I did a ton of research on chicken coops before I made my purchase of an Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop, and wow, I honestly just couldn’t be happier with my choice.
Below I’ll go into great detail on all the pros and also the cons of an Omlet Eglu Cube chicken coop.
If you want to see how the Cube fits into my yard, check out my video review below.
Details of the Omlet Eglu Cube
The Cube houses up to 6 large hens or 10 bantam chickens, making it the biggest model of the three that Omlet sells. The nest box is large enough for three chickens at a time, and you can close the door to the main coop off from the nest box so that the layers can rest in privacy.
Note that this feature is only available with the Cube. The other two models are made of one large interior compartment.
The coop comes with a wire metal mesh run, a chicken feeder and waterer, and stairs.
Benefits of the Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop
- Mobile
- Well-designed
- Mobile fence included
- Easy to clean
- Insulated
- Good ventilation
- Feeders work well
- Customizable add-ons available
- 2-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee
My Review of the Omlet Eglu Cube
I did a lot of research on chicken coops before I purchased the Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop, and I just can’t say enough good things about it.
If you’ve seen my video on building a Carolina Coops-style chicken coop, you may know building a coop from scratch can take some precision measuring, power tools, and a generous pinch of handiness. Not everyone has the tools needed to build a chicken mansion in their backyard.
Or, perhaps you do have the skills and tools to build a five-star chicken abode, but you don’t live in a neighborhood that allows large chicken coops.
I used to live in a house with a somewhat smaller backyard, and we knew we wouldn’t be staying at that house long term, so I didn’t want to build a big, permanent fixture for my chickens at the time.
This is where a pre-made chicken coop comes in handy.
Minimal Tools Needed
Pre-assembled, or pre-fabricated chicken coops can be put together with relatively few tools. The Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop that I have only needed a screwdriver and a pair of pliers to assemble.
Assembly Time
I’ll be honest, I have seen reviewers of this product say that they put it together by themselves in under an hour. I think they are being generous in how much time it really took them. I love building things and you would think based on looking at the coop that it would be very easy to set up.
Omlet does clearly say they recommend using two people to set this up. I could have put it together myself, but my son in law helped me. Even with two of us it took us at least two hours if not three. It took a lot longer than I thought it would. It wasn’t difficult at all. It just took some time.
Instruction Clarity
My son-in-law and I both used the written instructions as well as the Omlet setup video in putting the coop together. Sometimes the written instructions were clear enough, but sometimes we needed the video to help us along. They make it look faster to put together in the video than it actually does.
Can Be Packed Up
The Omlet Eglu Cube comes in flat-packed boxes and if need be I could take the screws out and store them in my garage. You would only want to do that if you were not going to use it for an extended period of time because it does take a couple hours to re-assemble.
Or maybe you’re like me and are anticipating a move in the next few years. If I were moving across country it would be worth the effort for me to disassemble it and box it up for the move. If I was only moving across town, as in my case, it will be easier to just get a couple guys and lift it into the back of a moving truck while still put together.
Portable, But Clunky
The Eglu brand chicken coops come with the option to have wheels on them (mine did and I like it), which puts them in the chicken tractor category of coops. I like the portability of this coop because it allows me to give my chickens a wide range over the whole yard to feed on (and fertilize).
The wheels are locked in place when they’re not being used and are easy to engage when you’re ready to move the coop.
That said moving the whole coop at one time with the run attached is a little clunky and I’m not sure everyone would be able to do it by themselves, especially if they had a longer run.
It moves quite easily if your yard is perfectly level. If you have dips and hills, as in the case of my yard, it can still be moved but can be challenging when the run gets high centered.
Chicken Feeder and Waterer Included
The Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop comes with a feeder and waterer. They both sit on the wire run fencing and can be easily taken off (by a human) for cleaning. I was worried the feed would get wet or that food and water would spill everywhere but those things weren’t an issue at all. I was amazed. They work really well. They can’t spill the food and it stays dry.
