Britannia Ovens (esp Range cookers) your experience

[mimi5]

Hi all. I have had my cube almost a year and did have it for a spell of snow last year. Just wondering if anyone has the extreme weather jacket and if you would recommend it? I have 6 pekins in my cube and I worry about the cold air coming in from the poo trays underneath them. I realize that circulating air is important but wooden coops usually only have ventilation above head height. Last year I popped flannels in to the gaps to reduce the air from the poo trays in the really cold weather.Any thought appreciated!!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've only got an eglu but haven't really bothered with any winter protection (apart from one year when I put a travelling rug with plastic backing over the eglu, more to keep the handle clear make the snow easier to shift!)

 

Mine actually sleep outside (in the WIR) even when there's 3 feet of snow so they obviously don't mind the cold!

[The Dogmother]

I saw one in the Omet catalogue this weekend; I wouldn't bother TBH... the Omlet housing is double-wall insulated (the Go! is less so) and you would need to keep the ventilation holes uncovered (the cube cosy seems to block them) to maintain good air flow and prevent a build up of ammonia etc.

[Bramble]

I've toyed with the idea of buying one to help waterproof the Cube a bit (it seems to have a tendency to leak - I'm not exactly sure why as it doesn't do it all the time, something to do with the roof not being in exactly the right position, I guess), but I'm a tad reluctant it's flippin' expensive to waterproof a product that's supposed to be waterproof anyway, I must say ... let us know what you think if you get one!!!

[The Dogmother]

If your problem is with a leak rather than insulation, I'd be inclined to check first that the cube is level ad that has an effect. Otherwise, just cut down a bit of tarp to cover the top of the cube only and bungee hook it into place.

[Redwing]

I love Omlet products usually but dont think the jacket is a good thing

 

Maybe in N American states where the weather gets very severe but in the UK (even in the north) I dont think its needed and too much insulation and lack of air flow causes more problems than it solves

[christyrose12]

I was just thinking - does it really get that cold in this country? Chickens are hardy little things. They naturally sleep in trees etc so dont know if they need that much insulation.

[The Dogmother]

That's just it, they don't! They are far better insulated than us, they have higher body temperatures, and apart from slowing down a bit when it is cold (just like us) they don't really feel any effect.

 

Personally, I'd be worried about blocking the ventilation holes as that will cause a build up of condensation, and what DOES make chickens sick and cause a build up of bacteria is dampness. Just keep the housing dry, use absorbent bedding such as Aubiose and keep an eye on them.

[Olly]

I agree - mine sleep outside the Eglu sometimes, and even on the days when it was so cold that the eggs froze they were absolutely fine. I don't think this is necessary in the UK, at least.

[mimi5]

Thanks for all the replies!! I'll save the money and keep hubby happy!!! Might need to site the cube and run permanently on slabs or something as the lawn is really boggy and trundling it around isn't helping!!! So I guess I'll need some funds for that!!! Oopps don't tell hubby that bit!

[The Dogmother]

You can usually find slabs fro free on your local freecycle/freegle site.

[hl050]

There are 80 free slabs on the Woking freecycle site at the moment - but a bit of a drive from Essex