Allotments 4 All
Produce => Kept Animals => Topic started by: OllieC on September 16, 2008, 09:53:25
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Has anyone looked into getting one of these or got one? I'm pretty sure we're going to get one - if for no other reason than the MIL thinks it wouldn't be very practical!
We have a small urban garden, which is just within their guidelines for minimum size. Having grown up with chickens, I'm not too worried about that side of it. I've trawled the internet and think we're now almost ready... any thoughts from anyone?
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Go for it Ollie - You need something to cheer yourself up! Are you going to get the chooks that are supplied with the Eglu - ex batts - or special makes?
Keep us informed!
Old Bird
;D
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Ha! I knew you'd think it was a good idea, OB!
The ones they supply look sensible enough to me - I know that Ginger Nut Rangers aren't the most exotic, but they're pretty practical. I actually prefer the look of a more conventional house for them than the Eglu, but after reading about your mite problem, the plastic sounds easier to keep them under control & we are pretty limited for space.
I like the idea of ex batteries, but we're only getting 2 and with what they've been through, as you know, they don't always do as well as more privileged chooks.
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Hi,
We briefly looked at the Eglu - and think they are great, but the cost of them put me off.
Instead we are looking at a more standard wooden coop with a run, but plan to let them out as often as possible anyway.
But I'd say if you can afford them - go for it!
Cheers
l_g
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We quite fancied the eglu but we talked to a couple of bird suppliers and they weren't keen. They said the plastic might be easier to keep clean but was too cold in the winter and too hot in summer. It looked good for people who hadn't kept chickens before but a wooden one was better. But then they might say that anyway. In the end we decided we would have to wait until we had more time but I would love to hear how you get on.
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Well, I've ordered one, with 3 chickens... Delivery is due for 20th October. I'm considerably more excited about it than Annabelle is! 2 Miss Pepperpots and a Gingerbread Ranger...
The cost of an Eglu worried us a bit too, but 2 year old second hand ones still fetch £250 and if you consider it as a depreciating asset, it's less bad. Also, our garden is 35 ft by 12 ft which I reckon is pushing it for an Ark or normal coop... I'm still not sure if they look poncy or cool!
We intend to have the house in the shade of a tree in summer, and nearer our house in winter so I don't think temperature extremes are as bad as they would be for a lot of people. Also, living in the town centre in the South of England, it's pretty warm all the time. At least that's what we hope!
Thanks for the comments - I shall update as & when there's news!
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Yes I also looked at the eglu too, but decided it was too small and too expensive, although now after the red mites I wished I'd got one !!
I think they look really cool and trendy !
If you only have a small garden, what about the noise ? your neighbours? My hens (no cockerel) are at the bottom of my garden ( which is about 130 ft long) but on a couple of occasions (usually around 6.30am on a weekend) they or rather one of them ,makes such a racket ! just a sort of 'crowing' noise but quite loud and they it wont stop until I go down to them and let them out into the bigger run ! God knows what my neighbours think ! the houses at the end of my garden are actually nearer to them than me! so they must be disturbed by them !! I feel really bad about that
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Fortunately for us, there's a really busy road at the bottom of our garden, so the roar of traffic should drown out the sound of chickens! Well, it does mean that everyone has double glazing at the back of their house too!
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Oh well you'll prob be ok then ! My neighbours do have double glazing but on one occassion when they were making a racket, i noticed that the house nearest (i dont know the residents) bedroom window was wide open as it was summer, I cant believe i didnt get a complaint !! I have half a dozen eggs on standby as a sweetner !
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It's a strange thing but... I find the sound of chickens clucking quite relaxing, whereas a dog barking is really annoying.
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Ollie
When you get the idea of clucking back and going on snail and slug hunts you will then get the full benefit. Mine at home talks to to whoever is on the phone - not quite sure what she is saying but she thinks she is making sense - only a matter of time don't you think!
Yes their contented clucking is very peace inspiring - I also like the excited clucking when they see or hear me coming - that too is a welcome - which I appreciate!
Not long now til you get yours - or have you got them yet?
Old Bird
;D
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20th October is "C Day"... we're open to suggestions for names- so far I like:
Martha, Sam & Ben (my siblings)
K,F & C (one of my friends suggestions)
Annabelle wants to call 2 of them Sam & the other one Ollie. She's very funny.
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Ollie
I like the name of the make of your bird Mrs Pepperpot and you must have a Henrietta in there too!
Old Bird
;D
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we have a henrietta, ginger, baldy and baldy head ..don't know what we'll do when the feathers re-grow ;D
mind you, we've 18 so they're not all named
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We quite fancied the eglu but we talked to a couple of bird suppliers and they weren't keen. They said the plastic might be easier to keep clean but was too cold in the winter and too hot in summer. It looked good for people who hadn't kept chickens before but a wooden one was better. But then they might say that anyway. In the end we decided we would have to wait until we had more time but I would love to hear how you get on.
