Eglu Pro extra large coop

[Schungjohnson]

My eglu pro extra large chicken coop will be arriving at the end of Feb!!! I can't wait! My chicks won't be going out soon, as they are just about 2 weeks old, but their coop will be prepared and ready for them when we start to introduce them outside at 5-6 weeks, and then hopefully fully outside in the coop at 8 weeks.

The pro is BRAND NEW and their biggest coop yet- we preordered in the beginning of Feb.

Anyone else on here got the pro? Or pre ordered?

I will most definitely be keeping everyone updated once we have it and use it.

 

[nuthatched]

Eglus are well constructed and made to please people but they're aren't made for chickens instincts or comfort.
They're way too small, have little ventilation and get HOT in the summer. Have you ever used a portapotty in summer?
Is it too late to cancel your order?
For that amount of money, (or even half it) you can get a nice shed and convert it.
Or find a handy man that can?
I don't mean to rain on your parade but eglus are a con job and i dont want you to be another victim. Do a site search for eglu.

 

[Schungjohnson]

Eglus are well constructed and made to please people but they're aren't made for chickens instincts or comfort.
They're way too small, have little ventilation and get HOT in the summer. Have you ever used a portapotty in summer?
Is it too late to cancel your order?
For that amount of money, (or even half it) you can get a nice shed and convert it.
Or find a handy man that can?
I don't mean to rain on your parade but eglus are a con job and i dont want you to be another victim. Do a site search for eglu.

Oh wow-
I appreciate your input in this! The Eglu pro is their newest coop and they considered all input from customers and have made many adjustments. I'm going to try it out and I have done extensive research and read/watched many reviews (not paid for) before considering spending the money on an Eglu Pro.

 

[aart]

How many birds do you have?
At less than 3' x 5' inside(probably includes nest area) it's still pretty darn small,
and definitely not large enough for 10-15 birds.

 

[Schungjohnson]

How many birds do you have?
At less than 3' x 5' inside(probably includes nest area) it's still pretty darn small,
and definitely not large enough for 10-15 birds.
View attachment 3754599

I have 16 chickens and will try 10-15 in the coop. If it doesn't work out, I have plan B for the ones that don't fit.

Essentially, the Eglu is their "sleeping" and nesting area. When they aren't doing those two things, they will be in a spacious run. We will also be moving their whole set up around in a circular pattern so they will get a new area to root and forage in. The Eglu is by no means an area for them to "hang out" in.

I've seen others' wooden coops and it's filled with their toys, water, ladders, food, nesting boxes, etc... All of my chickens' accessories will be in the run, with the things that need covering, covered. Additionally, with the water, it will be heated through the winter so it won't be frozen. As for the food, it will be covered to avoid other critters from getting to it.

All in all, we decided on the Eglu because predator proofing is so imporant to us and we love the idea of it keeping the weather outside (summer heat out, winter cold out).

Lastly, Omlet has a 180-day money back guarantee so if it really doesn't work out, we will very much be returning it.

Personally, keeping of farm animals have really changed in the recent years and I feel keeping an open mind on new things isn't a bad idea. If this kind of thing makes it easier for people to "make" their own food for themselves and their family, and at the same time, keeping animals' health in mind, I think it's amazing!

I will keep this thread going to update about my Eglu experience for those interested especially because the Eglu Pro is newer and only a handful of people have it as of right now.

Constructive comments are welcomed!

 

[L-plate chicken mum]

If you have racoons around I’d definitely add the door locks if you haven’t already
Good luck with it all

 

[Schungjohnson]

If you have racoons around I’d definitely add the door locks if you haven’t already
Good luck with it all

They say with the type of locks that are on the doors, raccoons would not be able to get in. But we will definitely be keeping an eye out. We will also be monitoring what predators are in the area when our chickens are out with a camera.

 

[TooCheep]

Raccoons are almost strictly night-time predators. Where are you located? That makes a big difference for which predators you may be dealing with. Adding your general location to your profile will make it easier for people to offer constructive answers.
---
Unfortunately, I have to echo others concerns about the size of the coop. The common rule-of-thumb for backyard chickens is 1ft of roost/adult bird, 4sqft/bird in the coop and 10sqft/bird in the daytime run area.

Based on those numbers, the eglu pro has space for 3 adult chickens. You are guaranteeing behavioral/bullying problems with such a small coop and 10+ birds.

