Poultry houses

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Tracyxx

Tracyxx

Adult Guinea Pig
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I've seen a few chicken coops in pet shops and garden centres and I think they'd be great for piggies in the summer. Does anyone else keep their piggies in these?
 
I have seen them, some look great, I'm sure piggies would love them. I don't like the plastic ones though, I had a bad experience with a plastic hutch. x
 
I have an eglu that I used to keep my chooks in before I got so many I had to upgrade. I was going to get the conversion kit and use it for my piggies but then realised that it was going to be difficult to catch them because of the way the run is made, otherwise that is what I would have done.

Instead I am going with the manufacturers of my 'bespoke' hen house - Chris from Chicubes. It is going to be dear but we have had a small inheritence and so hubby is indulging me. They are modifying it slightly so that I have a door instead of a ramp and also so that the whole of the top of the run is hinged for easy access. Speaking from experience neither of these products suffer from condesation / overheating / freezing. I know this as I speak from experience on both and would not put my chooks into substandard housing. They stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer due to the stuff they are made from. HOWEVER I will be only using them during the day; putting them out before work and bringing them in in the evenings, so that they are in their indoor cages at night. This is only because I would not feel safe with them outside all night with the door to the house open to the run, yet I would not be happy shutting them in the houses overnight due to space, even though both the eglu and chicube are considerably bigger than people realise ... photos really are deceptive.
 
yup, i keep mine in our old chicken coop, its sturdy, very old but brilliant and warm on cold days, most that are sold in pet shops arent v strong and made from low quality ( i use to to work for this company Forsham Cottage Arks - and although they may seem expensive their coops/houses and runs will easily last 15-20 years so they are worthwhile investing in.
 
redfrock said:
I have an eglu that I used to keep my chooks in before I got so many I had to upgrade..
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I also learnt from working at Forsham and just through common sense that Eglu's are not really suitable for chickens or small animals, in the summer they will roast and in the summer they will freeze, they are just a pointless, useless fashion item that is suppose to look cool but has some v damaging effects on animals, we have several customers to come to us distraught because they were fooled into buying the thing and then wondered why they had dead animals.

Just my personal opinion, wooden houses are ALOT better.
 
charlotte_alice said:
I also learnt from working at Forsham and just through common sense that Eglu's are not really suitable for chickens or small animals, in the summer they will roast and in the summer they will freeze, they are just a pointless, useless fashion item that is suppose to look cool but has some v damaging effects on animals, we have several customers to come to us distraught because they were fooled into buying the thing and then wondered why they had dead animals.

Just my personal opinion, wooden houses are ALOT better.
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I know Forsham very well and think they are good products but this is an age old argument. I have kept chickens for many many years. I have used eglu products for over 3 years and have yet to have a dead chicken due to them. We have checked the temperatures in winter and summer and they work totally correctly. They remain incredibly cool in the summer and keep the chooks warm in the winter. This is to do with their construction - it is due to the air gap between the inner and outer skin. Unless one has first hand experience of them, you will find such comments a complete misconception. I am more than happy to keep my animals in these products and know they will remain cool / warm / dry, as appropriate and safe
 
My 'bad experience' was not an eglu, it was a plastic hutch, that almost boiled the guineas. I guess the reverse would happen in winter. x
 
nutmeg said:
My 'bad experience' was not an eglu, it was a plastic hutch, that almost boiled the guineas. I guess the reverse would happen in winter. x
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I guessed as much hon! I think I know the type you mean
 
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