Converting an Eglu Cube ("Omlet") for DUCKS

[Papaye]

Hi!

So... for the time being, I own 11 Indian Runner ducks...

I was actually going to keep 8 only until next spring : 2 drakes, and 6 ducks...
But I have to keep a third drake, because he was already so shiny in his juvenile feathers my mother fell in love with him... (I understand her : I have seriously never seen a black runner so green so YOUNG!!)
Thus : I now own 3 drake and 8 ducks. (I know : I don't have enough ducks for my drakes...)

Problem : for 11 runners, I had only two Eglu Classics until recently!
And 4 runners can easily get (and sleep) in an Eglu Classic. But more? I don't know.

So... winter coming fast, I obviously decided I needed a bigger coop for my ducks.
And what's better than to replace one of my Eglu Classics by buying and converting an Eglu Cube for my runners?

Finding no information, I didn't know if it was possible to assemble it on the ground...? But I just took advantage of "Black Friday", and I bought an Eglu Cube (with a 2 meters run, and no "Outodoor" or accessories) to try at least...

To ease my ducks in getting in the coop, I decided it would be on the ground. (Using a ramp would probably be hindering for the ducks, no...?)
So while assembling this Eglu Cube, I did not use the metal parts : I just put them away.

Thus, the Cube is now on the ground, placed on gratings (to keep it clean from mud)...

I connected it to a Omlet run by using the panel (in two parts now) from the "Connection Kit for Walk In Run", AND 10 "Zippi Rabbit Run Skirt" (Omlet).

(I personally could not use the steel panels to connect my Cube to the run, because there is a big brasero not far behind the coop; and so, I needed something SMALL to keep the coop far enough...!)

Inside of the Eglu Cube, I did NOT put the separation panel ("Nest box partition") in.

And when I was assembling the coop, I also did not connect the nesting box to the panels : I have just made it slide, because I did not want my ducks to hurt themselves of some metal parts ("Partition Brackets").
...Of course, I have also put away the roosting bars (and the "Locator Block") : runner ducks don't roost.

For now, I have seven runners sleeping in this Cube.
I have no problem with the coop being on the ground. No water in, in spite of the rain... And ventilation is really good! My ducks are now happier : their Eglu Classic was too small for all of them.

(Soon, when my babies are AT LAST 16 weeks old, they will be eleven in the Cube. For the time being, I don't want to let my adult drakes with my young ducks... So, I am keeping the four adults apart from the ones born this year.)

...So... Voilà!
I don't know what you think, but I hope my post help you if you think about buying a Eglu Cube for your ducks?


Good luck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It looks great and looks very sturdy. Are you using the other Eglu for your drakes?
Nice thing about these is they will never rot and they look very well made.

 

[Papaye]

Hello!

Yes : for now, the other Eglu Classic is for the drakes and their two "girlfriends".
But in December, all of them will be in the Cube. (There is room!)
(I'm so glad I could assemble the Cube as such...!)

Eglu are practical, because we can move them if needed, and like you said : they don't rot.
In addition, contrary to wood, no lice infestation is possible!
And they are so easy - and so, FUN - to clean...!

For now, I own :
- 3 Eglu Cube (2 of them belonging to my chickens),
- 2 Eglu Classic,
- 3 Eglu Go.

Eglu Classic are so much more sturdy than Eglu Go...

Eglu Go ARE sturdy, but honestly, I have bought three of them only because Eglu Classic are not sold in France anymore, and I needed some coops for the brooding hens.
(I am pretty sure I will die of old age BEFORE my Eglu Classic need to be thrown... and I am not thirty yet! These coops are seriously so great...!! While Eglu Go have thinner panels, and so : I would not be surprised if these panels, at least, begin to crack in a few years...)

Eglu Go are also a bit annoying to clean (in detail), and... each spring/summer, I have wasps making their nests between the panels. Dangerous, right...?
(But Eglu Go are still better than wood!)

...No wasps with Eglu Classic or Eglu Cube!!

Furthermore : in Eglu, the birds are cool in summer, and warm in winter. Like they deserve, naturally...!

I really think Eglu are perfect for birds... and safe, since no predators can prey upon them when they are sleeping inside!

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

We are in February 2024 now, so it's time for me to give some news about converting and using an Eglu Cube for my ducks...

Well... for now, I can tell I am happy I did : indeed, ventilation is so good I never did find even a tiny drop of water inside of the coop...!
(And first thing to look about a coop for the ducks IS ventilation!!)
...In spite of the ambient humidity in my department, and the fact my ducks are bathing all day long, and so, always WET...!!

I actually did not expect ventilation would be so good (for a coop sheltering ducks) no single trace of moisture would remain in the coop...
I mean : my ducks go to sleep while wet... so I thought the inside of the coop would at least be a bit damp...?

