Top 6 Reasons to Choose a Plastic Coop over Wood

We’ve all been there. You’re at the local farm supply store or browsing online, and you see a charming, cedar-colored wooden coop for half the price of a professional-grade plastic model. It looks like a dollhouse; it smells like fresh timber. You think, “This is a steal.”

But after one Canadian winter, that "steal" starts to feel a lot more like a liability.

These are the top 6 reasons to choose plastic over wood for your coop:

1) Hidden cost of wood maintenance

Wood is a living, breathing material. To keep it from rotting in our humidity and snow, you have to treat it every single year with costly pet-safe wood stains, weatherproofing sealants, and the hours of labor spent painting.

Wooden chicken coops start to deteriorate as soon as they are exposed to the elements. Their roofs will need shingles replaced, as will rotted or warped boards. Chicken wire or hardware cloth will come loose from staples anchored in flimsy wood and will need to be reinforced. A lot of routine maintenance goes into keeping a wooden chicken coop structurally sound.

Plastic chicken coops require no maintenance or upkeep, making them an excellent addition to any backyard. Omlet Eglu chicken coops are easy to assemble, and don’t require replacement parts.

Wooden chicken coops, while less expensive to purchase initially, will cost you a lot in maintenance and eventually need to be replaced

2) End the war on mites and other parasites

If you get pests like mites in your coop, they can be quite a challenge to get rid off and it may take weeks of regular cleaning and spraying with solutions to control. In wooden coops, mites can find spots to hide away from the spraying and cleaning you're doing to get rid of them. Once you think you have the problem dealt with, they reappear and you have to start again. Mites will hide in corners where sheets of wood meet as well as in knots and grain found in wood and plywood.

Unlike wood, plastic is non-porous so there's nowhere for mites to hide. All of the components that make up our plastic coops come apart for easy cleaning and disinfecting. Mites don't stand a chance and the problem is quickly dealt with.

Avoid mites by investing in a plastic chicken coop. Surfaces are non-porous so mites can't hide during cleaning

3) Cleaning in 5 Minutes, Not 5 Hours

With a traditional wooden chicken coop, the dreaded cleaning routine involves a metal scraper, a face mask, and hours of scrubbing. By the time you’re done, the wood is still damp, which creates a breeding ground for mould.

Because Omlet Eglu coops are made from high-grade, smooth-surface plastic, the waste simply doesn't "bond" to the material the way it does to plywood or pine. Omlet Eglu coops are pressure washer friendly, easy to wipe clean and dry almost instantly.

Even better, the dirtiest components of the Omlet Eglu coops, like the droppings tray and nesting bars, slide out easily to dump out and wash.

Pressure washing or hosing a plastic chicken coop is quick and easy

Draft-free ventilation keeps the air fresh without chilling your flock

4) Outstanding Durability

Most "entry-level" wooden coops have a lifespan of 3 to 5 years before they become unsalvageable. Wood expands in the damp and shrinks in the heat. Within 12 months, you’ll likely notice doors that no longer latch securely and gaps in the siding that let in freezing drafts.

When you do the math, buying three wooden coops over a decade costs significantly more than investing in one Omlet Eglu Coop that is built to last. It’s UV-stabilized and won't degrade in the sun or crack in the frost. The Omlet Eglu Cube and Omlet Eglu Pro come with 10-year warranties. You'll never find that on a wooden coop.

Plastic chicken coop with precision fit door panel for access and security

Strong, UV-stabilized materials and perfectly aligned parts mean your coop is designed to last a lifetime

5) Superior Predator Protection

As wooden coops age, the wood softens. A hungry predator can literally chew through a corner of a cedar coop to create an opening. The high-density, twin-walled polyethylene used in our coops is incredibly tough. It offers no "purchase" for teeth and is impact-resistant, meaning even the most determined visitor eventually gives up and moves on.

All Omlet Eglu coops come with raccoon-proof locking mechanisms and a heavy-duty, integrated mesh floor skirt that sits flat on the ground.

Omlet chicken runs are made from heavy-duty steel weld-mesh, not chicken wire. It is coated for weather resistance and thick enough to withstand the brute force of a large dog or a persistent predator. It doesn't sag, it doesn't rust through, and it doesn't give way.

Heavy duty steel weld mesh chicken coop run and unique anti-tunnel skirt prevents predators digging

Heavy duty steel weld mesh run and unique anti-tunnel skirt prevents digging

6) Proven Insulation for Canadian weather

Traditional wooden coops are usually made of a single layer of timber (often less than half an inch thick). Wood is porous; it absorbs moisture, and once wood is damp, it becomes a conductor for the cold rather than a barrier against it.

The Omlet Eglu coop works like a high-end thermos or a double-glazed window. It utilizes twin-wall insulation: there is a pocket of air trapped between the inner and outer plastic walls. This air pocket acts as a massive buffer, making it incredibly difficult for the external temperatures to penetrate the interior. This translates to warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Omlet Eglu coops are designed to have draft-free ventilation, so your chickens will never suffer from cold winds blowing through their feathers, but they will get fresh air circulating through the coop in the summer.

Double wall insulation on plastic coop keeps chickens cool in summer and warm in winter

Double-walled design keeps your chickens warm all winter in all Omlet Eglu coops

Ventilation in plastic chicken coop stops drafts and circulates fresh air

Optimized ventilation stops drafts and damp air in the coop. Twin-wall insulation keeps it cool in summer, and warm in winter

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What are Pinless Peepers and How Do I Use Them?

Have you unfortunately noticed that your chickens are pulling feathers?

