[Celtic Eagle]

I've sort of bin lurkin on this bit of the forum time to get out in the open . I've read the wood vs eglu thread, spent ages on the Omlet site and had a look at their forum Yep guess I'm hooked  so Ok where do I sign up an start

Provisos
home based not on the lottie
pets first eggs a bonus but need to be reasonable layers
cost eglus are not cheap

What's a good breed to keep ?

What's a reasonable price for a 2nd hand eglu?


Sure I'll come back with more but gotta do some work

Ta

[Lost in France]

I'll get in here first...!

SILKIES are lovely, cuddly, fluffy and very friendly and they get broody at the drop of a hat! They lay well, although mine are just banty's so little eggs but delicious. They make them in lovely colours too! :roll: (The silkies not the eggs!! )

Why not get some marans for lovely big brown eggs and then keep a couple of silkies as well!

Just wait though ...because...here comes babe and we all know what she will suggest...!!    

Good luck, sure you won't regeret whatever you get...just be prepared to waste loads of time just watching!! Also be prepared to go all gushy about them on the forum!!

Judi

[Jellyhead]

Yes Judi is dead right but I will also agree with Babe and say Polands are lovely too. I have both types and more. You will enjoy whatever you have THEY ARE 100% ADDICTIVE AND LOVABLE, pretty much like all the people on this forum really  :oops:  :shock:      

[babe]

Hi eagle, first off, eglu's are wonderful, but you won't save much buying second hand. they keep thier price really well.

are you going for the cube ? or the regular?

that will help you decide if to go for bantams or large fowl.

YES JUDI.. polands are my favourite.  

but i would advise anyone starting out to have a good look through all the photo's on here, as you will see some amazing photo's of all types of breed.

and as eggs are not your top priority, go for the breeds that make you go 'Ahhh' .

[bedifferent]

I think that a cheap shed conversion is the way forward and fill it with lovely fluffy cochins!!!

[Aunt Sally]

Celtic Eagle

Now you are in the Hen House... YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE      

Many have done the Maths and an eglu can even work out cheaper than wood (old pallets excepted) over the life of the coop.

[poultrygeist]

...OR....

You could be totally soft and just get ex-batts ?

Or is that inadvisable as a first experience ?

I made my woody for about £100 using some odds and ends I had and a load of shiplap and 2x1 as well as ply for the floor and door.

I should think if you are going to buy a decent wooden coop it would cost similar to an eglu anyway. there are a lot of cheaper ones out there but looking at them, you do get exactly what you pay for.

Rob

[Foxy]

hello celtic -any idea how many you would like (yes I guys I know how long is a peice of string??? ) The plasticky boxy things are quite small!second hand sheds are so reasonable! One of my henhouses is a converted playhouse and its looks lovely in the garden.

[Zak the Rabbit]

mine live in a custom bult house, but its about the size of a small shed. with the run takes up only about 15ft x 6ft, and ive 4 girls, comercial birds ISA warrens (think), great layers, i average 7 in two days (3.5 per day? ), and they are smashing, friendly, happy, loopy, will eat out my hand, go mad for a cabbage, try and outwit me to get into the garden! and so inquisitive, if i shut the pop hole while there outside they line up on the ramp to find out wht im doing!

[richyrich7]

Warrens are a lovely friendly hybrid very docile reasonably quite too, they will sit on your spade as you dig the garden waiting for worms  
Easy to keep and seem pretty light on feed.

[LoopyLu]

We too are looking at getting an Eglu. At first the cube, but readin posts on the Omlet forum regarding leaks into the nest box, I'm having 2nd thoughts. The only problem with the original eglu is your restricted on numbers, I'm sooo going to end up with more than 2!! I keep looking at wooden houses (can get a massive one for the price of an Eglu Cube) but then all that upkeep puts me off! I'm sooooo confused!!!  :?

I would avoid 2nd hand eglus, I seen one 3yrs old on Ebay last week go for £350....an extra £10 they could of had a brand new one!...madness! (or stupidity).

We have still not decided on breeds, like you we want pets but a steady supply of eggs, already got orders from friends and family! So will no doubt go for hybrids.

Good Luck!

Lucy

[Viv]

EEER What upkeep, its a labour of love, every one has their own ideal house, I prefer the wooden ones, and good advice would be to go  for the biggest that you can afford. I started with just a few, but got bitten by the bug and now have a hodge pdge of houses and 14 various hens and one cock that free range, 3 yokohammas in their own house and run, 12 Brahma & Cochin  two week old chicks and an incubator with 18 fertile mixed breeds ready to hatch.
 :roll:  :roll:  :roll:

[Zak the Rabbit]

EEER What upkeep, its a labour of love,

labour? a good clean out of mine takes about 15mins, including a careful pest hunt and a check for damage/leaks. The waste goes in its own compost bin with the grass cuttings. Thats once a week for 4 birds, in between they get a quick clean if needed or a top up of beddng. Other than that they take about 2mins in the morning and 5 in evening, assuming they need a drinker filling.

the hard tasks for me are, 1. collecting eggs cos they insist on laying in the furthest corner!, and 2. giving them treats, not only because i like to spend time hand feeding them and talking to them, but because it takes ages to chuck them back in the run after they escape onto the lawn. luckily the dont go more than a few feet away, but as fast as you get one in the next comes out!

i really must reengineer the house to put the nest box where they want it.

[Celtic Eagle]

I'm fed up

Council not very happy about chooks at home Ok with 'em on the lottie but I don't really want them on the lottie sort of defeats the object .

Good job I've not bought owt.

[DaddyJay]

Mine live in a highly converted large dog kennel, they seem happy enough. Would like to put them in a shed though, just got to get round to buying one!

How come nobody recommends the Rhode Island Reds, are they not a popular chicken anymore?

DJ