And yet : the only trace of water I could find in the coop was some frost, and it only was on the colder days of winter! Around -7°C (19,4°F), -8°C (17,6°F) and below...
Frost was probably not even due to (some bad) ventilation : to me, it simply looked like the ducks did go to sleep wet (of course), and so, water froze on the side panels before even having the time to evaporate...

Of course, ventilation is also probably so good thanks to the fact the side panels are not covered!
I normally would use a blanket to cover the Eglu Cube in winter, but since I have none left unused for now... AND since I put the coop on the ground, and I so would need to personally adjust a blanket so that actually would cover it correclty without risking to fly away when windy... the coop has no blanket for now; therefore : ventilations on the side panels are not covered, and so work splendidly.

(JUST A NOTE :
Even in the colder temperatures we usually have in Auvergne, I don't feel like the blankets (for extreme temperature) are necessary on the Eglu Cubes - especially since during cold weather, these coops are warmer inside than wooden coops...
Nevertheless, I personally put blankets on mines only for one reason : to keep the EGGS warm, in case I would not be able to pick them up each 3-or-so hours maximum...
Because I don't want to take any risk to find frozen eggs someday...!)

Concerning the space inside the Eglu Cube...

For now, I actually don't know if this coop is big enough for 11 runner ducks : indeed, even though I wanted to close my other coop once all of my ducks became friends, I ultimately did not...

...And so, since my runners have two coops open to them, I could eventually not verify if the Eglu Cube alone is sufficiently big for all of them...

(Since we have had very cold temperatures this season in Auvergne, I was afraid to close the Eglu Classic for the nights, and find a morning that the Eglu Cube would not be enough for 11 runners, and the poor ducks would then have had to sleep outside IN THE COLD...
So, they have these two coops to sleep during the nights for now... : 1 Eglu Cube, and 1 Eglu Classic.)

I like the Eglu Classic (better than the Eglu Go), but it has ONE fault bothering me : when the temperatures are ice-cold (frost), the door - the one on the side - is hard to open.

So, if we want to clean the coop early in the mornings - in the colder temperatures -, we really should put a blanket on the coop... so the door is not affected by frost, and can be easily opened...

Or we also could wait for the frost to thaw, but doing so would mean to wait some hours to clean the coop, depending on the temperatures then...

...Voilà!

 

[Amber Dawn]

@Papaye I am so glad to see this post and hear your experience! We are using an eglu cube for two ducks, with an attached run that we cover with plastic in winter as our winyers are quite cold and snowy. We put a ramp up to the cube which they use no problem. We have been wanting to expand our flock but have been wondering how many could comfortably fit in the cube! Interesting to see you have 7!

 

[Jenbirdee]

@Papaye how many square feet does each duck have in there?

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

@Papaye I am so glad to see this post and hear your experience!

I am glad there are people who can be happy to see this post.

(I know I would have liked to see such a post before converting an Eglu Cube for my ducks...!!)

We are using an eglu cube for two ducks, with an attached run that we cover with plastic in winter as our winyers are quite cold and snowy.

In my (humble) opinion, you did good buying an Eglu Cube for your ducks - especially if your winters are so cold...!

We put a ramp up to the cube which they use no problem.

Yeah...
I did not want to bother my ducks with a ramp : I had read they really did not like using them, so I just decided to put the Eglu Cube directly on the ground - because... why not?
(The Eglu Go are less sturdy than the Cube, but still can be put on the ground; you know...?)

But what did I know then?
I have put several Zippi Platforms in my yard, and some of my ducks actually use the (Zippi) ramps to go up on them - everyday!

...Not that I regret putting my Eglu Cube on the ground : I still think it is better for the ducks...

But NOW : I can at least say ducks don't seem to have any actual issue using ramps, and thus, putting an Eglu Cube on the ground is not really necessary for them to go sleep inside of it.

(Nevertheless : my opinion has no more worth than my observations...!!)

...Would you have a picture of your coop you would want to share with us?

We have been wanting to expand our flock but have been wondering how many could comfortably fit in the cube! Interesting to see you have 7!

Oooooh... I have (a lot of) more than 7 ducks sleeping in this coop, now!!

And I have put a second Eglu Cube for them since then :

They are... around 30 adult ducks - I think - sharing these two coops...?
(Two coops for two runs - but the door separating these runs is open for the time being, so you can consider them being only ONE run...)

I did not plan still having so many ducks for these two coops until now : my back is just killing me so much I just can't be bothered catching my extra birds to give them away - at least for the time being...

Most of them are Indian Runners, but 2 are Cayuga drakes, and 1 is a Khaki Campbell boy...

Honestly, I do NOT know if all of them actually sleep inside of the coops at the same time; but I would not be surprised if they did : Indian Runners don't take a lot of space while sleeping, and 15 of them sleeping in an Eglu Cube (at the same time) would not actually be so shocking to me...

...How many ducks do you want, exactly?
And from what breed(s)?

@Papaye how many square feet does each duck have in there?