From time to time you may end up with a bad egg, errr, chicken, that pecks your other birds. This can be caused by boredom, lack of proper nutrition, or sometimes for no reason at all. Once you've established why they are doing it and fixed any related issues, you must stop the physical act of pecking. Pinless peepers are a harmless solution that can be used short or long term with no detrimental effects.

Peepers can be installed with or without pliers. The pliers make the task easier especially when working on multiple birds.

Pinless peepers are constructed of virgin polypropylene plastic material to insure long life and durability of the unit. Stiff construction also ensures that these Pinless Peepers will not break or become loose as older models once did.

Pick from 10 great colours or get a mix! Sold in 12 packs with or without pliers. Save 10% on pinless peepers with discount code PEEPER10 at checkout.

Click here to get your Pinless Peepers

How to install Pinless Peepers:

Drop the Pinless Peepers into a bowl of hot water. Let them sit for a couple of minutes to soften the plastic
Get a partner to hold the chicken on their lap while keeping the head from moving.
With the chicken happily immobilized, pry the plastic prongs apart and insert one into each nostril of the bird. Once you release the peeper, it will hold snugly on the chicken's beak.
Using our special installation pliers makes the job easier when dealing with multiple birds but if you only have a few you might be able to do without.

Once installed, your bird may try to pull it off or act a little strange. This is normal and within a short time they will be back to their old selves, without the pecking!

Eglu Chicken Coops in Winter

We get the most questions about how to keep chicken in the winter months here in Canada. Many people find it hard to believe, but chickens are not only great in winter weather but they thrive in winter! Read on to find out what it's like keeping chickens in the winter.

A Best Snacks for your Chickens...and What to Avoid

Nothing keeps a coop happy like snack time. Here is your ultimate guide to the best treats for your flock, the "no-go" foods, and how to make snack time an interactive event.

Chicken feed is specially formulated to meet all your chickens nutritional needs. However, adding snacks to their diet has some great advantages:

Reduce kitchen waste and use up your kitchen scraps.
Boredom busting
Keep them cool in summer
Keep them entertained in winter

Treats should only make up about 10% of your chicken's diet. Think of these as the multivitamins and mood-boosters of the coop.

🥗 The Good Stuff: Best Healthy Snacks

Leafy Greens: Kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are packed with vitamins.
Watermelon & Berries: Perfect for hydration on hot days. Chickens go wild for the seeds and the flesh!
Mealworms & Black Soldier Fly Larvae: The "gold standard" of chicken treats. High in protein, these are essential during molting season to help grow strong feathers.
Cooked Eggs: It sounds strange, but scrambled eggs are a fantastic protein source. Just make sure they are fully cooked so your hens don't develop a taste for their own raw eggs. Don't use salt or fats when cooking.
Pumpkins & Squash: Not only are they nutritious, but pecking at a whole pumpkin provides hours of natural entertainment.
Corn on the Cob Rinds - You will be amazed how your chickens will pick them clean!

🚫 The "Never" List: What to Avoid

Chickens are hardy, but some common household foods can be toxic or even fatal:

Avocado: The pits and skins contain persin, which can cause heart failure in birds.
Dry/Raw Beans: These contain phytohaemagglutinin, which is highly toxic to poultry. Always cook beans thoroughly.
Green Potatoes/Tomatoes: These belong to the nightshade family and contain solanine. While ripe tomatoes are fine, avoid anything green or the leaves of the plant.
Chocolate & Caffeine: Just like dogs, chickens cannot process theobromine or caffeine.
Salty or Moldy Scraps: Excessive salt can lead to kidney failure, and moldy food contains mycotoxins that can be lethal.
Cooked food leftovers: Leftovers from your meals will likely include salt, spices, fats, processed foods and meats that are not healthy for your chicken
Egg shells and uncooked eggs: do not encourage your chickens to eat their own eggs!
Crab Grass or grasses that still have roots attached: These very fibrous plants will get stuck in your chickens' crop and cause "impacted crop," and "sour crop."

Snacks that may affect the taste of your eggs

The taste of your eggs is highly sensitive to the hen's diet. Because the yolk is composed primarily of fats and proteins synthesized from what the bird eats, certain strong flavors can "leach" into the egg.

While the following snacks may be perfectly non-toxic, you may want to avoid them for the sake of your own tastebuds:

Fish Meal & Fish Oil: While great for protein, if it makes up more than 1–2% of their total diet, the eggs will take on a distinct fishy taste, due to an excess of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Flaxseed (Linseed): Often added to boost heart-healthy fats in eggs, but too much can cause a "fishy" or "dirt-like" off-flavor.
Canola Meal: Interestingly, some brown-egg-laying breeds (like Rhode Island Reds) have a genetic quirk that prevents them from breaking down a compound called choline in canola. This results in a fishy-smelling egg.
Onions & Garlic Members of the Allium family contain high concentrations of sulfur compounds. The strong flavours of these foods definitely get transferred to the eggs.
Cabbage & Brassicaceae: Vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower contain glucosinolates. In high quantities, these can impart a slightly bitter or "cabbagey" flavor to the yolk.

Turn Snack Time into Play Time

If you simply toss treats on the ground, the "alpha" hens usually gobble them up before the others get a chance. Plus, bored chickens often turn to "naughty" behaviors like feather pecking or egg eating.

That’s where our Peck Toys come in!

Peck Toys are designed to bridge the gap between nutrition and enrichment. By placing treats inside a toy, you:

Stop the Bullying: It spreads out the feeding process so everyone gets a turn.
Exercise Their Brains: It mimics the natural foraging behavior chickens crave.
End Coop Boredom: Especially during winter or "coop-in" days, a peck toy keeps them moving and engaged.