The large Eglu Cube chicken coop made by Omlet is perfect whether you live in a city or are rural homesteaders. The coop, which holds up to 10 chickens comes with an awesome run package and the wire mesh around the run is plastic coated [well what did you expect] meaning it will never rust and are purpose designed for the Omlet range, seamlessly fitting straight onto the coop. This forms one of the most secure coop and run packages available anywhere.
The wheels make sure that the whole unit can be moved, like a chicken tractor, to a fresh piece of grass in under 10 seconds, it’s that simple, with no need to remove the chickens from the coop before you move it.
The coop, run, and wheels package is just over $1000, so you want to make sure what you are buying is up to the task and is totally perfect for you. This review will either leave you running for the hills or saying I need one, throwing your credit card at the computer screen.
The trouble with reviews online is some are plain fake [often people paid by the manufacturer] but most only review the product within a week of receiving the items. Either using it to complain if an item is missing or was damaged in the post etc.
No one ever comes back online having owned something for a few years to speak about their experience of owing anything. Here’s where I come in. We’ve had x2 MK1 and x1 MK2 Eglu Cubes and we have our Dorkings in the largest Omlet ‘walk in’ run.
In total we have spent 3-4 thousand bucks with Omlet, and counting! Am I biased, no chance, we live on a farm, actually with several chicken coops and the truth is I dislike buying what we can’t make ourselves in the farm garage/workshop! I’m therefore very critical before spending a dime and having owned coops for over 80 years on the farm we know what works and what doesn’t. And believe me we have had our fair share of fails.
Most people are hung up about plastic for too long before the enjoying the benefits, lets dive straight in an see if Omlets Eglu Cube outperforms most standard wooden chicken coops.
Plastic ‘vs’ Wood [SPOILER: Plastic wins]
No Rotting
Wood rots, it’s inevitable, whether you sand and varnish it every darn year, it will still eventually rot. Put simply, Omlet Eglus just don’t have this issue. The health issues associated to damp and rotting wood are plentiful and are exacerbated for chickens who are prone to respiratory diseases.
Longevity
Lifespan – due to all wood rotting, this will dramatically affect the lifespan of any coop [for the worse.] You can therefore expect the Omlet Cube to outlast most wooden coops about 3 times over! Not only that they have a 30 day money back guarantee PLUS they come with a 10 year warranty!.
Breathability & Ventilation
Wood is breathable and this is great within coops as it allows the coop to cool during summer and will help remove excessive moisture. The guys and girl designing the Eglu where obviously fully aware of this as they have designed it with super ventilation out performing any wooden counterpart.
The trick wasn’t just to place vents anywhere as that could place your hens in a draught. Being in a draught would make them sick very quickly, as chickens do catch colds. Omlet have placed 3 vents in total in strategic locations.
On the front there is a vent near to the top of the coop, this is important as hot air rises, meaning it has somewhere to easily escape. This vent will directly cool the nesting area during hot weather making sure you chickens don’t over heat whilst they are laying.
We think this is typically why most Omlet Cube owners [us included] say their chickens lay a huge number of eggs in them and their chickens are really happy. The remaining two vents on the rear provide more ventilation and thus allows air to circulate around the whole coop and not just in one area. Neat design.
Anyone who has seen birds suffering from heat stress will attest that its awful and can result in their death. Not just having ventilation but correct levels of ventilation is therefore extremely important and Omlet have nailed it in the Eglu Cube.
Cleaning the Eglu Cube!
The chore that no one really relishes but has to be done none the less. Well firstly the Cube has a slide out litter tray that catches all the droppings. This can be removed and cleaned in just a few minutes making daily cleaning really easy.
Longer cycle cleaning is also just as easy as being plastic you can pressure hose clean the whole thing and have it dry again in no time at all.
Try doing that with a wooden coop…totally impossible.
Recyclable – plastics bad for the environment?
Its 100% recyclable, which is great, I know single use plastics get bad press currently but it’s important to distinguish the difference here. An Eglu Cube chicken coop that lasts you over 10 years and is recyclable, is totally different from a coke bottle or water cup that is only used once and then just thrown away.
Benefits of the Omlet Cube
Predator Proof?
If it’s not the easy cleaning this is probably why most people love the Eglu Cube coop, run and wheels package as it’s really, really safe and secure. We have had what we think was fox get into one of our other coops and kill everything [only to actually take 1 chicken] it’s truly heart breaking made even worse if you have kids.
