Help - Omlet Eglu owners - how to ventilate the roost?

[Bawkbok]

Hi all, we are newbies at this - 3 months now. We live in the south and it's been in the 90s for weeks now and only in the low 80s at night. This coop is supposed to stay cool at night but when the door opens at dawn our girls are panting. The ambient air is much cooler than in the coop. We keep it impeccably clean every day and use triple heated pine shavings in the layer to cut down on dust - which by the way they no longer use since they quit laying two weeks ago with the heat stress. We are concerned with the high humidity and how to keep them cooler by adding a small fan inside the roost area. We contacted Omlet and they suggested not to leave the auto door open and to add a small fan. They offered no suggestions on products and said to reach out to others. They don't offer any such product. The roost area is obviously small (can only house 4 birds, we have 2). We've searched google endlessly and cannot find a SMALL fan to install somehow and placing a fan on the ground outside the run with an extension cord running to the house (ugh) freaks them out and is noisy. Does anyone have this problem or suggestions on what we can do to keep air movement in the roost at night? It is effective at keeping them dry, no humidity or moisture builds up in the roost which is probably why they said to leave the doors closed, but dang, I don't know how we're going to make it through the summer, targeted to be hotter and dryer than normal. As first time chicken momma, I could be overly worried but our EEs shouldn't be stressed or panting first thing in the morning. They are pullets, approx. 6 months old. We're still working on the picture thing - new to this site too. Thanks for your help.

 

[nuthatched]

Can you send it back? Your poor girls are going to cook in an eglu without major work.

 

[Bawkbok]

No refunds as it's not "defective" just probably a poor design? I'm curious if you have experience with an eglu? This was a huge investment and living in bug city of FL, wood is not really a viable option without constant maintenance.

 

[SirSquirrelNutz]

Maybe something like this would help -
Solar Fan with Battery, 9.8" Solar Powered Fans for Shed with 20W High Effic Solar Panel & Exhaust Fan for Greenhouse/Outside with Anti-backflow Valve for Chicken Coop,Greenhouse, Shed, Pet house https://a.co/d/erJvVVs

 

[SirSquirrelNutz]

I have a Omlet Eglu Cube and was thinking about place a fan in these locations:

 

[Chold05]

If it were me... I would probably get the jigsaw out and cut my own ventilation. Just be sure to cover it with hardware cloth (not chicken wire. Predators can rip through it) The issue might be securing the hardware cloth. You Might have to get creative.

 

[SirSquirrelNutz]

Another thing my Cube has good ventilation. For a year now I have sensors for temp & humidity (inside and outside) and very please with the results. The new fan will be more for my wife than the chickens but I am sure they like a "breeze" on some hot nights.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

@Bawkbok I have an eglu cube. It doesn't get as bad as FL here, but I've placed frozen water bottles to keep them cool. I just recently bought a small chargeable fan from Amazon. I hang it near the vent on the hot days.
I'm on an Eglu group on FB and some have taken out the bottom tray and put a screen there. Now, it would depend on your set up and the predators you have as to how to install it so that it's predator proof.
The reason Omlet doesn't have the answers to the issues we have in the US is because they are a UK company. It used to be you couldn't even buy an omlet product here without jumping through hoops.
Let me know if you are on FB, I can post the names of the groups.

 

[Bawkbok]

Hi Crazy Maizie, thank you so much for those great ideas. I would have never thought about freezing water bottles but I notice one of the girls likes to lay up against the water trough after I refill it and add ice cubes, keeps her chest cool.
I am not currently on FB. I appreciate your response and suggestions.

 

[Bawkbok]

Thank you all for these suggestions. I love the renderings of fan placement.
I wish Omlet would have built it with better ventilation in mind - if I knew then what I know now.....