Give me a viable Eglu Cube alternative

[Iluveggers]

We have over 3 acres, but that’s misleading because so much of it is wooded and very steep.

I am currently considering this- I found on Craigslist. Problems would be- even more expensive than Eglu and I still want some type of a run to protect them from aerial predators. I am thinking they will free range when I am out and about. I am still thinking I’ll surround the whole thing with movable poultry fencing because of the bears/foxes, etc.

https://vermont.craigslist.org/grd/d/cuttingsville-large-mobile-chicken-coop/7446927782.html

Thoughts? I am still tempted to try and make something myself because this is so expensive, but I know it could end up being a bigger project than I anticipate.

Thank you!

At ~5x3, it would fit 4 birds max, not the 15 advertised. I see no ventilation in it, and the roost bars are awfully close together.

If you have foxes and bears, I’d be very nervous about not having a predator-proof run and just the electric fencing, especially since it will not stop hawk attacks. The food & water would be outside and not covered which would also attract wildlife.

If you are in Vermont (per thr craigslist ad), you might want to make sure you have a covered run in case Avian Influenza requires it of all chicken owners.

 

[linguini]

We have over 3 acres, but that’s misleading because so much of it is wooded and very steep.

I am currently considering this- I found on Craigslist. Problems would be- even more expensive than Eglu and I still want some type of a run to protect them from aerial predators. I am thinking they will free range when I am out and about. I am still thinking I’ll surround the whole thing with movable poultry fencing because of the bears/foxes, etc.

https://vermont.craigslist.org/grd/d/cuttingsville-large-mobile-chicken-coop/7446927782.html

Thoughts? I am still tempted to try and make something myself because this is so expensive, but I know it could end up being a bigger project than I anticipate.

Thank you!

This looks so cool to me!
You will need more ventilation - both for winter AND summer. (make something that'll work for winter and adjustable for summer. It's very doable. )
And find an easy way to pick up the poops daily (if you have only 6 chickens, it's not too much)

In my opinion, this beats the Eglu. I can see the attractions to Eglu. But once you experience how chickens can relax on the perch in the coop, you will not want to go back to seeing them cramming into a small space which they can since each bird's actual body is really very small, they can really squeeze.

 

[deidreg]

We have over 3 acres, but that’s misleading because so much of it is wooded and very steep.

I am currently considering this- I found on Craigslist. Problems would be- even more expensive than Eglu and I still want some type of a run to protect them from aerial predators. I am thinking they will free range when I am out and about. I am still thinking I’ll surround the whole thing with movable poultry fencing because of the bears/foxes, etc.

https://vermont.craigslist.org/grd/d/cuttingsville-large-mobile-chicken-coop/7446927782.html

Thoughts? I am still tempted to try and make something myself because this is so expensive, but I know it could end up being a bigger project than I anticipate.

Thank you!

Its a cool coop/tractor. I always encourage buying local.

 

[My Three Chicks]

I wanted to share my thoughts on the Omlet Eglu coop which I've had for about a year now. I have the coop in a 9' x 24' walk-in run (also by Omlet). And they free range in my suburban backyard half the day. It works great for us! But I agree that it's not big enough for more than 4 standard sized chickens. I have 4 girls and they are pretty packed in there. I think 3 standard size would be the perfect fit. I live in Southern California so the weather is really nice so they only sleep and lay in there but otherwise in their run and the yard. I agree with previous post that if you live in cold weather, the Eglu would not be a good coop for them to stay in during bad weather since there is just not enough room (and dark...no windows just small ventilation slits). They can't even flap their wings with them all in there. Another thing to think about it with the Eglu is that they don't have traditional roosting bars so the birds just pile up inside and move around to settle in and throughout the night. My sweet Red Sex Link at the bottom of the pecking order can't simply get on a perch and be because the other girls can easily get to her and peck her. It's not bad and she never gets hurt and settles in after a few minutes. But it's just something I would never have thought of before...as I'm new to chickens and these Apr 2021 girls are my first!

 

[plumpybum]

Eglu GREATLY overstates the amount of birds you can (humanely) keep in the Cube. Like someone else has pointed out, it technically does not even have enough space for 2 medium sized birds.

I currently have 4 medium sized birds (barred rocks and Auracanas) with the 9 foot run, and there is a lot of overcrowding behavior (feather pulling and bullying). Planning to get a much larger coop and run this spring to solve this problem.

 

[mo9885]

Hello all,
First time chicken owner here. I plan on purchasing chicks this spring. I am researching coops and getting ready to hit purchase for an Eglu cube. But- I am not thrilled by the $ or the fact that it’s a giant bright hulking piece of plastic. Here is what I need- is there a viable alternative out there??

