Is The Omlet Eglu Cube Worth The Money? Chicken Coop Review (2024)

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The Omlet Eglu Cube chicken coop claims to make a difference from traditional wooden coops in its maintenance and cleaning. But as this coop is quite the investment, you want to be sure you’ll get value for money and spend it on a high-quality, sturdy chicken coop. We took the Omlet Eglu Cube to the test to help you decide.

Let’s address it’s overall features first.

Overview

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room. Many of Omlet’s products feature their typical green color and are constructed from thermoplastic materials. Whether you like their style is up to your personal taste. Some love it, some don’t.

Omlet offers two main types of chicken coops. The Omlet Eglu Cube is the larger option, which can comfortably house up to 10 chickens. Alternatively, for those with fewer chickens, Omlet provides the Eglu Go and Eglu Go Up, smaller coops designed for up to 4 chickens.

These coops are very popular, even being voted ‘Best Overall’ in the ‘Best Plastic Chicken Coops‘ list, which might be important in your decision-making process if you’re considering a durable, easy-to-clean coop.

All Eglu Cubes sold now are the newest Mk2 version, but if you’re planning on buying a second-hand model, it’s important to know there are differences between the old and new models.

Here is the Eglu Cube Mk1 side-by-side with the new Mk2 to get a visual impression of the differences:

The biggest difference between these two coops is the ladder. The Eglu Cube Mk1 has a plastic ladder; the Mk2 has a metal ladder.

Many extensions for the Eglu coop can be purchased separately, like wheels (to make a tractor coop), secured run and run handles, an automatic chicken coop door, a coop light, and much more.

Design

Most Omlet products, including the Eglu Cube, have a very specific look: either you love it or you don’t. The Eglu Cube comes in two color varieties: the signature green color or purple. The colors and style are very remarkable; you’ll easily recognize an Omlet coop or an Omlet product.

The Eglu Cube chicken coop looks and feels strong and sturdy. It’s designed to keep your flock warm during winter and cool during summer and, therefore, is suited for most climates.

All Omlet Cubes are double-walled, so the body heat of your chickens keeps the coop warmer during winter without escaping through the walls. This system and the ventilation will also keep your hens cool during summer.

If you’re living in an area with extremely harsh winters, an extra protective cover blanket is available for purchase.

Materials

The Eglu Cube house is made of 100% recyclable UV-stabilized polyethylene and powder-coated steel for the frame and ladder. As the coop is lifted from the ground, it’ll keep your chickens safer from predators and provide extra shelter under the coop. The coop house had two separate spaces, one area for laying eggs and one sleeping area.

It doesn’t provide actual roosting perches as we’re used to, but the floor of the sleeping space is made of specially designed roosting bars with a structured surface.

Your chickens will have a place to roost on and get a grip on something when they sleep, while the lower surface makes it easier for larger breeds to reach. Because of the openings between, your chickens’ dropping will fall right through onto the dropping board.

Housing Area

The Omlet Cube may seem small to house up to 10 chickens, but your flock only uses the coop to sleep and lay eggs. It’s not the place where they hang around during the day. But always remember your chickens need plenty of inside and outside space to stay happy and healthy.

Omlet claims in the upper description that the Eglu Cube is big enough to house up to 10 chickens, but this should be taken with a grain of salt, as later in the description it states:

1. Up to 10 bantams (or small-sized chickens)
2. Up to 8 medium-sized chickens
3. Up to 6 large breeds

Chickens are very easygoing animals; they don’t need much extra care besides water, food, and shelter but need plenty of space.

Keeping too many chickens inside a small space causes many problems, like bullying, feather-pecking, or health issues. If you’re unsure how much room to provide for your flock, check out our ‘Coop Size Calculator‘ for minimum requirements.

As most chicken keepers keep medium-sized to large laying hens in their flock, it’s best not to keep more than seven hens in one Omlet Eglu Cube chicken coop.

Run Area

An additional Omlet run is not included in a standard Omlet Eglu Cube but can be purchased separately. You can either go for the walk-in run or an Omlet chicken fencing. Both are available in multiple sizes but must be purchased with an attachment kit for the Mk2 Cube, so you can easily attach the coop onto the run.

