Warm boot recommendations please

[Richard]

Several people have said to me that they really like my Eglu and Cube but 'they are really expensive'. This has come from folk with wooden hen houses.

 

Now, I decided, for a bit of a project, to build an isolation coop, for one or two hens, that I could link to my original Eglu run (I'm not using the Eglu because that is already taken for permenant residential use by Georgie!).

 

There was a rough plan in a magazine I had, but when I looked at it closely I don't think it had actually been used at all as there was no way to clean it out and no way to get into the nest box for any eggs!

 

So I've modified the design to make it usable, and went to buy the wood and plywood yesterday. It cost me over £100 for the wood - and I went to a builders merchant supplying to the trade, not to a DIY place.

 

Now then, if it costs over £100, plus fixings (screws, hinges etc.), then there's my labour on top and there's the bits I'll throw away 'cos I cut them the wrong size or put them on upside down

 

Add in the cost of cups of tea and pieces of cake, arguments when OH comes close enough to be blamed for the c**k ups, the flowers I'll have to buy to apologise for shouting at her when she has tidied up my stuff and hidden the vital bits of kit (OK, it wasn't her who hid it, I'd just forgotten where I put it).

 

then there will be the tantrums when the hens turn their noses up at it (I'm good at having tantrums) and the post-construction alterations that will have to be made becos the pop hole is too small, or too big, or when the door sticks or falls off ...

 

I don't need to go on and on ... Eglus and Cubes are fantastic value for money imho (when did you say the cheque would be coming Johannes?)

[Snowy]

:clap: :clap:

Well said Richard!

[Egluntyne]

Well said Richard......

 

I'm sure you could build one from bits of tat off the tip for next to nowt, but when I was first thinking about getting some hens I priced it up carefully, and a decent wooden house of a similar size to an Eglu was round about the same price.....or more expensive.

 

Weighing that up and taking into account the ease of cleaning, the red mite thingy and the fact that Eglu's hold their price well......it had to be an Eglu for me.

 

The funky design and colour choices were the icing on the cake.

 

Edited as there was a hideous typo that I couldn't live with.

Edited August 11, 2007 by Guest

[Richard]

all I could build from bits of tat is a bigger bit of tat - it could cost next to nowt in dosh, mega investment in terms of effort and heartache, and would fall apart within days!

[starboyhull]

I think the eglu is reasonably priced, but the cube is a little pricey....

[Christian]

I had wanted to keep hens for years but due to the job i do, i couldn't. The eglu is the ONLY thing that keeps my girls safe when i'm away. I would never get rid of it!

Edited August 11, 2007 by Guest

[chocchick]

You could definately buy a cheaper wooden house, but then you'd have red mite and cleaning problems, and would possibly not be foxproof/resistant. The eglu is expensive, but worth it. The cube seems amazingly expensive

[MaggieMcHen]

The cube seems amazingly expensive

 

But worth every penny for the same reasons. It is safe, easy to clean, BIG and doesn't look an eyesore at the bottom of the garden. It is incorporated into a fun place for the children to play along with the trampolene and the picnic bench so that grandchildren and hens can keep each other company and amused. I also looked at wooden houses but they would have needed more maintenance not to mention the mite/cleanliness issues. The nicer wooden ones are also pretty expensive.

 

Maggie

Edited August 11, 2007 by Guest

[Couperwife]

Personally I think that the cube is better value for money than the mark 2 eglu.

 

You get a lot more space, you can have more chickens, they dont seem as cramped as the roof is higher. it seems to be a similar size base as the eglu.

 

I know the initial outlay is high, but I think the cube will really keep the value and will still look as good 5 years down the line.

 

we went straight for the cube for this reason.

 

 

Here's to the cube.

(oh god I sound like a politician voting for my party )

[chocchick]

Going back to the original comment there will always be two views which can depend on income and whether you started with a wooden house or eglu. There will be a bias here (not saying that's wrong) because it is the omlet forum.

