Eglu cube or more traditional cheaper coops for chickens?

Question

i am looking into keeping chickens, 4 at first then maybe 6. i have seen loads of coops but cant decide which is the best and easiest to clean and also looks good. i have seen the ones at omlet.co.uk which are like plastic cubes and i am tempted especially as they come and deliver and set it up as a whole kit including feed and chickens. Also they look easy to clean.

What do you think of eglu cubes and is there a better soloution

Answer 1

Eglus are easy to clean and have a more modern look. Wooden ones are traditional and there is more of a range. If you have the money my friend says they are very robust and colourful. Personally I prefer traditional wodden ones which is just as well as an eglu is out of my range :P

Answer 2

I think the eglus are terribly overpriced for what they are.

In the US, I like the Chick-n-barn from Ware Manufacturing.  I've seen some modifications made to it putting it up above the ground, similar to the eglu cubes.  

Good luck in your search.

Answer 3

I'm sure you're aware that coops in general are quite pricey and you need to consider budget, the proposed site for your hens and maintenance to be able to make a good decision.

The Eglu's are a good product. I don't have one myself but they are supposed to be easy to clean, fox proof and they look pretty funky. They're great for urban gardens.

The only downside is the price and the smaller eglu's are difficult to access (causes problems if you have a poorly chook etc). They're also not immune to red mite which is supposed to be one of their advantages with being plastic and all.

The other downside is personally I feel the runs which are an optional extra are too small is you want to keep more than 4 hens. Hens should be allowed to roam, run and flap freely and they can't really do this with the omlet runs.

Many wooden coops now come with a removable floor for easy cleaning and built using pre-treated timber and some come with a copper roof which looks really smart.

Check out eBay for sellers who's main trade is poultry housing you can get some great deals. You can also check out your local trading mag and the classifieds in gardening magazines or the Practical Poultry publication.

If you're after information on looking after chickens and choosing a suitable home for them, check out this site. It's a great resource!

http://www.henkeeping.co.uk/new_house.ht...