EGLU HEAT PROBLEMS

[loumabel]

I have just been looking at these on the website and wondered what you all thought about them or has anyone got one. I would need two for my cubes and one for my classic and that adds up to a lot of money!! I was slightly worried as they seem to block up the ventilation holes and I wondered if this could be a bad thing?? My eglu's are not full which is why I was considering these jackets to make sure my chooks are warm this winter.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I didn't even know these existed . They seem quite pricey to me . A Snugglesafe would be cheaper (not that I've got one, I just use a travelling rug with plastic backing!)

[Olly]

I didn't know they existed either.

 

I've never bothered covering the Eglu (don't even usually close the door!). It's supposed to be insulated - unless you live in the far North of Scotland, or maybe in the US where temperatures fall very low, I don't think you'd need one.

[sage]

last year I made a kind of duvet out of several sheets of bubble wrap folded in a large plastic bag held down with a luggage strap. It worked well enough. Much cheaper than £99.

 

Sage

[Chicken shack]

My It was cold last winter but the wild birds are out in the elements and chicknes have been around since the dinosaurs I think and they have survived quite nicely without an extreame weather jacket. I think we are all going a bit soft so I will resist this expense, anyway they don't have one for the so how could I buy one for the girls in the and not the

[chuckmum6]

I thought one of Omlets main selling points was that the products were insulated!!!! This just seems like a way of extracting a large amount of cash from customers £99 . I will just stuff my cube with more chickens, cheaper, productive (sometimes) and great fun

[loumabel]

I know I am far too soft on my chooks The price does seem excessive, they look smart though but probably not enough for me to part with that much cash!!. Ive got a snugglesafe pad so think I will stick with that. Last year I just put a few old towels over the top and they suvived ok.

[Bramble]

£99 does seem an awful lot to cover a Cube that's supposed to be insulated anyway?

My three girls were in a Classic last year and the only thing I did differently on the really cold nights we had was to close the Eglu door which I don't tend to do unless it's WELL below freezing. This will be my first winter with a Cube and i have to say, I was planning on the same technique as last year (just closing the door on very cold nights) ...

I guess this cover is made of proper "stuff" and is also made to fit the Cube/Eglu/Go "properly" so might look a bit neater than blankets or duvets or whatever else we might use, but £99, I'm not sure they would look THAT neat!!!?

[bouldercroft]

I have a DIY version of this on my its made of house insulation board and then wrapped in black plastic for solar gain. Cost a fraction of the $50 they are charging and the omlet version requires dis-assembling the which is no simple feat...

 

 

Korma on the new insulated eglu by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

photo by jewilk71, on Flickr

[Lewis]

They've only just been launched ... I only closed my eglu + cube doors a couple of times last year in the bitter cold so won't be buying a cover!

 

James gave me a new catalogue when I popped up to HQ last week and I got another one through the post today - noticed on the back it says the new covers are on Page 12 but they're actually on Page 9!

[Cinnamon]

I just threw a very old duvet over mine when it got too cold to move here last year

[Mrs Potts]

It was their first winter out last year and we were getting lots of snuffles and sneezes, so we bought a hot water cylinder jacket from B & Q, which was very cheap (compared to Omlet). It has four separate pieces to it, which wrap around quite neatly with one on top and are fixed with bungees. The bungees are fixed to each other and the wire mesh panels that the Classic sits on.

(Put the two wire mesh underneath the Classic to stop rats burrowing in - 1 m square each and couple of pounds from Wickes. Have bent them a little so they don't poke out/catch the hens).

So, we are pink Classic in summer and Orange in winter!

 

Mrs Potts (with thanks to Mr Potts, as it was his idea).

 

!

[ali-s]

My Cube and Eglu had no extra coverings on them last winter. The temperature dipped down to -18.5c on more than one occasion and we had weeks of night time temperatures of -14c and day time temperatures of -10c and frozen snow. My Chickens, 5 in the Eglu and 8 in the Cube were perfectly OK. They laid all through the winter and were healthy. No overnight frozen combs or wattles even without vasaline.

 

£99 is an awful lot of money to spend on a cover. I would be worried about Chickens over heating if some one had one of these and thought they should use it once the temperatures went below 0c.

