I began my foray into backyard chicken raising a little over a year ago. I did my research and figured out how many chickens I wanted. I did not, however, factor in chicken math, which is a real thing.
We built a coop and survived our first winter with twelve chickens. This spring, one of the hens went broody, so we decided we might as well try that out. We gained six more chicks from her, and of course, I purchased four more because why not? They were pretty breeds that I did not have. All the articles I read said that the mother hen would take the newly purchased chicks as her own along with the hatched chicks. I did something wrong because the mother hen did not accept them. So, they began their best chicken life in a stock tank in the garage. Then, I discovered the Omlet Eglu Pro. Total game changer!
The setup arrived in ten boxes, all labeled with letters. Upon opening Box A, I found instructions and all the tools I would need. With the help of my husband and son, we assembled our new coop. To be honest, our son didn’t help for very long, but his enthusiasm was there. It took us about 8 hours with easy-to-follow instructions. Now, before you start worrying about the time, you need to know that my husband and I didn’t watch the assembly video beforehand (highly recommended), and I was also stopping to take photos and videos to be able to show you. It should only take a couple hours to assemble.
Features to be excited about:
- Easy to follow instructions and assembly guide.
- Automatic door & light inside
- Removable trays for easy cleaning
- Closable nesting boxes inside
- Built in ventilation.
- Wheels for easy moving
- Durability & enhanced safety
All the parts and instructions are labeled to make the whole setup super easy, but it definitely requires more than one set of hands. The wire enclosed run comes with clips that function like zip-ties, but you can actually reuse, unclip, and re-clip them without breaking or being stuck together. Super handy! I love the fact that I can move it around the yard easily! The coop itself is extremely durable and well insulated. I was worried about the insulation during the hot Kansas summer and keeping it cool. When I opened it up on a 105-degree day, I was pleasantly surprised that it was noticeably cooler inside the coop.
My four little ladies put themselves to bed at night and the automatic door closes them in, keeping them safe from predators. It comes with a power cord or has a battery option, which I use (AA batteries). It opens bright and early in the morning to let them out into their run. I have had batteries in mine for a couple of months, with no issues. The wire-framed run also has wire panels that extend on the ground to deter predators.
Let’s talk about expense. This unit, when compared to a setup from your local farm store is, by far, superior and much more durable.
- Farm store coops are made of cheap materials that will not hold up well to the elements.
- For a comparable size of the Eglu Pro, you are looking at a more expensive farm store setup. Sure, they are cutesy, but the quality is not good, and the run size is smaller. You will be replacing it quickly. I am not worried about having to replace the Eglu for several years, if ever.
Most importantly, this setup gives my chicks room to grow. With the ability to move it easily, my chickens can always have access to fresh patches of grass. The predator-proof safety features ensure that my chicks will be fine overnight. Plus, there are plenty of add-ons that you can purchase as well, making sure your chickens are happy and healthy. 10/10 will be recommending to all my chicken-loving people!
For available options, you can check out their website https://www.omlet.us/eglu-pro-chicken-coop
