Eglu owners? Top tips needed please...

[henmother]

Hello, after my riding accident and subsequent paraplegia I am in the unfortunate position of having to rehome some of my family, as I can't look after them or expect others to. Guinea pig has gone to sisters for an open ended holiday. My two Bantys, a grumpy white Wyandotte and a super light Sussex are going to a nursery for a new life. The nursery are buying an Eglu cube for them. Currently they live in a wooden coop with large run- which has a roof and 3 of the four sides protected with heavy duty plastic, they Frange every day.
anyhoo, have you got any tips re the Eglu, having never had one I don't know any. I'm going to give the teaching staff some of the tips I've picked up over the years to help them care for my ladies, any suggestions would will be great.
thankyou.

 

[YasandCrystal]

Sorry for your situation and having to rehome your pets. Yes eglus are great homes for hens - they are cool in summer and warm and insulated in winter. The easy cleaning is the great part - very easy to keep clean and keep the environment mite free. Mites are the biggest problem imo with wooden houses as is the risk of a fox attack.
You can jet wash the eglu. I can't think of any more particular tips relating to an eglu.

 

[henmother]

Thank you yasandcrystal, it's hard watching my little gang shrink, but it's for the best, for now anyway. I put shavings in coop, in nesting boxes and under roosting bars, then sprinkle liberally with diatom, I also use bio dry during winter, would you think that regime should continue. Also , do you think a coop cup would attach to the run, just for grit and crushed baked egg shells ?

 

[YasandCrystal]

Yes that routine/bedding regime sounds good. I use diatom powder - you can add it to their corn or pellets too as a wormer. I bed mine (although now they have taken to roosting high in the barn and pooing everywhere!) on shredded paper which like sawdust is good for not housing any crawlies and easy to douse with diatom powder. I have 2 guninea pigs - bought for my youngest son as a birthday gift by my daughter. I have tended them for the past 7 and a half years. They are showing their age now - big midriffs, bony backs - but lovely all the same - I like the way they sing when they see you.

 

[henmother]

Thankyou, I'll pass on for them to continue, sure they'll have plenty of shredded paper, which would go into the compost bin after use. I cleaned them thoroughly weekly, using diluted dettol and making sure the diatom got puffed into the nooks and crannies. So they would clean weekly, maybe jet wash it monthly?
I love guinea pigs, and yes, when they shout for attention they are the cutest little hairy ever! Mine, little Paulie, would shout when he heard the fridge door open, he was and is a spoilt indoor pig. Aww yours are getting on, but still so cute. A happy pig just makes you smile.

 

[WelshD]

Bit late to this but here are my tips

When buying an eglu make sure you get the two squares of mesh that sit slightly under the eglu itself as otherwise this area is vulnerable to foxes

Keep the area under the slide out drawer free of debris so the catch clicks in correctly. If you are worried about this place a brick behind the drawer

A little square of lino stops bedding escaping out the nestbox drainage hole

Dont use newspaper to line any part of the coop or nestbox as the hens will drag this out

A sprinkle of Stalosan and aubiose in the drawer works a treat

I persinally dont use the roosting bars but if you do check umder them regularly for mites

Mites also like the joins around the nestbox

A pressure washer is good for cleaning out the gaps

If you use the run extensions resign yourself to shifting the whole thing to clean out the run - fine if you move it around but tricky to get at all parts of the run with the standard 2m run let alone an extended one

Use a 20p slotted in the run clips and twisted to undo them

Add a few cable ties as the run clips degrade in time and can split

I dont shut the doors of my coops but with an eglu you can nearly close the door and the hens push the door on their way out in the morning - handy if someone wants a lie in!

Two 2m Wickes clear corrugated plastic panels slightly overlapped and attached with bungie cords make an ideal winter cover, reduce to one held on with a shade in the summer

If you leave it in one place too long the grass will matt the skirt sections up and it will be a nightmare to move again

The eggport door is supposed to be wobbly, its normal

I hope they get on with it - i'm a huge Eglu fab and have several

Lots more tips on the Omlet 'Club' forum

 

[henmother]

Thanks WelshD! Hens are still with me until the nursery school take delivery of their eglu so not too late. Thank you. I thought plastic coops didn't get mite infestations,thought that was one of their selling points? I disenfect with a Dettol solution and squirt diatom throughout. I use bio dri in winter when they go to bed early.
The eglu will be situated on the nursery grounds, they also own the adjoining land which is a big woods so foxes are probably about. Will be making sure their area is secure before they get tucked in. Will pass on your tips, thankyou.

 

[WelshD]

Sadly an eglu can get red mite infestations, the worst red mite ive ever had here were in an eglu.

The plastic does make them much easier to eradicate though

The disinfecting and diatom routine you have is perfecr and should be continued by the new keepers

 

[henmother]

Oh deary me!! Think the new keepers are expecting to not have to deal with red mite!I will be sure to get them to continue the same regime. Thanks WelshD.

 

[WelshD]

Yes sadly the eglu is not red mite proof, the mites live in cracks not actually in the wood so the gaps in the eglu's construction are as vulnerable as any others