Well I think that person was anti Eglu due to ignorance. It is especially designed with a twin walled construction to be warm in winter and cool in summer!!
My two residents have no complaints!
Lousie
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Hi Louise
I agree - had I got the money and less space I too would have had an eglu!
The only reason I didn't was that I wanted the chooks up the lottie and the eglu is emminently "nickable" and "re-saleable"! I do think they are very expensive though - but they are ideal for what they made for!
Old Bird
Incidentally Louise - you must be careful with typing your name otherwise people will be calling you Lousie! That is my second name at the moment. Just going up there to sort out my "louse" problem!!
Ann
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You've got me itching all over again, OB, just thinking about it. Yuck!!!
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If my site does allow us to keep chickens I will get one of these and hang the expense.
After reading about these red mites and them hiding in the wood I am thinking no way could I put up with that. :'(
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Ollie C - regarding names, I have 4 and they are named after the ladies on Coronation Street ! Dierdre, Blanch, Audrey and Gail ! thought this was fun
I also contemplated naming them after some sexy girl bands, like say the spice girls, or super models Naomi, Kate etc., just to take the p***
But if you have a little one, how about naming them after the tweenies, teletubbies or something like that.
Have fun !
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You've got me itching all over again, OB, just thinking about it. Yuck!!!
just wait untill Annabelle starts school your gonna love the itchys she brings home for you
lbb
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You've got me itching all over again, OB, just thinking about it. Yuck!!!
just wait untill Annabelle starts school your gonna love the itchys she brings home for you
lbb
Don't!! When I used to work with some really underprivileged families, their kids were always climbing over me & leaving me with infestations of their little friends...
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ollie what colour eglu are you geting?
lbb
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ollie what colour eglu are you geting?
lbb
Only just noticed your question, lbb... We're getting a purple one... Not long now!
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Hi Louise
I agree - had I got the money and less space I too would have had an eglu!
The only reason I didn't was that I wanted the chooks up the lottie and the eglu is emminently "nickable" and "re-saleable"! I do think they are very expensive though - but they are ideal for what they made for!
Old Bird
Incidentally Louise - you must be careful with typing your name otherwise people will be calling you Lousie! That is my second name at the moment. Just going up there to sort out my "louse" problem!!
Ann
I got my Eglu seconhand - and it looks like new!!
I am always mistyping my name
LOL
Louise
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ollie what colour eglu are you geting?
lbb
Only just noticed your question, lbb... We're getting a purple one... Not long now!
Mine is puple too! - love it!
Louise
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It's definitely the best colour! Just got the call - chooks arrive on Monday... and we're still not sure about names...
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Need to panic now Ollie - fancy not having names ready for your girls! What happens if the names don't fit?
We will look forward to news of how your girls settle in!
--- and of course what names you eventually decide on!!
Old Bird
;D
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thats so cool, i bet your excited :)
what does Annabelle whant to name them?
lbb
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thats so cool, i bet your excited :)
what does Annabelle whant to name them?
lbb
This morning she suggested: "Sam I am", "Green Eggs" and "Ham"... Is laughing at your kids the same as laughing at your own jokes?!?!
Took her to get a haircut today.
Hairdresser: How do you want it cut?
Annabelle: With scissors.
Hairdresser: Very good, but what shape do you want?
Annabelle: Triangles
Hairdresser: Sorry?
Annabelle: You know, like toast sometimes... when it isn't squares...
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i bet you all cant wait
not long now
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Ollie or any Eglu owner.................have looked at these on ebay.............how are they fox proof please??
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Hiya... They're not! See what Phill says here:
http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=18008&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15
I don't know Phill, but it looks pretty genuine!
I think Eglu try very hard to hush up any kills (the topic on the Eglu sight on "how did you lose yours" only has mentions of the door being left open - but I know their site is very heavily modded). I would say that they are highly fox resistant, the run has a "skirt" of plastic coated steel all the way around the outside and the house is very solid.
But I think a very determined fox will eventually find a way.
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Thanks Ollie I have just had a look.
I suppose if you sink a perimeter fence around it say 3 ft deep that would help.
Lot of digging though. :)
Then again you probally need to move it around.
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I don't think urban foxes are as determined as rural ones (neither does my former game keeper uncle). Ours urban ones are fat and lazy in comparison, and there is plenty of scavenging to be found, especially with so much fortnightly bin emptying. So I'm not too worried. I know I've had a visitor, but there's not been any digging around the edge. For now I'm just keeping a close watch.
