Spring is in the air, and with it, a new season of opportunity awaits… the opportunity to grow your own food, plant a tree, or even consider raising your own chickens. And while you may think “Why do I need to do that? I can just go to the grocery store to buy my food”, anyone that’s been to a grocery store the last few years knows the fragility of America’s food system. Food shortages, skyrocketing prices, and inferior products are indicative of America’s food system – and there’s no better example of this than eggs.
Egg prices have exploded, the net profit of America’s largest egg producer (who supplies 20% of America’s eggs) rose 700% last quarter, and the ethics of how chickens are raised is abysmal, to say the least. So what are we as consumers to do?
The answer is simple: we can produce our own food. For me, the journey began at the start of COVID, when I had more free time and I started to see how dependent we as a country are on a fragile supply chain. I opted for a small flock of chickens, more specifically laying hens, and my multi year journey has led me to this article.
Read on and I’ll tell you why chickens are the perfect way to begin your journey into human scale food production.
Background
Let me begin by saying two things: if you have any apprehension about raising chickens, there’s nothing to be afraid of. If you’ve ever raised any other pet, chickens will be no problem. Secondly, despite what you may have heard about chickens’ lack of intelligence, they’re beautiful, smart creatures, and if you choose to raise them as pets, they will act like pets… pets that magically produce your breakfast every day.
The world of chickens is far too broad for me to cover in this article, but I’ll share a quick story, to give some background info about my experience raising chickens. When I began raising chickens, I’ve always raised them from chicks. I have three daughters, and from the second I brought the chicks home, my daughters always held and played with them. As the chicks grew, we free ranged them, meaning we didn’t enclose them. We live in the suburbs, so they happily wandered our yard during the day eating bugs and plants, retreating to their coop at night. Any time we were outside the chickens would be close by, and they would always come to us and let us pick them up. Each morning they’d wait by the front door for us to come out, and we’d bring them a treat. We’d give them a quick pet, then they’d happily wander off to search for another snack. From an intelligence standpoint, they’d never venture far from our house, they knew us, they’d sit on our lap, and they put themselves into their coop at night. A couple persistent chickens opted to perch on our window sill, as they perpetually tried to come by us in our house, so we’d have to carry them to the coop each night.
All was well, until the predators came. First it was a hawk, who had swooped down less than 10 feet from our house, and was attempting to carry one of our hens away (I managed to scare the hawk away before he took her). Then came a fox, who again I caught in the act, but not before he managed to kill one of our hens. It was at this point we knew we need to change our chicken raising tactics, but we didn’t have a clear plan. We tried enclosing the chickens in electric fencing, but a few had flight skills good enough to allow them to escape. The final straw came when the neighbor’s dog escaped into our yard and took one of the electric fence escapees. We knew our chickens were now marked, and we needed something that would provide complete protection.
Enter a company by the name of Omlet. They build a series of chicken coops call the Eglu, and they are, without question, the easiest, most secure option when it comes to protecting your chickens from virtually any threat out there. Looking at their designs, I knew Omlet’s Eglu was exactly what I needed, and six months later, I can tell you firsthand it’s lived up to the hype. It’s a game changer when it comes to raising chickens, as its design makes raising chickens about as simple and straightforward as possible.
Eglu Cube Overview
Choosing the right coop can be a daunting task, considering the variety of designs available in the market. After much research, I settled on the the Large Eglu Cube Chicken Coop specifically, although depending on how many chickens you’re keeping, they have smaller options as well. The Large Eglu Cube is a modern, innovative coop that really sets a new benchmark for chicken coops, providing the ultimate in safety and comfort for your chickens (which I’ll discuss more in a second). Made from durable materials that are weather-resistant and easy to clean, the Eglu cube keeps your chickens safe from predators, and by adding an optional attached run, the Eglu Cube provides a secure space for your chickens to forage and exercise.
Eglu Cube Design and Features
When it comes to raising chickens, it’s imperative to select a coop that offers stable temperature regulation, a dry environment, and ease of cleaning. And the Large Eglu Cube Chicken Coop has been designed from the ground up with these traits in mind. The coop is made from twin-walled, insulated plastic, which does a fantastic job keeping your chickens warm in the winter and cool in the summer, even in cold northern environments or the heat of the south. The coop is also UV-resistant, ensuring that it retains its color and does not fade over time, and unlike wood coops, you’ll never have to repaint or perform other maintenance tasks that are required with other coops. And that’s really the defining feature of the Eglu coops – they’re as secure yet maintenance free as you can possibly get. Once assembled, you don’t have to worry about anything, aside from basic cleaning tasks. And Omlet offers a 10 year warranty to guarantee it.
In terms of caring for your chickens, the the Eglu is beautifully designed and makes caring for you chickens as simple as possible. You have the option of a 6′, 9′ or 12′ run, and once attached, the run provides a seamless space for your chickens to explore. Because the Eglu Cube is elevated, the chickens always have a covered space to protect them from the sun or rain. To care for your chickens, everything is accessible from the outside, even with the attached run. The front door opens from an easy-to-use locking top handle; the nesting box is easily accessible via the removable side panel; and the rear panel of the Eglu Cube is fully removable, allowing you to easily clean the entire coop. The floor of the coop is easily removable and a sliding manure tray both make cleaning the coop a breeze, with a quick spray with a hose or power washer all that’s necessary to keep your chickens healthy and happy.
Eglu Cube Capacity and Options
The Large Eglu Cube Chicken Coop is designed to accommodate up to 10 bantam chickens comfortably (or 8 medium sized hens), which is exactly how many I have. And I can tell you that it’s the perfect size for them. I opted for the optional wheels along with 9′ run, and I move them across my lawn to fresh grass every 2-3 days, which they adore. Inside, the coop has a spacious interior that gives the chickens the perfect amount of space, and my hens consistently lay around 7 beautiful eggs a day.
When customizing your Eglu Cube, there’s a few different options to choose from. As already noted, the first option is adding an enclosed welded steel run in 6′, 9′ or 12′ lengths. And unless you already have an enclosed run you’re keeping your chickens in, I highly recommend adding one. The runs integrate directly into the Eglu Cube itself, offering complete protection from every predator, and with optional wheels, a single person can move the entire coop and enclosure by themself. Living in an environment with hawks, foxes, coyotes, and more, I’ve never come close to losing a chicken. The run also includes both a feeding and water container that hook to the cage, simplifying feeding and watering tasks.
Another available option for the Eglu Cube is the Autodoor, which automatically opens and closes the door to the coop at times you specify, or at sunrise and sundown. It’s installed in place of the standard Eglu door, and it helps automate the process of caring for your chickens even more.
Other options include your choice of green or purple colors, an interior light, handles to help move the run, and shade cloth for the run. In short, everything you need to keep your chickens safe and comfortable no matter where you live or what your needs are.
Eglu Cube Conclusion
After using the Large Eglu Cube Chicken Coop for the past 6 months, I can tell you that it is the absolute best choice for backyard chicken owners looking for the simplest, most maintenance free and predator proof option for their flock. It has made caring for my hens an absolute joy, and the peace of mind knowing they’re safe from any predator is, in many ways, priceless. If you already have chickens or are considering raising them, I can’t recommend Omlet’s Large Eglu Cube enough. It’s an absolute game changer for backyard chicken owners, and I honestly can’t recommend it enough.
To learn about Omlet and the Large Eglu Cube along with their full lineup of offerings, head over to the official Omlet website to learn more.
