Extreme Temperature Blanket for Eglu Cube

[-Chanticleer-]

Chickens are heavily insulated. Their feet are main concerns during extreme heat or cold, as they use them to regulate body temp along with panting. If your coop is built to withstand wind then you shouldn’t need anything else during the winter. Keep the coop dry and wind resistant. Warm water so as not to freeze plenty of food and ventilation and your chickens should do just fine during the winter.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

@NatJ was able to lay it out perfectly for winterizing coops. Here is the thread if you want to read it, hope it helps.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/first-winter.1602475/#post-27265642

 

[SirSquirrelNutz]

What we ended up doing was buying an untreated 1x4, cutting a couple perches, then slotting them into the existing roost tray with wooden "cleats" (don't know if this is the best word). This allows them to sit on their feet and warm up. The chickens love them. I can take a photo this afternoon if you're interested.

Love to see pics.

 

[Penpal]

thecatumbrella, good good!

Wood is warm. Certainly in comparison with rocks, metal, or plastic. And, as stated, since chickens roost while sitting on their feet, they have a built in down comforter.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Love to see pics.

I can't remember the exact size of the smaller pieces (maybe 1x2 furring strips?), but they fit pretty tight between the slats. Minimal movement in all 4 directions, easy to remove/clean. We sanded the boards for comfort, and recessed the screws in the top so there are no pokey bits. My only concern is that 3 are reluctant to share one roost; someone inevitably gets left out and I'm worried about that one getting cold. We're going to try and create a single roost going the opposite direction using the same concept.

Should also mention that while we're using puppy pads in the tray now, we're going to switch to hemp or pine shavings for the winter as added insulation. Hope this helps!

 

[SirSquirrelNutz]

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I can't remember the exact size of the smaller pieces (maybe 1x2 furring strips?), but they fit pretty tight between the slats. Minimal movement in all 4 directions, easy to remove/clean. We sanded the boards for comfort, and recessed the screws in the top so there are no pokey bits. My only concern is that 3 are reluctant to share one roost; someone inevitably gets left out and I'm worried about that one getting cold. We're going to try and create a single roost going the opposite direction using the same concept.

Should also mention that while we're using puppy pads in the tray now, we're going to switch to hemp or pine shavings for the winter as added insulation. Hope this helps!

Awesome. So you think something a like a capital letter "i" for roosting bars might be good? I can pocket screw that together. Love this idea. How often do you clean out the dropping tray? Current my wife will shred the newspaper for the bottom of the tray and clean out daily. She just adds it to the compost.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Awesome. So you think something a like a capital letter "i" for roosting bars might be good? I can pocket screw that together. Love this idea. How often do you clean out the dropping tray? Current my wife will shred the newspaper for the bottom of the tray and clean out daily. She just adds it to the compost.

You could absolutely do something like that. Definitely post with pics if you do; I'm always looking for better ideas! We clean the tray every day. I can't imagine letting it go any longer, especially since they're sleeping 2 inches from it.

 

[SirSquirrelNutz]

You could absolutely do something like that. Definitely post with pics if you do; I'm always looking for better ideas! We clean the tray every day. I can't imagine letting it go any longer, especially since they're sleeping 2 inches from it.

Will post and agree with cleaning daily.

 

[Dan Hall]

Omlet makes a handful of bogus claims. It's basically a glorified cooler. I wouldn't be surprised if the blanket is complete bunk, but they already got half our bank account... so why not!

And yes, for anyone else reading to learn about Omlet products: the ventilation is not ideal. You need to be very mindful about how many birds you're keeping, how often you clean it (ie: EVERY DAY), and keeping the Eglu itself sheltered from sun/wind.

We've had to make several adjustments to get it to work in our climate (New England, with hot summers and cold winters). The build quality and customer service are FANTASTIC, but you really can't expect to just set it and forget it.

How is it working now? I am looking to buy one?

 

[tlcmurphy]

How is it working now? I am looking to buy one?

OP hasn’t been on BYC since 2024