Hmmm...
I think the coops are around 90 cm to 100 cm each, so... 2,95 to 3,28 feet...?

I don't know how many ducks are using them exactly : I am not counting the birds until the extras I have are given away...
(But I think they are around 30 ducks for the time being...?)

I actually don't even know how many are actually using the coops, so currently - just in case : the runs are covered by plastic covers (the Omlet ones) to protect the ducks from rain, snow, and wind; and the ground is mostly covered by A LOT of straw, so the ducks are not cold.

 

[Amber Dawn]

@Papaye I will definitely share some pics, not sure how good these are to see the whole setup. Once I was sure they were comfortable using ramps, I also built them a raised pool so that I can " harvest" their used water for my garden easily! Right now I have two welsh harlequins, but would like to get two runners next spring hopefully. We also are considering 2 geese, but would definitely need to come up with a rampless setup for them first. We only do females as our priority is eggs (and they are basically pets) but im shocked more people dont use tge Omlet products, they have worked awesome for us! The pic inside the omlet was from when they were babies, we dont put food or water in there anymore. Basically we only enclose them inside the upper toom part when it is very cold/snowy. Most of the time we leave the door open and just lock them in the pen part so they can choose when to go up etc. They do always lay their eggs in the upper part thankfully though since they are easier to collect from there than crawling inside! We will climb in the pen just to see them or clean up and if we HAVE to get them into the upper part, that can sometimes require climbing in to get them to go, which is a pain. I love our setup, but if i were doing ot over again, id have bought the larger standing-height pen and put the upper champer portion inside!

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Happy New Year!!

Sorry for not replying earlier, @Amber Dawn : the Internet is really bad in my area, especially for these last months...!!

@Papaye I will definitely share some pics, not sure how good these are to see the whole setup.

Thank you for the pictures : they are really nice to see!

Once I was sure they were comfortable using ramps, I also built them a raised pool so that I can " harvest" their used water for my garden easily!

Yeah... the best idea for your garden.

That's amazing how duck poop makes a difference with our plantations!

Even for grass, in fact : I always hear that duck poop is bad for grass (because it is supposed to burn it), but from my observations, grass is actually greener where I throw buckets of water from my duck pool...?!

(I have to say : that's so cute how you built the pool! Good work!!)

We also are considering 2 geese, but would definitely need to come up with a rampless setup for them first.

Hmmmm... what breed do you consider, exactly?

Geese can get so big that I do wonder if the bigger breeds would be able to actually get inside an Eglu?
If not, you could always built it without the front panel, if possible...?

Otherwise, let your Eglu Cube to your ducks, and cover the space beneath - ground and sides - with heavy, solid plastic panels...?
Maybe using the Zippi Platforms for the sides, and ordinary plastic grattings for the ground...?
(Or I am being stupid here, and you need to ignore me...?)

If ever you find a solution, do share it...?
I am really curious : how would people use Omlet products for geese?!!

We only do females as our priority is eggs (and they are basically pets) but im shocked more people dont use tge Omlet products, they have worked awesome for us!

Some people don't like Omlet, but personally, I am happy with their products : they are sturdy, easy to clean, movable, comfortable for the birds... I know I don't have to burn them if ever I have a red mites infestation (so I don't lose money), and I can take them with me if I have to move from my home... (which is a relief!)

But I think Omlet still could do better.

In the past, I have asked them if they could make bigger doors for the runs, so people that are in wellchair could get inside...
The Zippi runs (for the rabbits and guinea pigs) would be better with bigger doors too, because I really don't know how people on the bigger side do to get inside...?

Basically we only enclose them inside the upper toom part when it is very cold/snowy. Most of the time we leave the door open and just lock them in the pen part so they can choose when to go up etc.

How cold do you mean?

Your ducks should be fine in the cold, so I don't think you need to bother yourselves to keep them enclosed in the coop - even during the coldest nights...?

They do always lay their eggs in the upper part thankfully though since they are easier to collect from there than crawling inside!

Oooooooh... you are lucky, indeed!
They have to really like their coop to always lay in there; ah, ah!

I love our setup, but if i were doing ot over again, id have bought the larger standing-height pen and put the upper champer portion inside!

You can connect the coop to any Omlet run.
(You don't need to do it exactly as Omlet tell you to.)

I connect my chickens' Eglu Cube to the 115 cm tall chicken run.
I just remove a 90 x 90 cm panel from the runs I use, and the door (the two square panels, not the entire thing) from the Eglu Cube run.
And I connect them, and use the surplus of small panels I always keep if I need to cover an empty space. (Can happen, if we are not being extra-careful!)

Since you have a 3 meters long run, you can remove a part so you keep it 2 meters long, and you then connect it to another run of your choice.
Just think to do it correctly, and keep the panels you don't plan to use just in case you need them to cover the empty space you could have from removing the 90 x 90 cm panel. (And you can even keep a panel just to bar the space directly beneath the Eglu Cube to your ducks if you want to!)