I know if they get the chance, they'll kill them all for fun, but there's not as much drive for food as in the wild.
I also think that no matter how upsetting it is to lose a chicken, it is a risk we have to accept - like cats getting run over, some animals are particularly exposed to a particular risk. We can only do our best!
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I should think that they are pretty fox proof though!
The fox that attacked my run came in high and there was signs round about waist height so thats about 3 ft and it went up to 6 ft. I think that "skirt" deters foxes from digging in as it means they will have to dig further and deeper and unless they get to learn to open the catches the wire is much stronger than the netting I have used. It hasn't been back yet - thankfully - but it will come back.
A girlfriend suggested an electric fence would certainly put it off - so looking into the feasibility of that!
Old Bird
:o
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Hope you get it sorted soon Ann.If I lived nearer I would come and help you.
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we've got flags all the way round our run but it isn't moveable ;D
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A little update here:
What's the difference between feathers and eggs?
Every time I look I see f in feathers, but there's still no f in eggs...
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;D
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Maybe you should mime the action of laying an egg in front of them.Complete with noises.
Maybe they will get the idea ::)
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In response to an earlier post......
The Eglu itself IS foxproof!!
The run however only claims to be Fox resistant!!! It's very much down to a combination of things such as installation and maintenance. You need to have it on flat ground and peg it down securely, then you should be Ok!!! But you must close the pop hole door at night to ensure your girls safety. A determined and very hungry fox given long enough could work out how to dig his way in!
I check the integrity of my run daily - vigilance is the key here I think!!
Louise
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Hiya... They're not! See what Phill says here:
http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=18008&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15
I don't know Phill, but it looks pretty genuine!
I think Eglu try very hard to hush up any kills (the topic on the Eglu sight on "how did you lose yours" only has mentions of the door being left open - but I know their site is very heavily modded). I would say that they are highly fox resistant, the run has a "skirt" of plastic coated steel all the way around the outside and the house is very solid.
But I think a very determined fox will eventually find a way.
Omlet do not hush up kills!
In fact there is an active thread on the Omlet forum where you can leave details of what happened to you regarding foxes. Information shared is the way to outwit them after all!
Louise
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Tell Phill that!
http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=18008&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15
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Ollie are you still eggless?
lbb
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Yes, lbb but...
I just went outside & we have a croucher! Woohoo!! Looks like it might be Chicken is going to be the winner!
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Yes, lbb but...
I just went outside & we have a croucher!
prolly constipation ;D
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Yes, lbb but...
I just went outside & we have a croucher!
prolly constipation ;D
No! She was waiting for me to fertilise her eggs... Don't worry, I declined on this occasion! Mind you, she is the best looker...
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we had a beautiful wooden coop but it was awkward to clean out (lots of bending down and nooks and crannies) we also got red mite in there and despite our supreme best efforts, we couldn't get rid of them! We bit the bullet and invested in a cube and it's so much easier to maintain. I agonised for ages over the cost but we paid about £200 for the wooden one which lasted less than 12 months!
(http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/290808.1.jpg)
(http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/290808.5.jpg)
(http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/230908.6.jpg)
(http://www.liverpoolpoet.talktalk.net/230908.1.jpg)
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We quite fancied the eglu but we talked to a couple of bird suppliers and they weren't keen. They said the plastic might be easier to keep clean but was too cold in the winter and too hot in summer. ....
they are double walled so very well insulated. These people haven't checked their facts I'm afraid. Our girls are toasty warm in their cube and I know they're nicely waterproofed too (our wooden one also started to leak which was another reason we got rid).
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Tell Phill that!
http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=18008&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15
A lot of chicken safety is down to luck and vigilance. I never get foxes in my garden, but I never let the girls out on their own. Omlet don't claim that no fox could ever get in but providing you stake down the run and make sure adequate clips are in place and always shut the door etc ....is is pretty d**n good! Foxes can bite through chickenwire, so the weldmesh is a better bet!
A lot of this is down to choice at the end of the day - I find it easier to clean and thats enough for me - I have better things to do with my time - such as going down the lottie! I kept rabbits years ago and was a slave to keeping the hutch clean - It was a disgusting thing to clean and eventually ended up stained and smelly no matter what you did to it!
I bought mine second hand (a year old) and have no regrets and would love a cube if I had more space. So much of this eglu/cube knocking is really silly! Akin to knockinng people who are now queuing up for allotments - what does it bl**dy well matter if they "jumping on the bandwago" so to speak - if popele are getting more involved in where their food comes from and how it's produced - then to me that's a good thing!
Personally I love the look of some of the wooden coops - but I just don't wish to be a slave to cleaning them out!
Louise