If you don’t want to buy the additional Omlet run, you can also choose to use your own run around the Omlet Eglu Cube. Please note Omlet does not provide attachment kits for installing other runs but their own on the Eglu Cube.

Predator Proofness

It’s important to know that the Omlet Eglu Cube alone will not suffice to keep predators out, especially during the daytime. It’s like leaving the front door wide open and expecting nobody to break inside the house.

To protect your flock from any predators, daytime and nighttime, flying and crawling, you’ll need a secured run and a locked-up coop during the night so your chickens are safely tucked in.

We advise installing a predator-proof wired and covered run to prevent attacks during the daytime. To make your life easier, you can replace the Eglu Cube door with the Omlet Auto Door, so you won’t have to remember to close up each night.

But if you remember to close the coop each night and all chickens are safely inside, there’s no way a predator can get inside during the nighttime. An Omlet Eglu Cube is a strong and sturdy chicken coop made of high-quality materials.

To ensure no predator can enter, check on the coop regularly to ensure all latches and doors are still connected and working properly.

Specific Features

The main purpose of any chicken coop is to provide a space for chickens to sleep and lay eggs. They don’t use the coop during the daytime to hang out, only the nesting boxes. A high-quality coop should always provide the following:

1. a safe environment for your hens
2. ventilation
3. nesting boxes
4. enough space for your flock

We have to say the Omlet Eglu Cube meets those standards easily. But there are many specific features worth mentioning about this Omlet chicken coop. Let’s go over them one by one.

Recycled Plastic Coop

Most chicken coops are made from wood, giving them a traditional look. But many chicken keepers are (considering) replacing the wooden coops with plastic ones due to their ease of cleaning, durability, low-in-maintenance, and less likelihood of attracting parasites like red mites.

There are many advantages to having a plastic chicken coop instead of a wooden one. We’ll address the most important topics.

Easy to clean

We all know cleaning the chicken coop is a dreadful chore; the sooner it gets done, the better. While you’ll have to scoop out chicken poop and bedding in any traditional chicken coop, the Omlet Cube has a dropping plate under the roosting perches you can slide out for emptying. Simply carry the tray to the trash or your compost heap, refill it with new bedding, and you’re set.

The poop tray is not the only removable item on the Omlet Eglu Cube. If you want to deep clean your chicken coop, you can remove much more than only the dropping plate: roosting bars, back panel, nesting box, and the dividing plate between the sleeping area and nesting boxes.

Next to the removable items, there are other benefits to the Omlet Eglu Cube when talking about cleaning. Its material, a 100% recyclable UV-stabilized polyethylene, can be hosed down for a thorough wash; it can even be pressure washed. Because it’s made of plastic, it dries fast in the open air. For day-to-day cleaning, or if you notice some dirt, simply wipe the coop with a damp cloth and some pet-safe disinfectants.

This is a big difference with wooden coops, which are much harder to clean thoroughly.

Low in maintenance

Wooden coops must be treated or painted frequently to last longer, not rot easily, and are protected from the elements. For chicken coops, it’s best to use different paints or oils inside and outside. The outside of the coop must survive weather conditions and temperatures. The interior must be easy to clean. But to last longer, this process must be repeated at least once a year. And let’s face it, it’s time-consuming, especially if you have a large coop.

Plastic chicken coops don’t need to be treated or painted with oil, paint, or primer, saving you plenty of time and money over the years. They don’t need much extra care other than the occasional scrub and wash. And because plastic coops are so much easier to clean, they are far lower in maintenance.

A plastic chicken coop will last for years without worrying about maintaining it. But, like most materials, their color will fade over the years, especially when placed in direct sunlight.

Durable

Wood rot is inevitable when owning a traditional coop, which will severely affect a wooden coop’s lifespan. The rotting process will not only make your coop useless, but the fumes can be dangerous for your flock.

Next to the durability of wood, we’d like to mention the environmental friendliness of plastic vs. wood. It may seem strange, but because Omlet uses 100% recyclable polyethylene, their chicken coop is recyclable, just like wood, but it will last longer because of its durability.

