Omlet Eglu Cube Review: How Many Hens It Really Holds

The short verdict

This is a desk review: the numbers below come from Omlet, the Amazon listing and university Extension guidance, not from keeping hens in one. Our chicken coop roundup compares it with five other coops; this page goes deeper on the Cube alone.

Specs

How many hens it really holds

Omlet says the Cube is "the perfect size for up to 6 large hens, 8 medium breeds or 10 bantams." Here is how that compares with the house's own floor, using the same inside measurement as our roundup.

So why does Omlet say six? The Cube is designed to sit over an attached run, and the hens spend the day outside and use the house to roost and lay. That is a reasonable way to keep hens, but it moves the space question to the run. Extension guidance calls for about 8–10 sq ft of run per standard hen, so six large hens need roughly 48–60 sq ft of run. Check the run size Omlet lists for the setup you buy, or add a walk-in run. If your birds will be shut in during long winters or bad weather, size for the house floor alone. Our coop size calculator does this math for any flock.

Roosts and nests count too. Extension guides give about 6–10 inches of roost per standard hen and one nest box for every four or five hens.

Cleaning, and what plastic does (and doesn't) do about mites

Cleaning is the Cube's main selling point. Omlet describes slide-out trays and wipe-clean surfaces, and says a hose will clear the coop "in 10 minutes." Per Omlet's comparison chart the Cube has one removable droppings tray, a fixed nest box tray, a lift-off egg port door and one removable back panel.

Plastic helps with one mite and not the other. University of Kentucky Extension describes two mites that cause most backyard problems:

• Chicken mites (red or roost mites) feed at night and spend much of their time in "cracks and crevices in the shelter and roosting area," so control is aimed at the building. Smooth plastic with few seams leaves them fewer places to hide and is easier to treat and rinse than rough wood.
• Northern fowl mites stay on the birds day and night and lay their eggs there, so the coop material makes little difference. Kentucky says control focuses on the birds, and the mites usually arrive on wild birds or new birds.

In practice: a plastic coop makes a red-mite clean-out faster, but you still need to check your hens, especially around the vent, and quarantine new birds.

Run and predator protection

Omlet lists a "heavy duty steel weld mesh run," a skirt that "prevents digging in," and a two-step lock on the coop that it says raccoons cannot open, and claims protection from "hawks, raccoons, coyotes and foxes." Two cautions:

1. The run is not in this listing. The digging skirt and steel mesh come with Omlet's runs, so on Amazon you are buying the house only. Plan the run before the hens arrive.
2. No coop is predator-proof on its own. Maryland Extension notes raccoons can open simple latches and reach through wire, and Colorado State points out that shutting hens in at night takes owls out of the picture. Close the door every night and walk the run edges for digging. Our predator-proofing guide covers aprons, mesh and latches.

The insulation claim, in heat and cold

Omlet says the Cube is "cool in summer, warm in winter," citing two-inch insulated panels and all-round ventilation. Insulation slows heat moving through the walls; it does not cool the birds. Extension guidance for any coop still applies:

• Heat. Shade, water and ventilation are "the three most basic needs" in summer, per Arizona Extension (via the Poultry Extension network). Penn State adds that shade trees should not block air movement. The Cube is small enough to move into shade; do that before a heat wave, not during one.
• Cold. Illinois Extension wants a draft-free but well-ventilated coop: you should never see air moving the hens' feathers on the roost, yet ammonia and moisture still need a way out. Minnesota Extension warns that moisture plus cold leads to condensation and frostbite, and advises against metal or plastic roosts, which retain the cold. Check what your roost bars are made of before winter.

Alternatives

Formex Snap Lock Large: plastic, a bit more floor

Another plastic coop. Formex's manual gives a 40 x 37 in coop base, about 10.3 sq ft, which fits about 3 standard hens by the same math. It snaps together without tools and weighs 65 lb per Formex. Read the Snap Lock section.

OverEZ Classic Medium: wood, more room

A heavy, made-in-USA wooden coop with an outside footprint of about 18 sq ft. That makes it an upper bound of 4–5 standard hens, roughly double the Cube's house floor. See our OverEZ review or the Eglu Cube vs OverEZ comparison.

Reviewed here

Omlet Eglu Cube Large Chicken Coop

Hens housed (Omlet)6 large / 10 small

Inside floorabout 7.8 sq ft (Omlet)

Materialtwin-wall plastic

Runnot included (listing)

The coop alone, sold by Omlet on Amazon. On the house floor, plan on about 2 standard hens, or more if they have a well-sized run all day.

Why it made the list

• Slide-out tray and wipe-clean plastic
• Two-step lock and insulated panels, per Omlet
• Fewer crevices for red mites than wood

What to watch

• House floor is under 8 sq ft
• Run sold separately
• Hard to modify or extend the house itself

Check Price on Amazon →