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[GillC]

I just got an email from omlet advertising the eglu jacket https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/shop.php?product_id=11991

 

I had been worrying about my hens temperature overnight for some winters now, despite the assurance that the eglu was well insulated. To be honest, none of my hens seem to have suffered. However I've just bought some wyandotte bantams who seem to teeny and fragile, and I keep them in their own eglu.

 

I therefore got a wireless outdoor temperature display with three sensors. I put one sensor in with my 3 wyandottes, one in with my 4 medium hybrids and the other on the outside wall of the house. I can swap between the sensor outputs in the comfort of my living room.

 

I won't go into the hiaitus surrounding getting the sensor to attach to the inside of an eglu and stay overnight despite dampness etc. I have had to remove one of the sensors from a hen upon one occasion when it fell off and adhered to her feathers.

 

Anyway, my preliminary findings are that 3 wyandotte's are able to keep the inside temperature of their eglu (with the door shut) 1C - 2C above the outside temperature. The four hens keep theirs warmer, ranging from 4C to 5C above ambient. I think the inside temperature rises overnight as the door remains closed and they heat up the place, but my monitor doesn't record temperatures and I tend to be too keen to dash out and open their door so I forget to check.

 

This still means that the girls can be roosting in temperatures that are below freezing. This doesn't seem to bother them. Is it a problem?

 

Has anybody invested in an eglu jacket, or has anybody any other suggestions/comments on keeping their hens warm overnight?

Edited February 10, 2012 by Guest

[Leeloo]

Interesting. I have often wondered if closing the door kept it any warmer since it's just thin plastic and there are ventilation holes all around. This is my first winter with chickens and it's been a very warm one. They don't seem to like the door being closed so I've left it open. I've heard that it's most important to keep dampness down so that they don't get frostbite in their combs and wattles. It is supposed to get below freezing tomorrow night for the first time in weeks so I'll clean out the dropping tray, but I'm not sure about closing the door. One night, I was going to do it, but one of them had her head and shoulders sticking out so I didn't bother!

[The Dogmother]

Never used one, not even last winter when it was down to -10deg - they have thick duvets on and their body temperature is much higher than ours, so not necessary at all.

[Daphne]

I agree 100% with DM; it was minus 10 here last winter and I keep small and narrow poland bantams with no problems at all

[Olly]

Two of mine insist on roosting on top of the Eglu, they've done this since joining the flock last year although they are fully integrated in all other ways and could certainly shuffle into the Eglu after dark. My other four survived last winter's extreme temperatures without even having the Eglu door closed. I really don't think they are bothered as long as they are out of a draught and not getting wet.

[Egluntyne]

Same here, I have two that roost on top of the cube, and are fine. I don't close my Eglu doors and have never had a single complaint. If ever I have to go out to the hens for any reason at night, I am always amazed at how warm it is inside the Eglu, even in winter.

[Space Chick]

Even when it was -16 last year, one of my hens insisted on sleeping alone on a perch in the run (despite me posting her in the cube) I gave up in the end as she was fine... Is still going strong

 

No offence to Omlet, they are a company, with the pursuit to make money, and I think this new jacket is a way to make money by praying on owners concerns. As opposed to the reality which is hens come with their own feather duvets, have a higher body temperature than humans, and completely adapt to cold weather.

[Mum]

To my mind:-

• Chickens have survived millenia without Eglu's or jackets
  Businesses respond to customer demands
  Some chook keepers "worry" about their chooks getting cold
  Thus, customer demand = business opportunity (not knocking it; just saying)
  For some people, the jacket will put their mind at rest (and that is a good thing)
  If I had a lone chook, spare cash, worried enough, I may be tempted

 

I've indulged my girls with Eglu's but more from a security than insulation point of view (plus, I *like* them! ) But, they are working girls, not pampered pets. One of the reasons I keep chickens is the humbling/back to nature aspect of the whole project with bonuses. Others keep them as pets with bonuses. Omlet caters for both

[alet_chicken]

I have a minimum/maximum thermometer in my WIR with a sensor in the WIR and a sensor in the nest box of my Cube. By pure coincidence I got it just before the big freeze last year, and so I can safely say that 8 hens have roosted in my Cube in temperatures of -10C without any ill effects. I did try to keep the inside of the Cube as dry as possible to prevent frostbite.

