to tell as they are all so different I still find it amusing how they all can differ in what they like to eat treat wise but I guess we're all different too.

I agree with Claret about the dogs you can never be too careful I'm lucky with mine that my oldest grey is a non-chaser and was rejected from racing because of it also he is so laid back he's horizonal 95% of the time. He is okay with them and is very reluctant to get near them if they are out and even avoids eye contact (he is very unusual!) but lucky for him as he now has a much better life than being stuck in a kennel for 23 hours in the day. My other grey is young 18 months now we got her at 4 months over from Ireland and I have never let her out while the chickens are out. I don't think she would hurt them but would be interested and want to play. She doesn't have a huge prey drive but likes to chase other dogs I wouldn't chance it as even a dog charging about playing would be too stressful. They have a large WIR and she is fine with them in there I have taught her leave from an early age so she responds to it and in the early days whenever she went near I told her to leave so she knows she shouldn't go near them. I also started off with her on the lead so I could reinforce it if necessary. It sounds like your weimaraner has a fairly high prey drive if she chases things so you can never relax as one flapping could start a reaction. I now keep my chickens in the run as I don't want to have to worry that one of the children or their friends might leave the back door open when playing in the garden as it is easily done and I can relax knowing they are safe. I hope this helps.

[migsy]

All 7 of mine choose to lay in the one Eglu. They could lay in the hutch but it is very rare that I find an egg in there.

[scarlettohara]

My ex-batts sleep on top of the hutch too but they lay in the banties nest box or on the floor

[hammy72]

Thanks Claret & UK for the dog advice. Yes I am very wary of Tess' "prey" drive so will make sure she's not around when they are having their free-range time. I was also going to screen off the run (perhaps with a windbreak) for a while so that when I take Tess into the garden on her lead she doesn't rush up to the run and scare them.

[fluffy chick]

Have you considered selling your classic and buying a cube. It would be cheaper than buying another classic.

 

I am soon swapping my for a and fingers crossed the bantams will wander in and sleep in there too

[The Dogmother]

Thanks Claret & UK for the dog advice. Yes I am very wary of Tess' "prey" drive so will make sure she's not around when they are having their free-range time. I was also going to screen off the run (perhaps with a windbreak) for a while so that when I take Tess into the garden on her lead she doesn't rush up to the run and scare them.

 

Mine know that they aren't allowed to rush the run or bark at the chooks, in fact I don't allow them to bark in the garden at all - a neighbour has a very yappy dog, so I know how it feels

 

I have a cube with 2 run extensions; it's fantastic

[Henchanted]

Thanks Claret & UK for the dog advice. Yes I am very wary of Tess' "prey" drive so will make sure she's not around when they are having their free-range time. I was also going to screen off the run (perhaps with a windbreak) for a while so that when I take Tess into the garden on her lead she doesn't rush up to the run and scare them.

 

Hi Hammy72

 

re the dog question.

Firstly I was so scared to let my hens out into the garden, for fear of Mr&Mrs Fox, our Springer or them not getting back into the run or escaping, that they did not come out for the first 4 weeks.

 

This allowed both the dog and the hens to get used to the idea of being around each other. He soon stopped sniffing around and they really weren't bothered.

 

Then I only let the hens out for a hour or so before dusk with the dog locked in the house. They explored and then they put themselves to bed at dusk. After a few of these sessions we tried with having the dog in the garden on a lead, sitting and watching. He was extremely excited , trembling with eagerness to interact with them. Each time he made a move to get closer to one he was told "leave it' and rewarded when he sat back down. We did for some time.

 

Then one evening one of the kids accidentally let him into the garden while I was out there supervising the free ranging and so I watched what would happen, ready to act if necessary. He approachedone chicken was told to 'leave it' so he sat down. Meanwhile they went about their chickeny business unconcerned. After some time he got up tried to sniff one and she promptly turned pecked him and walked away. To cut a long story short(er) all enjoyed the garden without much bothering each other. The dog soon lost interest in the hens and found a new obsession, chicken poo. BTW He can be hired out to deep clean hen houses and runs at a very good rate if anyone's interested

 

So six months on, we have happy healthy chickens and a happy doggie who share the same space, even when we are not physically in the garden! The dog still chases other birds in the garden and when we are out, though so I do stay mindfully aware when they are out together, but equally the girls are no fools and are very good at dealing with unwanted attention.

 

So my message is that even with some hunting dogs, it is not impossible to teach the garden occupants to live in harmony, but it depends on their character, trainability and a lot of your faith and patience.

[hammy72]

Great advice HENCHANTED and I will put alot of time and effort into getting it right. Sorry I feel like I have highjacked this thread with my dog questions when it started off as being "will my garden get trashed" (Which I am not concerned so much about...)

 

Thanks CLARET, my dogs don't bark in the garden either. I think I need to get saving my pennies for a cube and extensions or a walk in run...

Edited July 14, 2011 by Guest

[Henchanted]

Hi UKMARCH

 

I just want add 2 things I would personally consider when deciding

 

1) any new hens will need time/space to intergrate as you will be getting younger ones and from what I've read different ages don't mix so easily

2) eglus resell so easily that if you got a secondhand one and then find you don't need it for long you would probably sell it without loosing out- think of it as free hire

 

My original 4 snuggle up together leaving enough space for 2-3 more but I have not lived through a full winter with them and so am not sure that on the shortest day having 6 nose to tail may be so comfortable or trouble free for so long

 

So my conclusion would be that you would not loose anything by having a second and be able to give the new hens the opportunity to have their own house if thats what they end up needing.

 

Good luck

[UKMARCH]

Hi Henchanted

 

Thanks for that, it was what I was thinking we have a large WIR so could easily section it into two and see how it goes. I have been considering all the options but we spent a great deal of time and effort getting our set up as perfect as it could be with the eglu on the outside of the run and have been really pleased with it all so far the only problem we have encountered was a rodent trying to get to the hens via the hole in the nestbox which has been chewed from the underneath. My husband has rectified this with a metal plate over the hole so it can still drain but nothing can come up unless its got some serious teeth!

 

We did get a cube first but it was faulty and leaked so was returned and my husband liked the eglu design and the water drains away well. I did consider we could either extend the run and have a cube inside or build a roof porch type of thing over but this seems a lot more work and I'm not sure it would fit in with our current location as it is on a raised deck area so would be difficult to achieve and my OH has a bad case of tennis elbow at the moment so is trying to rest it and I can image his face if I suggest major renovations! Having said that any garden jobs seem to get done much more quickly than any ones in the house so you never know.

 

We tend to leave the door open so the chickens can come and go as they please as the run is covered and sheltered and there are fences on two sides of the house end we only shut the door on the coldest days we thought they may all eventually decide to go in the one.

 

I think we need to sit down and discuss more what will work as regards modifying the run if I can catch OH awake in the evenings!