 

How extreme does the weather need to be to use the Extreme Weather Jacket if my girls were fine in naked Cube and Eglu at -18.5c

[Egluntyne]

I don't think I closed the cube or Eglu doors once, even in the really bad weather last year or the year before.

 

The only extra measure I took was to use a snuggle safe to keep the water ice free for a few hours......and that was more for my convenience than the chickens, although obviously they benefited!

[Redwing]

Considering that the double skin design of an Eglu is a boast I think these dont do anything to sell them!

 

The thing they would be good for is if they cover the poop tray slot/s as these are a source of drafts which is not too great

 

The most striking thing about them is the fact that I reckon the Eglu would look very good in dark green

[fluffy chick]

I agree with filling it up with chickens I have now got all mine happily living together sleeping in the so they can keep each other warm.

Last winter I used a snuggle safe at night with the chickens but then only as I had 3 youngsters in a drafty wooden coop. I don't think I'll be doing it this year, although I will still use them under the water containers.

[Sammiboo]

ive been looking at these, i do have a concern that my eglu is draughty but not sure i could afford to stump up £150 for the cube and classic to have jackets

[CharLeila]

Hi all,

 

I have just recieved my new omlet catalogue which has some really good products in. One which caught my eye was the 'Extreme temperature Jacket' for my Cube. The cold weather has always concerned me as I only have 4 (at the moment) girls in a Cube, so the idea of an insulated jacket sounded great. Then I looked at the price; £99.00!

 

Why are omlet charging so much? Is it not good enough that I forked out over £600 to give my chickens the best house?

 

Quote from the catalogue - following two of the coldest and snowiest winters the UK has ever seen we decided it was the time to offer your chickens the ultimate protection from extreme weather.

 

Surely, if Omlet are so concerned over the welfare of our chickens, they wouldn't charge so much for this product!

 

Oh, I almost forgot to say thank you for the promotional discount code to get free delivery on orders over £50.

 

Please Omlet, reduce the price.

 

Rant Over

 

Paul

Edited November 29, 2011 by Guest

[Patricia W]

Having had 2 cubes and 2 eglus through the last two winters where it's reached -17 here, I think they are fine without it. But some people will feel better wrapping them in a duvet.

[abwsco]

Given that my Mum and Dad had chickens in a wooden coop when we lived on South Georgia - if you've been watching Frozen Planet you'll have seen the winter weather - I can't see the need for one.

[Sam]

Kind of shooting themselves in the foot selling this

One of the main selling points of their products is it's brilliant insulation, why would this be necessary if that is the case.

 

Quite happy with how it is without extra protection

[The Dogmother]

I don't think I closed the cube or Eglu doors once, even in the really bad weather last year or the year before.

 

The only extra measure I took was to use a snuggle safe to keep the water ice free for a few hours......and that was more for my convenience than the chickens, although obviously they benefited!

 

Ditto - I can't imagine why you'd need one unless you lived (in,say) northern USA where they get very cold winters. The Omlet products (well, the Classic and Cube) are of a double shell construction which is insulating in itself.

 

Reminds me of those daft Kaleidoscope catalogues we used to get through the door - loads of things tat you don't really need.

[MummyHen]

I was looking at these today - but is it waterproof - I couldn't see in the blurb anything about waterproof / water beads and runs off. Not sure I want my chickens wrapped in a damp £99 blanket

Has anyone seen this wonderful product – do you think the outer skin will be waterproof?

[Wolfie]

I just had to order a baby's bib from Omlet for my work mate who yesterday had a scan and found out "it's a boy"!

 

I also ordered two of the Cube jackets for my girls. In the winter, I do wrap up the Cubes to stop the wind and rain, so a properly designed cover would be better. I think it is draughty for the hens by the droppings tray. Another girl at work saw what I was ordering and was aghast "but your hen houses are pink and orange!" C'mon Omlet - we need matching ensembles

 

As to price - "because they're worth it".

 

I'll let you know how I get on with them

[Mum]

My It was cold last winter but the wild birds are out in the elements and chicknes have been around since the dinosaurs I think and they have survived quite nicely without an extreame weather jacket. ...

Precisely!