Keeping chickens safe and providing them with a comfortable home where they feel safe enough to lay loads of amazing eggs is your job. They can’t pick out their own coop. You have to get it right first time as if a predator gets in there will be no second chances. We’ve found that out the hard way.
Plastic wont warp, bend or flex like wood will. This is usually where animals will try and gain access. From just the slightest crack or wood join that has been stressed by the sun, predators will be able to gain enough purchase to perhaps tear a panel away to get in. The plastic Omlet coop has none of these issues.
Coop
The coop itself has the ability to lock and secure any opening. Whether that’s the egg port which opens so you can collect the eggs or the rear access point which opens to the roost space and rear nest box. It’s all lockable so you have zero stresses or worries.
The Runs
The runs are made from strong steel mesh welded together, not tied or clipped. Covering that welded mesh is a PPE coating making it even more durable. Plus it looks great too but there are two USPs that are really cool with the Omlet runs:
- Anti-dig skirt – this is the wire mesh that sits directly on the ground outside the run, that you can see in the pictures. This makes it impossible for predators to dig directly underneath the run to get in and that should be a huge weight off your mind.
- Available in different sizes – perfect depending on your flock size or backyard space requirements. Each run is actually extendable in 3.2ft (1 metre) lengths great for add-ons or if you get more chickens and don’t want the hassle of buying a whole new run. It’s also really easy to do with helpful ‘how to’ videos available to aid the process. Everything with the cube is actually super user friendly.
- Comes with a stable run style door. This is great for getting chickens in and out of the run individually or replacing the feed and water.
- The run can be partially covered to provide shade for the chickens and protection against wind, rain and snow etc.
You can fit an automatic door!
Don’t like early mornings, or don’t want to forget to shut in the chickens in the evenings – no problem. The automatic door can be fitted to close and open exactly when you set it too.
Omlet Eglu Cube Dimensions
- Length 3ft 1in (94cm)
- Width 3ft 3in (100cm)
- Height 2ft 2in (65cm)
Eglu Cube CONS
There aren’t many in fairness, but even being made with a super strong plastic the sun has, after 2+ years, faded the top of the roof slightly. I think this is to be expected we have cold winters and hot summers [+85F) and whilst the roof has faded it hasn’t effected its integrity, infact it works just like new.
Due to the height inside the coop it’s not really suitable for extra-large breeds as they haven’t got the head room to move around. I’m talking here about breeds specifically like Jersey Giants or Brahmas and mainly the cockerels/roosters as the females are slightly smaller.
Our Brahma Rooster for instance stands at nearly 3ft off the floor, he’s a big boy and wouldn’t fit into the Omlet Cube. I think he would struggle to even get through the door! It does work perfectly though for small bantams right up to larger Buff Orpingtons.
That brings us nicely onto how many chickens is the Omlet Eglu Cube chicken coop ideal for.
How many chickens can you fit in an Omlet Eglu Cube chicken coop?
Omlet state the Eglu Cube is built for:
- 10 bantams
- 6-8 medium sized chickens [eg Leghorns or Gingernut Ranger]
- 4-5 large breeds [eg Australorps or Orpingtons]
However its more the run space that confuses people: and you don’t want to be caught out here as it will make for some really unhappy chickens plus not enough space always leads to fighting amongst hens.
The rule of thumb is a medium sized chicken will require a minimum of 8sqft of run space [bantams require half that] Now the 13ft long run will provide a total of about 40sqft [13*3ft3in] so will house up to 5 medium chickens [10 bantams].
Want more chickens and need more run space? Upgrade to the Omlet ‘walk in’ is my advice.
Is the Omlet Eglu Chicken Coop with Run and Wheels worth it?
If you want safe happy chickens that will lay awesome eggs in a coop that won’t get your neighbors backs up, then absolutely yes. Adding the run and wheels makes total sense. Being able to move it round easily means no more wrecked patches of your backyard. Also being able to clean it just as easily is the icing on the cake.
Its tried and testing on our farm from 19-95+F and works superbly. The alternative are these flimsy, imported poorly constructed coops that fall apart – so don’t waste your money on anything else, the Omlet Eglu Cube is the coop you want.
[Top Tip: If you do expect prolonged periods of 14F or below, I’d purchase the coop blanket as an extra, it will really make all the difference]
The Omlet Eglu Cube actually comes with some free extras when you purchase the cube coop, run and wheels package.