Chicken Ramp Included
As I said above, the Cube comes with a chicken ramp. I was minorly worried the girls wouldn’t like going up and down it as the space between stair-steps seemed a little wide to me, but this hasn’t been a problem at all.
Sturdy and Weather Proof
The Omlet Eglu Cube is made of thick, durable plastic. Once I had it assembled it was surprisingly sturdy. I also like that the plastic is weatherproof.
With wooden chicken runs you need to treat the lumber to make it water-resistant, and you need a corrugated metal or plastic awning over the whole thing to keep the water off. This design keeps water off on its own. I love it.
Sun Fading
The plastic is durable, but I suspect the color may fade some with time. I had mine out for two full summers and haven’t seen any color-fading yet. The rain break that goes over the run however faded to almost white and started shredding by the end of the 2nd summer.
Easy-to-Close Door
Another aspect of the design I like is being able to shut the door from above. The door is controlled with a small knob on the top of the coop, so you don’t have to get in the run to shut the door at night.
The knob has continued to work just fine and hasn’t gotten “sticky” despite the large amount of snow we get in Idaho. Once the door is closed it latches in place so they can’t push it open from the inside (and predators can’t push it open from the outside).
The doors and latches to the run are also quite easy to open.
Option For an Automatic Chicken Door
You can also purchase an automatic chicken coop door that you can program to open at certain times of the day. The door has a 6-month battery life and a safety sensor so it doesn’t close on any chickens that are standing in the doorway. It fits on any of the Omlet models of coop and works in any weather situation.
I went for the automatic door. The automatic chicken door was simple to set up and install while I was putting the coop together and would require only a few screws undone to install if purchased later. I highly recommend the automated door and feel that it was worth the investment.
Easy-to-Close-Nest Box
On the topic of easy-closing doors, I should mention the nest box is “modular.” By that I mean you can open the back door of the coop and slide the interior dividing wall closed.
You have to open a side wall to access the nest box, and this sidewall completely comes off. I’d prefer if it was on a hinge instead, and I wish you could close the nest box from the top like you can for the front door.
Easy to Collect Eggs
In addition to a back door that opens, the sidewall with the nest box has a door so you can easily collect eggs. As I said, this sidewall comes completely off so while it’s not hard to access the eggs, I would prefer if the wall was on a hinge.
Insulated Against Heat and Cold
The coop is insulated with a double wall all around the frame. It does keep the chickens warm in the cold Idaho winters. I didn’t have any issues with the chickens getting too cold the winter I used my Eglu.
Most chickens are pretty hearty and do well in colder winter climates as long as they can get out of the wind. This coop gets them out of the wind and provides some insulation.
Eglu chicken coops are popular all over the western world, honestly. I’ve seen rave reviews from people in Australia and I live in the northern US. The insulated coop is part of why they’re so great in any climate.
Ventilation
Omlet describes their coops as well insulated, but still well ventilated, which is very important for chicken health. There are slats for some air movement but I’m not sure if I would describe the design as well-ventilated. If I could have I would have added some mesh windows for the summer.
Generally Easy-to-Clean
One of the features I love about the Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop is that it is super easy to clean. The interior “roost” of the coop has slats that allow droppings to fall into a collection tray.
Incidentally, the slats in the floor act like a “perch,” which is why there isn’t a traditional roost bar in the coop (however you can buy a separate roost bar if you wish.)
The litter tray can easily be pulled out from the back of the house and cleaned off, especially if you line it with some wood shavings. Just slide the tray out and knock it off into the garbage or compost. You can take a hose to the tray after that and give it a rinse.
Even the slat floor the chickens rest on can be taken out to be cleaned off. I simply pop the floor out along with the litter tray and voila.
Litter Tray Doesn’t Hold Much
Even though the litter tray is easy to clean, my one complaint with it is that it doesn’t hold much chicken poop. And chickens poop a lot. In the summer I would just leave the tray out so that the poop would fall straight on the ground, and then I’d move the coop around frequently.