I'd love a cube, the eglu is great, but is a luxury top of the range item, beyond the means of a lot of people.

[Richard]

I think the eglu is reasonably priced, but the cube is a little pricey....

 

Ah well, I'm going to be a bit controversial here ....

 

I'm happy to admit that Eglus and Cubes are at the top end of the market and that I'm lucky to be able to afford them. But, if you look at most folk on this forum, and other poultry forums, they don't just keep two or three chickens - they keep a dozen or so.

 

So, you are into bigger houses than an Eglu. Wooden coops are fine, but have the problems that others have identified. So, if you are fortunate enough to be able to afford an Omlet product what would you buy?

 

I got an Eglu three years ago becos it was all that was available from Omlet. It has been (and still is) the mutt's nuts (sorry - hope "Ooops, word censored!"ody is offended). But, if I was buying first time again there is NO WAY I would do the same again. I would buy a Cube (with no run) and build my own run. The cost difference between an Eglu plus run and a Cube (with no run) is not great (OK - that's subjective) but when you work out £ per chicken it doesn't even compute! (imho - I don't want to be too argumentative really becos this is such a nice forum and I don't want to upset folk!).

 

So, in my view, given my situation, I'm going to disagree with Starboyhull; I think the Cube is reasonably priced and the Eglu is expensive.

[The Dogmother]

I see your point there Richard - per head, the eglu IS more expensive, although, I have 7 bantams, soon to be more, in one mark 2 - they are lucky enough to be able to freerange all day though.

 

I love the style of the eglu and wouldn't sell the one I have. There's no way that I can afford a cube, and I don't really like the styling. having said that.... if a free one were to land in my garden tomorrow......

 

I've played with the cube at the various shows I have done for Omlet, and I think that (like lots of software packages) the first version needs some tweaks and I'd wait for a few 'service packs' to be issued first. I also think the basic run is far too short, and to be able to keep more hens than in your eglu, you'd need the extension too (or build your own run), which puts the price up even more.

[xChicken04x]

I thought the cube was very expensive but when you really think about it ite really good value for money!!! The wooden ones, i admit look really cute and cosey but after a harsh winter they start to smell thats what happend with our rabbit hutch even though it was cleaned daily and it still needed replacing every new year! I do think it is well worth investing your money into a cube because it will last for more than 10 years easily!

xx

[Happy-Mama]

I like this post. I just got my rablu a few days ago, and I don't like to say how much it was as people look at me as if to say "how much!!!"

 

But it is really easy to clean, won't rot and should last for years. I found it by searching the internet for rabbit hutches as i was looking for something that was easier to maintain than the ones i had in the past, as that was the only thing i didn't like about keeping rabbits and from what i found the rablu was the best and the easiest to maintain. I also like the fact that the run is attached and Benji can choose to be in the run or the rablu a lot of the hutches i saw required separate runs or if they were joined didn't have the same access as you get with the port and being able to close the door for cleaning. And as has already been said the rablu wasn't much more than the other hutches/runs i found and is so much easier to keep.

 

I should probably mention that i have only had Benji in the rablu whilst I am at home at present as am not willing to leave him in it 24/7 until i have a gate up to stop dogs etc being able to get into the garden. But so far he seems to like it

[AJuff]

I read this posting with great interest. i have an eglu even though I had a choice between that and a cube. You see I didn't like the cube back in May but I'm getting to like it. I can't find a good enough reason to get one now. I've got the extra hens accomodated and can't justify one on the grounds of it's easier to move than an eglu with an extension. My OH already thinks every egg he eats has cost him a fortune already!! Perhaps when the guinelu is no longer needed I could sell that and the eglu and buy a cube!

[Couperman]

I think the Cube is worth it just because it's easy to clean.

I don't think wooden houses are bad you just need to spend more time keeping them clean, spraying against red mite etc.