 

At the time the outside temperature got down to -17C. I did close the Cube door when the cold was at its worst last winter, but otherwise I leave it open. (My Cube has a second aluminium door attached to an automatic door opener, which keeps wind out but doesn't insulate.)

[sandyhas3chucks]

i think it depends on

the chickens

what they are used to( a chicken kept at a constantly warm temperature for all its life, has different winter needs to a "normal" chicken)

whether they are in full moult

how many there are

what their state of health is.

Mine love their home comfort and warmth.

and 2 have the choice to sleep on the snuggle safe, in the nest roost or snuggle away from the source of heat.

and would no more want to sleep outside on top of the eglu than go with out food

and they both snuggle up over the snugglesafe. even the great big fat fuly feathered 3.44 kg girl

[Old Speckled Hen]

Lat winter was bitter here with temperatures regularly plummeting below -15.

I had 5 hens in the cube (now I have 9 .....I wonder how that happened?) and even though their droppings were frozen solid they were OK. If you pick a hen up first thing in the morning you can feel how warm she is...even the feet.

Any moulting chook just snuggles up to the others.

Somebody...I don't know who...keeps a flock of bantams in a field nearby and the whole lot roost in the trees through all weathers.

[Alis girls]

So if the central heating breaks down get in with the hens

[shona]

I have 3 Silkies and was concerned about how cold it gets here in Scotland at night , when it started to get frosty , condensation built up inside my eglu go. I bought the extreme temperature liner pads from omlet that fit inside the outer casing and what can I say, just fantastic!!!! No more condensation and my girls are lovely and warm. I also have two full length run covers over-lapping each other on the run so it's completely water proof and it doesn't even get frosty beneath it, the run covers are both the clear plastic. Would very highly recommend the liner pads.

[Mum]

So if the central heating breaks down get in with the hens

I have suggested this to dh for those times when he is less than agreeable ... he declines I'm thinking of it as a back-up plan

[Chicken shack]

To my mind:-

• Chickens have survived millenia without Eglu's or jackets
  Businesses respond to customer demands
  Some chook keepers "worry" about their chooks getting cold
  Thus, customer demand = business opportunity (not knocking it; just saying)
  For some people, the jacket will put their mind at rest (and that is a good thing)
  If I had a lone chook, spare cash, worried enough, I may be tempted

 

I've indulged my girls with Eglu's but more from a security than insulation point of view (plus, I *like* them! ) But, they are working girls, not pampered pets. One of the reasons I keep chickens is the humbling/back to nature aspect of the whole project with bonuses. Others keep them as pets with bonuses. Omlet caters for both

Not pets, who are you trying to kid yours all have names.

[Cheeky Chooky]

Not pets, who are you trying to kid yours all have names.

[Millie-Annie]

I have made my girls sleep together tonight rather than in the two separate coops. The old coop is converted from a shed so has a high ceiling and not much insulation but the newer one is smaller, purpose built and I would imagine warner.

 

I put some hay in, shut up the old one and left them. Just been to check. Mary and Holly were both sitting underneath on the steps they came out shouting "our bedroom door is closed, open it now". I picked them up and plonked them in the other door. Berlimey what a row.

 

"oye theres not room for two more in here, they aren't sleeping in here" "we want to go in our bedroom we don't want to sleep in here". I left them whilst I warmed up the snuggle safe for the guineas and when I came back it was peaceful. I opened the front to have a look and the 4 ex-batts are crammed in one bed, Tallulah has the other to herself beak at the ready if anyone tries to share and Marigold is sitting in the middle hedging her bets

[Cheeky Chooky]

[Leeloo]

The cold front hadn't finished going through after dark and it was very windy so I decided to close the door. It was blocked with pinestraw from having moved the Eglu recently so I had to find a stick to s"Ooops, word censored!"e it out of the way. Then this morning after sunrise, they were hooting to be let out. I had to run out there in 28 F temps to open the door and break up the ice in their waterer.

 

I don't envy those of you in cold climates who have to deal with this regularly!

[The Dogmother]

Leeloo, try bringing the drinker in at night if it is going to be sub zero.