Does anyone keep chickens in an EGLU?

bootman · 27 April 2005 at 6:53PM

I like the look of the Eglu for chicken keeping, the fact it looks easy to clean and wont rot and a bit more pleasing on the eye than a wooden box.

But is it worth the money?

I do not keep chickens at the moment but would like to, just 2. I like the idea of them wandering round the garden with me, but not sure either if I will have any garden left!!

I would love to hear from 1st time chicken keepers especially if the chickens are kept in an Eglu.

beadysam · 27 April 2005 at 7:38PM

Hiya
I'm looking at getting some chickens too. I'm just doing the research at the moment though. I've got a folder called "CHOOKS" where I put in all the piccys and info I can find. I'm saving loads of pics of houses for ideas - then I will combine some of the best bits and have a go at making my own! I don't really fancy an Eglu, I think I prefer the idea of a natural material for a natural creature and hobby. However I have looked at them and they do look good - if a little pricey...
I would like chickens that lay blue eggs, brown eggs and white eggs - oh, and all the shades in between so I'm reading up on a few of the breeds. I'm drawn to marans for the really dark eggs, silkies, welsummer and frizzles for the way they look. Rhode Island Reds, although good layers seem to have aggressive tendancies so I'm avoiding them. I'd love to hear your thought on chooks...
All the best
SAM xx

flea72 · 27 April 2005 at 7:49PM

i think the eglus are alot of money for what you get - you are paying for the ease of someone else turning up, and getting you going

most towns have livestock markets where you can pick up a couple of laying hens for about £20, and you could prob build something to house them for around £50-£100

perhaps try getting a copy of The Smallholder, it had a good article on chickens last month, and i think there is something in this months too - plus lots of companies advertising coops, feed, etc.

Magentasue · 27 April 2005 at 7:54PM

People who have Eglus love them but it is soooo much money for what you get. We have hens and they spend very little time in their coop during the day. All they need is somewhere to perch at night, a box to lay eggs in and a secure space to scratch around in during the day. Better, in my opinion to get a cheap shed and spend spare cash on fencing them as big a run as you can spare. We've done it the other way round and given them the run of the garden and fenced off our veg plot.

Can't recommend chicken keeping highly enough. We got ours this time last year - haven't bought an egg since.

bootman · 27 April 2005 at 8:19PM

I too have done much research on breeds all the smallholder mags books form the library, I just cant make up m mind. Do I or dont I go for it!

I actually do not live very far from the people that sell the Eglu's and they did bring one to my house last year for me to look at but still not sure.

I have a wide but not very deep garden so they will be on display. I do want to let them out to roam around but my biggest concern is will they eat all my plants and dig the lawn up.

They do need to be friendly, disease resistant and good layers. I like the idea of bantams but I think the eggs would be too small. I dont really want a really big bird strutting around.

Is there a good breed for beginners,not to big kind to owner lays well and wont get sick easily! or is that too much to ask of a chicken.

italiastar · 27 April 2005 at 9:16PM

The farmer I buy my eggs from at a farmer's market said that he sells his 1 year old hens (free range - I've seen them) for £1 each - apparently farmers change theirs every year because that's when they lay the most, but they are still good for a few more years. I'm tempted, but have problems with foxes, any ideas?

Magentasue · 27 April 2005 at 9:29PM

We have three Black Rocks, these are hybrids that have been bred to free range and have a long laying life. We also got three ex-batteries, one didn't last the winter but the other two are still laying. Since May we have had eggs every day, usually 3 or 4 but in the summer it was 4 or 5. Our plan is that when the ex-batteries die (they were 18months old when we got them and I'm told they rarely survive two winters) we will get a couple more.

They do ruin a garden if they free range. When they got into my veg patch, they ate the lot. What they don't eat, they damage by scratching around, they even had compost out of pots. Established shrubs are OK.

They kept our grass down nicely last summer but it's been ruined by them where we've had days of rain and they've scratched. It's beginning to revive but next winter we'll keep them off.

As for foxes, I don't think we have a problem here and we have a dog that sleeps in the porch when we're out and has a dog flap into the garden. Dogs are a deterrent. But a hungry fox will take risks and you have to protect the hens. A high (at least 5') run with the fencing buried into the ground is recommended.

Don't let this put you off - once you get it sorted, they're a doddle to look after. But you do need to get their quarters sorted before they arrive.

HTH

Ted_Hutchinson · 27 April 2005 at 10:02PM

Magentasue wrote:

People who have Eglus love them but it is soooo much money for what you get. We have hens and they spend very little time in their coop during the day. All they need is somewhere to perch at night, a box to lay eggs in and a secure space to scratch around in during the day. Better, in my opinion to get a cheap shed and spend spare cash on fencing them as big a run as you can spare. We've done it the other way round and given them the run of the garden and fenced off our veg plot.

Can't recommend chicken keeping highly enough. We got ours this time last year - haven't bought an egg since.

Agree with this absolutely.
NO need for an expensive hut when you can knock together a small shed for a fraction of the price.

Give them a bit of space to scratch around in or a field to roam over and you only have to throw them some grain and keep them locked up at night. The fox may get them occasionally but if you buy cheap it's not that much of a loss.

Magentasue · 27 April 2005 at 10:16PM

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

The fox may get them occasionally but if you buy cheap it's not that much of a loss.

Bit of a loss for the poor old hen though!;)

I would be very upset if I found a few feathers minus a hen because I feel responsible for keeping them safe. Italistar said (s)he had a problem with foxes so I think it would be best to do everything possible to prevent an attack BEFORE the chickens arrive. Not just because you might lose a hen or two but because you might end up with a whole flock in shock and have to deal with that. Plus, once a fox has had dinner at your place he'll be back.

We paid a fiver each for our hybrids, 50p for the poor ex-batteries and I would recommend both. Black Rocks beautiful birds, and supposed to lay well for years. The ex-batteries 'cos it's a buzz seeing chickens walk for the first time in their lives and that gradual change from bald numpties into proper chickens. And they all lay brilliant eggs!

Ted_Hutchinson · 27 April 2005 at 10:23PM

To get this into perspective we've had chickens for 15 years and been visited by Mr Fox three times and lost 2 Muscovy ducks and 4 hens. We live in a very rural environment, in town you probably have to be more careful as most foxes have turned urban as the pickings are easier.

Pooky · 28 April 2005 at 9:04AM

I'm really trying to sell hubby on the idea of chickens....he's not that keen ( he thinks they're evil). We do get foxes and my youngest cat likes to bring rabbits in off the fields so I'm sure a chicken or two would find itself stuffed through the cat flap if we didn't build some sort of enclosure. I've got a fair sized garden that was neglected for years before we moved in, we're getting there slowly but have one bit overrun with stingers and vine weed, i'd ideally like to clear it and put chickens there but would they have a problem with the weeds or would they keep them down??? I suppose the area is around 15ft x 6ft - would that be big enough do you think???

Obviously I've not looked into this much at all - but I'd be grateful of advice on the size of enclosure before I go getting all excitied.

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Does anyone keep chickens in an EGLU?

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