My eco solution to rat problems

[TheChookKeeper]

Hello all!

 

My first eglu is due to arrive on Tuesday (can hardly wait!!!), and I have been looking around on this forum since I ordered (almost a month ago!), and am getting a bit worried about my imminent chicken population.

 

I have ordered a green cube, with the standard run, along with 6 chooks.

 

The Omlet website said 6 was OK, but now I'm not so sure... everything I see on here is of less chickens with the standard run AND extension.

 

My original plan had been to stick with 6, then expand the flock in a couple of years to 10, and purchase the run extension to house the extra chooks.

 

Is this all rubbish or what? I am most confused!

[Geoid]

Dont worry, it will be plently of room

[Egluntyne]

Your plan is a good one.

 

If you let the hens free range a bit too they will be very happy.

[Gallina]

You could fit dozens of hens in the Cube if they sleep huddled up as mine do.

 

The standard Cube run is not very big, however. It's fine if you are able to let the hens out a lot, but a bit small if you don't.

 

But don't panic: give it a try. You can always get the extension sooner than you intended if things are a bit crowded.

[Helen&Lee]

We have a cube with 7 chooks in it - 4 of which are Brahmas so when fully grown will be large birds.

When I look in at night and anticipae their size - I reckon I could easily get another 3 in besides them (I knew I should have had that Black Frizzle I saw when I picked the others up )

I don't however have the run - we built our own - but if you can let them free-range during the day I'm sure you will be fine.

You will be able to tell when you get them

Look out for Mrs Bertie - she has a cube and run, I don't know whether she has an extension or not......

As everyone told me when I was expecting my cube, enjoy and plan everything around being able to watch the chooks

 

Helen

[moochoo]

I have a cube and standard run with 6 chooks. Before I had mine I was concerned that there wouldn't be room but they're absolutely fine and a couple of my girls are quite space occupying

Don't worry, just enjoy them when they arrive.

[Richard]

You will have masses of space. I was really worried about my Cube as I have had the Eglu for several years with two hens in it, then ordered the Cube. I then went to visit breeders and ended up reserving eight girls from heavy breeds.

 

I then started panicking that I wouldn't get them in the Cube - just like you are doing.

 

Now I realise how big the Cube is - loadsaspace. All seven of my newbies are in there, there's room for the two cochins when I get them - and I think there will be space for Georgie too. And thats without them sleeping in the nest box, which they always did in my Eglu but don't seem to in the Cube.

[Richard]

LOADSAROOM

 

Georgie is in there now

 

Waaaayyyy RESULT

[Snowy]

I gather she is out of solitary now then Richard?

[tara]

l have 5 chooks with the run extension plus other half built a wooden run to make the eglu run bigger and its still there now so all in all they have 5 metres to run around in.The extra bit of run they sell really is worth it we have put some logs in it and they love sitting on them.

[Richard]

I gather she is out of solitary now then Richard?

 

Yes - but she decided not to sleep in the cube last night and went back to her own bijou studio coop. She's not going to have any choice tonight as I'm going to have them all together.

 

She's behaving very sell actually - snooty and regal, with a quick dash peck if she thinks she isn't getting the respect she deserves.

 

isn't it funny - its like the faire la bise french thing when you kiss but don't make contact (no fun at all as far as I can see, but there you go) - the chickens do a peck that doesn't contact - and the victim will even squawk and run off - with no actual contact at all.

 

Funny

[lost-sheep]

if your REALLY worried about space (which you needn't be) then let them free range!

[Essex birds]

hi

Know just what your going through, took me 6 weeks to make up my mind, anyway i ended up with the purple cube + extention 9 chickens + 3 pekin bantams.

 

Its looks like a lot, but i felt it would be easyer to eat then then to have another pecking order, they all seem to get on now, a week on.

 

i have sectiond off half my garden they only have about 2 meters by 4meteres out side there run, but they really enjoy roamimg around.

 

At 17:300hrs they have play time to roam free all over the garden, then they take there selfes to bed at 18:00hrs.

 

chickens + pekin bantams