Front Door Is Not Easy To Clean
Ok, as easy as it is to clean the litter bed, I will say it is hard to reach the front door to scrub it. Frankly, this isn’t too much of an issue since the door itself takes a very long time to start showing signs of grime. Additionally, the hygiene issues for chickens often come from mite infestations in the litter bed, not the door.
Just know that you might need a grandkid to scamper in there and wipe it off if it gets visibly dirty.
Extendable Run
You can order the Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop with no run, a 6ft, 9ft, or 13ft run.
The run I have fits the size of my yard well, but if you end up wanting a larger run, you can order an extension piece that clips onto the run you already have. It’s easy to make the run longer, or shorter, to fit your yard space and the number of chickens you have.
Metal Mesh Run
The Omlet Eglu Cube’s run is made of metal and is put together with little clips along the edges. The clips seem sturdy enough, but if they break Omlet does sell replacements. After a good two years of having this outside, I still see no rust anywhere. I have had a couple of clips break that I needed to replace.
This run has a thin rod that can be used to both lock the run door open and closed, which is nice so that the wind doesn’t catch the door.
Anti-Tunnel Run Skirt
The metal run fencing also has an anti-tunnel skirt to prevent predators from digging under the fence. This “skirt” is about 8 inches of extra metal that juts out from the bottom of the fence. It worked great! I highly recommend this feature.
Plastic Movable Fence
Omlet’s fence is made with thinner plastic-type material so that it is light and you can move it around and deal with it easily. It worked great. I just kept on of each of my chickens wings trimmed and then they couldn’t fly over the fence. It worked great, I loved it!
The fence is not predator-proof at all and unfortunately, a neighbor’s dog got in and killed a chicken once.
So I totally recommend the fence if you don’t have a lot of predator pressure during the day. Locking them back in the run at night will protect them very well from predators.
Add-Ons Available
Another thing I like about my Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop is that the Omlet company has lots of add-ons to make the run more user-friendly. You can buy each type of coop they sell in a variety of sizes, with or without wheels.
They sell automatic chicken coop doors, a weather wrap to insulate the coop in extreme temperatures, chicken perches, and even a chicken swing.
You can also combine two runs to make an even bigger run space.
Cost
Ok, one of the most important factors when purchasing a chicken coop: the cost.
- No run: Approx – $800
- 6 foot run: Approx – $1,000
- 9 foot run: Approx – $1,100
- 13 foot run: Approx – $1,200
These prices are for the model with wheels. If you want a stationary coop the prices go down by about $70 for each model. Yes, you may find cheaper coops on the market, but honestly, for the quality of the coop and all the great design features, I think it is worth it.
Also, there is a definite market for used Omlet coops so if you want to sell it later you almost certainly won’t lack for customers.
About the Omlet Brand
I am not being sponsored to say this, but Omlet is a nice company to buy from. They sometimes do charity work and donate coops to house chickens rescued from egg farms. They also have a two-year warranty on their products and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros & Cons of the Omlet Eglu Cube
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Portable (albeit a little clunky) | Set up was a little tricky |
| Comes with a feeder, waterer, and ramp | Front door is hard to access for cleaning |
| Easy to clean litter bed | Nest box is slightly hard to access |
| Well insulated from heat | Litter bed doesn’t hold much poop |
| Made from heavy-duty plastic | Thin plastic mesh run is not predator proof |
| Weatherproof | Ventilation could be better in summer |
| Option for an extendable run | Expensive |
| Anti-tunnel skirt around run | |
| Hard metal mesh run is predator-proof | |
| Customizable add-ons available | |
| 2-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee |
Would I Buy the Omlet Eglu Cube Again?
Absolutely. At the time I bought the Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop I lived in a place where I couldn’t have a big chicken coop, plus I wanted to have a portable coop, and for these two factors the Cube delivered beautifully.
Yes, it would have been nice to have a bigger coop, but that would have made it harder to move, so for what it is Omlet did a great job with engineering.
As with anything, it wasn’t perfect, so I still had some minor improvements, but overall, I recommend the Omlet Eglu Cube.