Fewer parasites

Common parasites, like red mites, hide in the nooks and crannies of a chicken coop. They only come out at night to feed, which only takes 30 to 60 minutes. So it can be challenging to spot them, as they are seldom seen on a chicken. The fewer nooks and crannies there are, the fewer hiding places these parasites have. And in case of an infestation, a plastic coop is much easier to clean than a wooden one.

This doesn’t mean that parasites aren’t possible in a plastic coop; they are. Parasites can also hide in bushes around the chicken run and return to the coop at night. But it will be easier to eradicate a red mite problem in a plastic coop.

Double Wall Insulation System

The Omlet Eglu Cube is sold worldwide and claims to provide protection to any type of weather extremes. The double walls work like double glazing inside your house; they prevent cold air from penetrating. Your chickens’ body heat gets trapped inside the coop to keep them warm, while the ventilation ensures fresh air enters the coop.

During summer, this same system, combined with the ventilation, will keep your chickens cool by preventing heat from coming inside the coop.

Chickens are hardy birds, they stand most temperatures very well, but most chicken breeds stand cold weather better than heatwaves. The Omlet Cube provides all necessary protection from the elements inside the coop, but always keep in mind to keep a close eye on your flock when extreme weather is on the way.

Omlet has an extra insulating blanket available to cover the run or Eglu Cube for those living in extremely cold climates. The blanket is filled with a heath-trapped, breathable material that promises to keep your chickens warm, even during extreme cold.

Draft-free Ventilation

Ventilation is crucial inside a chicken coop but often overlooked. Chickens are constantly breathing and pooping while sleeping, making the coop humid and increasing carbon dioxide and ammonia fumes. Chickens are hardy animals, but they will suffer from bad air quality. If you ever noticed ammonia fumes when opening the chicken coop, you need more ventilation!

Ventilation should always go on top of the coop rather than at the bottom. This way, the ammonia fumes are replaced by fresh air without your chickens having to sit in the draft. Omlet understands the importance of well-ventilated chicken coops very well. Their Omlet Eglu Cube has ventilation just underneath the roof and at the back and front of the coop that replaces the air frequently without blowing near the roosting area.

Direct Access to the Nesting Box

The Omlet Eglu Cube is designed to make your life easier; this includes collecting your daily breakfast batch of fresh eggs. All Omlet Eglu Cube coops have a separate nesting box area where your hens can lay their eggs privately. The side wall of the nesting box area can be easily opened up from outside so you can collect all eggs without any trouble. Omlet calls this feature: the EggPort.

The nesting box gives room to 3 chickens simultaneously and is a secluded place, so they feel safe and private. If you’re concerned they don’t have a separate nesting box as in traditional coops, don’t worry. Chickens don’t mind sharing a space with other hens; some even share nesting boxes because they have a favorite one.

The only thing you need to do is to provide their favorite nesting box bedding to encourage them to use this separate space.

Sliding Door in Central Divider

Some chickens aren’t used to sleeping on roosting perches and prefer to sleep on the ground. Some would even prefer to use the nesting boxes instead of the roosts to get a night’s rest. But allowing your chickens to sleep in the nesting box will make a mess as they poop in it. It’s best to teach them to use the roosting perches instead, but this can mean you’ll have to close the nesting box area to prevent them from going in.

The Omlet Eglu Cube has a sliding door in the central divider between the roosting place and the nesting box area, so it can be closed if necessary. This is a feature that many chicken coops don’t have, and it may seem rather unimportant, but chicken keepers who already had a stubborn hen on their hands know better.

Removable Poop-Tray

As mentioned before, one of the most user-friendly features of the Omlet Eglu Cube chicken coop is the poop tray that can be removed for emptying and cleaning. Chickens poop a lot. And they mainly do so at night while roosting. Because of the open roosting perches, the poop falls through the openings and drops onto the poop tray.

This feature does two important things: it keeps the coop floor clean, so the chickens don’t make a mess, and it makes it very easy to clean the chicken poop. Simply take out the tray, and empty it on the compost heap or in the trash. Did you know chicken poop is an amazing fertilizer for plants and vegetables?

Optional Features

Next to the specific features included in all Omlet Eglu Cube chicken coops, there are multiple optional features to make your hens (or yourself) more comfortable. All these features are not included in the standard Omlet Eglu purchase but can easily be added to your order. We’ll address the most important ones.