I'm afraid that *every* prefab coop that I've ever seen uses numbers closer to factory farms than what more humane backyard chicken owners would want to use. Eglu is no different.

More space allows the chickens to move around and minimize aggression. Also, their sanitized picture of a coop with run on a manicured lawn is wildly misleading. Assuming you use the tractor feature to move the coop/run, you will have to move it every 1-2 days to give your lawn any chance of keeping up with the amount of scratching/pooping from a large group of hens. This doesn't even consider the fact that you will need to park it for the winter (depending on your location) which will absolutely strip that area. That is from my own experience with chicken tractors.

Good luck, seriously.

 

[nuthatched]

I'm going to try it out

I have 16 chickens and will try 10-15 in the coop. If it doesn't work out, I have plan B for the ones that don't fit.

Essentially, the Eglu is their "sleeping" and nesting area. When they aren't doing those two things, they will be in a spacious run. We will also be moving their whole set up around in a circular pattern so they will get a new area to root and forage in. The Eglu is by no means an area for them to "hang out" in.

I've seen others' wooden coops and it's filled with their toys, water, ladders, food, nesting boxes, etc... All of my chickens' accessories will be in the run, with the things that need covering, covered. Additionally, with the water, it will be heated through the winter so it won't be frozen. As for the food, it will be covered to avoid other critters from getting to it.

All in all, we decided on the Eglu because predator proofing is so imporant to us and we love the idea of it keeping the weather outside (summer heat out, winter cold out).

Lastly, Omlet has a 180-day money back guarantee so if it really doesn't work out, we will very much be returning it.

Personally, keeping of farm animals have really changed in the recent years and I feel keeping an open mind on new things isn't a bad idea. If this kind of thing makes it easier for people to "make" their own food for themselves and their family, and at the same time, keeping animals' health in mind, I think it's amazing!

I will keep this thread going to update about my Eglu experience for those interested especially because the Eglu Pro is newer and only a handful of people have it as of right now.

Constructive comments are welcomed!

Prefab companies use the same space requirements as egg farms, (1sq foot per hen) you know those videos where you see rows and rows hens stuffed into a 2x2 cage with 2 other hens? Those are the space requirements.
There's nothing 'new thing' about it, it's the same inhumane practice, just made of plastic and conveniently in your backyard this time. And the good for 'animals health'....I guarantee you that it doesn't even cross the mind of a prefab designer:
Tight quarters, even just for sleeping, (which is only enough space for 8, max) will cause stress and aggressive behavior in birds, such as picking, cannibalism, egg eating, bullying and drastically reduced lifespans.
Low ventilation will not allow ammonia and water vapors to release, which causes respiratory and ocular issues and frostbite.
Double plastic walls won't 'keep heat and cold out,' it will keep heat in like a green house, so they'll cook in summer and won't do anything in winter since chickens are already insulated with their feathers. The 'smaller coop keeps them warm' is a myth.
Eglus are well known not to be predator proof, especially their runs and doors.
Their metal components are known to rust quickly too since they appear not to be galvanized.
Omelet designs coops to look cute and modern, to attract a certain clientele.

Where did you read reviews? Because omelet keeps a pretty tight reign on 'bad press' across social medias.
I don't quite grasp as to why you'd want a coop that won't even accommodate all of your current flock, let alone one that will not comfortably hold a third of them.

The general rule in coop for experienced backyard chicken owners is at minimum:
4 square feet per bird in the coop.
8 square feet per bird in the run.
1 linear foot of roost space per bird.
1 nest box per 3 birds.
1 square foot of permanent ventilation per bird in the coop.
Those are the minimums, bigger is better, easier and healthier.
You could have 6 birds in this omelet, comfortably.
I once again recommend you reconsider as nothing sours chicken keeping more than a bad coop.

 

[TooCheep]

The general rule in coop for experienced backyard chicken owners is at minimum:
4 square feet per bird in the coop.
8 square feet per bird in the run.
1 linear foot of roost space per bird.
1 nest box per 3 birds.
1 square foot of permanent ventilation per bird in the coop.
Those are the minimums, bigger is better, easier and healthier.
You could have 6 birds in this omelet, comfortably.
I once again recommend you reconsider as nothing sours chicken keeping more than a bad coop.

Very good post overall, but how do you come up with 6 birds? That coop has 13.3sqft interior space, presumably including nest boxes.