 

I being a lazy on the cleaning front kind of guy opted for the easier if more expensive option. I do think the run and the extensions to it are over priced mind. A £100 for a 1 metre lump of welded mesh seems expensive to me. The cube itself is reasonably priced and will never need painting etc etc.

 

Kev.

[bronze]

Kev I agree with you entirely. Especialy regarding the run, a run that I really struggle to get into. If they had made the door six inches higher I would at least be able to crawl.

[arowland17]

I am really impressed with the eglu as we don't really have enough room in our garden to keep more than 2 chickens and compared to a lot of wooden runs it wasn't badly priced - I did manage to get one 2nd hand off ebay so saved quite a bit but was prepared to buy one new if I hadn't managed to get it 2nd hand.

However, when friends ask how much it cost they all gasp in shock at the price we paid and say 'couldn't you build one out of wood?' - my answer would be no as to be quite honest I and the OH are awful at DIY for starters, and there would be no real guarantee that what we managed to knock together would be fox proof or even stay standing for long!

I think the eglu is very low maintenance cleaning-wise and looks really good in the garden, it's always a talking point when people come over!

[starboyhull]

Thats the whole point of the forum Richard that we can all share our views, even if we dont agree with each other I certianly am not upset by your view, in fact seeing opposing views sometimes makes you look at a thing in a different light......

 

Since getting our girls we have talked about getting more, Andy thinks the cube looks great but I am swaying to a nice big wooden house, which may or may not be more expensive, I just think that a large wooden house would look better for the money than a cube.......But thats going off topic

[Cinnamon]

Good point, well made Richard

 

Another thing to consider (apologies if someone has said this already) is that the Eglu holds its re sell price really well, whereas a wooden coop would not

[Guest]

The expense of an Eglu or Cube is relative I think.

 

Inasmuch as what your values are and reasons for choosing either/or

 

For example - someone will think nothing of paying £x amount for a car, or clothes or night out, or holiday - but wouldn't pay extra for say - a work of art, like a hand painted vase or a painting, or for organic food. If you get my drift.

 

If you bought a pedigree dog, you would perhaps expect to pay a minimum of several hundred pounds, plus ongoing vaccination costs, and all the paraphenalia (sp?) you need plus ongoing costs - kennel-ing etc..

 

So comparing those things - chickens with eglus or cubes work out a cheaper option than a dog as a pet.

 

I know people who spend hundreds of pounds in garden centres on things that then get thrown out as they go out of fashion or plants 'live' for just one year, waste food, household goods etc

 

They are the very same people (not on here ) who roll their eyes at a one off purchase of a well designed, long lasting, and easy to maintain product, which has better depreciation value than anything else I can think of - including a new car Plus - all the booze they knock back over a year would buy me quite a few cubes an elgus.

 

So I think either or are not expensive - and I have something to show for the money I spent - plus a brilliant hobby, great pets, and eggs

 

Womans logic

[UkButton]

Thats torn it! Now you can't go out for a drink to celebrate your new Eglu/Cube

[Guest]

You can, so long as you don't at the cost of it

[Ladylucan]

Well i had an Eglu, and i sold it because i wanted more chickens, and i then purchased a wooden house, because it was alot bigger, ( i couldnt afford another eglu)

 

But having both i will say i really do miss the eglu, it was 10 times easier to clean , it looked nicer, and now i am after a cube as it will hold more and is raised which will help the back. plus having had a red mite infestation in the wooden house which was alot harder to get rid of than in an eglu. . just gotta save as i do think it is dear, but i want the best for my girls, the trouble being now is how much of the run i need to buy .... whether to not have the run, or have an extended one...

 

decisions, decisions.

[chelsea]

I like the eglu design rather than the cube. The great thing about the cube is the capacity to get lots more chickens, but with more chickens you need a bigger run and the cube run seems too small to me.

 

My lovely little green eglu suits me fine....it blends into the garden, its small and petite and a really eye catching design. Its well worth the money. Maybe the cube will come down in price after the surge in buyers??! (I do think its expensive)