1) Movable. Not chicken tractor level movable, but currently my plan is to move it about twice a year: (further out by the garden in the summer, closer to the house in the winter). We just moved into a new construction house, and so are still planning the garden out. I do not want to invest $$$ at this time to build an permanent coop since those plans are still being made. Our land is VERY steep- it will be challenge to find level land and I like the way the Eglu cube run can be separated from the coop. I have looked into PVC hoop coops as well, and think that could also be an interesting option. Crazy?

2) Easy-ish to build. We don’t have many tools. I’m just a lady who thinks she can do anything by watching some YouTube videos. If a viable option were to present itself but is too complicated for me to build, I could look into hiring someone but would prefer not to go that route.

3) My husband is less than thrilled with my chicken dreams, so I would like to not involve him. Ie, I don’t want to ask him to build it for me, I don’t want to ask him to clean it, and I don’t even want to ask him to move it for me. So- Eglu cube looks manageable for me.

4) Needs to house 4-6 birds.
5) We are in Vermont so needs to be ready for rough winters.
6) Predators: we have them. I saw a bear in our driveway last fall. We see fox prints regularly in the snow. I see hawks perching on tree branches. Is this a chicken death trap? (For the record, the reason my husband doesn’t want to get chickens is because he think they will all just die)

What do you think? Should I just buy the Eglu cube and call it a day? Should I just let my Little House on the Prairie dreams go and buy eggs from the farm down the road?

Thanks!

Did you end up getting it? How do you like it? I'm considering getting a eglu setup.

 

[LilLee]

Hi all,
Quick update. I did buy an Eglu. I liked that it has a run attached. I did end up also buying a solar powered electric fence, which surrounds the entire set up.

For the most part, I’m really happy and don’t think it was a waste of money at all. I love the Eglu! It’s very very easy to clean. There are many comments on here about the lack of ventilation, but the ventilation is built in and it’s been very hot and it still feels cool and smells good inside the Cube.

The chickens only go in the Cube at night. It will be much too small for winter (it really is small- they don’t seem to mind though, they all pile together at night- I’ve peeked in on them and even though they have more room, they all just huddle up together). For winter, I am planning on covering the entire run with greenhouse plastic, essentially making it a hoop house. We’ll see how that experiment goes, but it should work- just like a hoop coop, right?

I feel like this was a really good way to get started. I do wish I had a sturdier set up, but I also think this will work for me for the next few years. It allowed us entry to chicken keeping (ie, we got to see if it was a good fit for us without investing in a more permanent structure like a shed, etc) and it has a lot of resale value. I built the entire Cube. I move the Cube around. My husband hasn’t touched any part of it. I’ve done it all as a mom with little kids running around me, so I feel like this is so so approachable for people who may not be able to build things.

So all in all, two thumbs up for Eglu Cube. And I’m sure I’ll be back looking to build a bigger coop in year or two.

 

[NatJ]

Hi all,
Quick update.

Thank you for updating in such detail. It's really helpful for anyone else who might be thinking of buying one.

 

[aart]

For winter, I am planning on covering the entire run with greenhouse plastic, essentially making it a hoop house. We’ll see how that experiment goes, but it should work- just like a hoop coop, right?

If you get hoops up....or livestock panels.
Got pics?

How sturdy it needs to be may depend on.....
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Stephoney]

I have 2 cubes and one go up. Two of them I purchased on Craigslist for a much better deal than I paid for the new coop. They house my 13 hens, which sounds like a lot. Honestly like others have said, they huddle together on the roosting bars and would all try to get into one coop if I allowed them to. All three have automatic doors that open at a set time every morning and close every night. They free range during the day and have a large 21 x 16 ft (approx) greenhouse that house the coops. We use the greenhouse as their indoor run, too. It has an auto door that allows me to let them out for free ranging during the day when I’m at work. For those thinking that there just isn’t enough space inside them, I disagree. They lay their eggs in the coops (one at a time) and also in the two chick boxes I have in the greenhouse. Otherwise, they use them to sleep in and that’s it. As soon as the auto door opens, they climb out. During the winter they have the greenhouse to hang out in when the weather is terrible. I have seen people do exactly as you mentioned with covering the run with tarp. I did this before the greenhouse at our previous house and it worked like a charm. I got the clear tarps so they could still see outside the run. The inside area was dry and safe.

I love the Eglu cubes for their ease of cleaning, their safety and construction. I can easily wheel them out of the greenhouse to pressure wash several times a year and I use Sweet PDZ in the trays beneath the roosting bars so cleaning them is as easy as scooping it out. I don’t worry about red mites. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to have a small backyard flock. As mentioned before, their resale value is very good so eventually, if I decide to pair down my flock, I can put them up on craigslist and recoup (ha, ha,ha) most of the initial cost. I don’t know too many Eglu owners that regret their purchase. By the way, I live in the Pacific Northwest in Washington.