Omlet Auto Door

Automatic coop doors are the best invention since sliced bread, so why not make your life much easier by adding the Omlet Auto Door to your purchase? All Eglu Cube coops come with a lockable door that can be opened and closed manually. An automatic coop door does that work for you. You’ll know your chickens are safely tucked in each night, and you won’t have to worry about forgetting to close the door at night or opening it in the morning.

The Omlet Auto Door works on batteries or mains and can be installed to open and close by timer, light sensor, or manually. Unlike most Omlet products, the automatic door can also be purchased on Amazon, next to the Omlet Webshop.

You can attach the Omlet Auto Door to any chicken coop, even a traditional wooden coop. But, if you want to mount the door on an Eglu Cube, it’s important to know whether you own a new Mk2 model or the older Mk1, as the installment differs for both series. All Eglu Cubes sold now are Mk2 models, with the attachment points already in place, making the installment extremely easy. The Mk1 models require a mounting kit, available at the Omlet webshop.

Omlet Walk-In Run

Chickens need both inside and outside spaces to feel happy and healthy. You can either choose to free-range your chickens without any fences or boundaries, but most chicken keepers prefer to keep their hens in a secured run. This prevents predators from attacking your chickens during the daytime and keeps your flock from visiting your neighbor’s backyard.

Omlet provides walk-in mesh chicken runs in multiple sizes. You can choose a 6 ft run, a 9ft, or a 12ft covered walk-in run, which can be extended by adding extra panels. The run can be extended to 2 panels high, 3 panels wide, and however long you want it to be. All Omlet Omlet Walk-in Runs have a built-in gate for easy access.

The biggest advantage of a walk-in run, compared to fencing, is that the run is completely covered and secured. Not only will it keep walking and crawling predators away, like foxes or raccoons, but also prevents flying predators from coming near your flock. All walk-in Omlet runs have an anti-tunnel skirt to keep digging animals away.

Omlet Chicken Movable Fencing

Instead of a mesh walk-in run, you can choose to use the Omlet movable fencing to keep your chickens inside the backyard. It’s a good way to give them more space and access to fresh green grass without having them wander off to your vegetable garden or to the neighbors.

The Omlet Chicken Fencing is 4 ft high and made from polypropylene (netting) and strong aluminum (poles). It can be purchased in multiple sizes, but all Omlet fencing can be connected by poles, so you can buy two and connect them together.

You only need to remember that this netting is used to keep your chickens inside the garden or out of your flower beds; it’s not predator-proof. The netting can easily be relocated to give your chickens access to a fresh patch of grass, but it doesn’t protect them from predators.

All Omlet Chicken Movable Fencings have a built-in gate for easy access.

Eglu Cube Wheels & Handles for Mobility

If you want to move the Eglu Cube frequently so your chickens can enjoy fresh patches of grass, the Eglu Cube Wheel and Handles is just what you need. The wheels and handles make it much easier to move the Eglu coop around the backyard and can even be done alone (coop only). You can also attach the handles to the mesh Omlet Walk-In run, but it’ll take one extra person to safely move the whole chicken area.

Other Optional Features

Many more options are available on the Omlet website to expand or optimize your Omlet Eglu Cube or chicken run. You can find the whole list on the Omlet webshop, but here are a few examples.

• Walk-in run extensions
• Chicken coop light
• Customizable Chicken Perch
• Chicken Toys
• Swing
• Feeders and waterers
• and many more…

Price and Availability

You can buy the Omlet Eglu Cube and all the necessary/optional extensions on the Omlet webshop. Shipping costs aren’t free but are calculated on the place you live and range around $30. Always check extra costs before completing your purchase. UPS or FedEx usually does shipping.

The Omlet Eglu Cube is not cheap. The basic version, without run or any optional extensions, will cost around $800, and prices go well over $1000 if you want an auto door or additional chicken run.

But as the price seems relatively high, we must admit it’s worth the money. You’ll never have to spend an entire day cleaning or painting the coop, so this is where you’ll save time and money. And because the Omlet Eglu is durable, it will bring joy to you and your flock for many years when traditional coops show lots of wear and tear after only a few years.

Find out more about other chicken coops we’ve covered like the Run-Chicken Villa and the OverEZ chicken coops.