We hope you all had a Happy Easter and stuffed yourself silly with chocolate! The Bank Holiday is over but the sun is shining and the weekend is here so there's lots to be happy about. And here's a joke to start you off...
Q) Why did the chicken go to the library? A) To check out a bawk, bawk, bawk!
If you've got a better joke (that won't be hard) send it to stephanie@omlet.co.uk.
Win Win Win!
In the last newsletter we announced our latest competition. We haven't received many entries yet and the only thing we can put it down to is that children everywhere are just too busy eating chocolate to give it a go. Come on kids, you must have finished your eggs by now, and we know you've still got a week off school so there's really no eggscuse not to enter. In case you missed it, the challenge is to decorate an egg. Simple, eh!? Let your imagination run wild and decorate your egg however you like. Kennedy grew cress from hers to create one very crazy egg indeed!
Send a photo of your amazing egg to stephanie@omlet.co.uk for your chance to win a £25 voucher to spend in the online shop. The closing date is April 16th and the competition is open to grown up kids too!
Books that Buzz
Now that Spring has sprung and the British weather is starting to warm up, it is the perfect time to start keeping bees. And if you are planning to start this fascinating and rewarding hobby we have got a bee-rilliant range of books available to help you along the way. Whether you are a complete beeginner and you want to know the basics, or you have some experience but want to learn about breeding or making your own honey wine, we have a book to suit everyone.
Click here to visit the library now.
The Chicken Man
Anyone that reads the Observer might have noticed an eggstraordinary article in the magazine recently. The Eglu, chickens and Alex Horne were spread across four pages of the mag, for a very hentertaining read about keeping hens. Alex went from stand up comedian to chicken man in a few months and this article tells all about his journey from novice to bird obsessive.
He decided to keep chickens after his wife suggested it, and it wasn't long before he came across Omlet on the internet, saying “Omlet's iconic Eglu chicken house design looked so (yes, I'm going to use the word) hip that I was sure my impulsive decision was a good one”. He wasn't disappointed with his decision, and after watching the new arrivals shake their booties for a while he named them Beyonce and Shakira. Alex soon became Mother Hen to the pair and was devoted, but that was not the end of it...
To read the whole of Alex's story click here.
Feeling Crafty
The Omlet shop is full of eggciting and eggstraordinary gifts and gadgets but we are about to launch a brand new category of handmade crafts and we need your help. There are already a few handmade goodies available, but we want to give you the chance to add your own creations to the collection.
If you have crafty fingers and have something you think we could sell on our shop just contact stephanie@omlet.co.uk. Send a photo and description of your creation and we will get in touch. If you prefer to send a sample of your product you can - just send to Omlet Ltd, Tuthill Park, Wardington, Banbury, Oxon, OX17 1RR. Don't be shy - anything goes!
Design Museum
You might remember us mentioning that the Beehaus had been nominated for the Brit Insurance Design of the Year award, a few weeks ago. It was a great achievement to bee nominated, but unfortunately we didn't quite make it to the top this time. Min–Kyu Choi was crowned the overall winner for his innovative design of a folding plug. (You never know when you might need one of those.)
The good news is that the Beehaus is still on display at the Design Museum until October 31st. This is an exciting exhibition showcasing all the award nominees and anyone with a passion for design and technology will find it fascinating. For more information please visit the website.
The even better news is that we have two exhibition tickets to give away. Just answer this simple question for your chance to win the pair: Which five colours is the Beehaus available in? Send your answer to stephanie@omlet.co.uk by April 16th. Good luck!
The Omlet Team
P.S. If you want to learn more about beekeeping why not go on a course? They're running all over the country, so click here to find one near you!
Read these and you'll be queen bee in no time!
Alex may be a comedi-hen but he takes keeping chickens very seriously.
Can you help eggspand our cracking collection of crafts?
We beelieve the Beehaus is the star of the Design Museum eggshibition.
Last week started strangely. I was forced to model Barbara’s Easter bonnet, whilst she made last minute adjustments to the bouquet of paper daffodils that adorned the hat. Forgetting myself, I answered the door to Milly, the Post Master’s daughter and a mass of giggling Brownies selling biscuits for the Easter fair.
“Good morning Mr Tom”, they chanted in unison, through fits of laughter. I whipped the bonnet off my head and thrust a fiver into their hands, whilst grabbing a box of baked goods and closing the door, as quickly as I could! Will take a while to live that one down.
The brief mild spell we had at the end of March, did wonders for the garden. The hens enjoyed the sunshine too. Watching them sun bathing and scratching around for bugs was wonderful. We are back to a full house of eggs every day again now. The spinach I planted for them is doing really well and turning their yolks a glorious orange.
What better way to make use of the eggs than with a bit of baking. These muffins make a well earned reward after a day's gardening!
Chocolate muffins
225g Plain flour
60g cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
110g soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
6 tbsp sunflower oil
200ml soured cream
3 tsbp golden syrup
130g chocolate chips (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6
2. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases
3. Sift the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder, add the sugar and chocolate chips, if using, and mix.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and beat in the oil, cream and golden syrup until smooth.
5. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, without over mixing.
6. Spoon into muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes until firm to the touch.
7. Cool on a wire rack.
Dear Barbara,
I’ve just noticed that one of my hens is pulling feathers out of the back and vent area of the other hen. Why is she doing this and is there anything I can do to stop it?Help!
Feather pulling is quite a common problem but there are some things you can try which might help. First of all though, we need to find out why it might be happening. Feather pulling can be the result of boredom, especially if hens are kept in a confined space for long periods of time so allowing them to free range regularly can help. If your hens are unable to free range during the day because your garden has visits from foxes, you could try hanging up some leafy green vegetables from the sides or roof of the run for them to peck at. This should keep them happily occupied for a good while and tying them to the run prevents the veggies from getting trampled and dirty underfoot. Try Omlet's Food Ball. Some people find that if you hang old CDs from the sides of the run, the hens find it fascinating to look at their reflections in them but I have to admit that I’ve never had any success with this with my own hens who just ignore them. It may also be worth considering extending your run as we have metre long panels available in the Omlet shop for the Eglu Classic and the Cube which would enable you to give your hens more run space.
Another common cause for feather pulling is when the pecking order is being established but this should settle down within a few weeks. It’s a necessary part of hens getting to know each other and often looks far more unpleasant than it actually is. However, if the pecking is becoming established and feathers are being pulled out or the skin is starting to look sore, there are various Anti-Pecking sprays available which make the feathers taste unpleasant and this is often enough to deter pecking. If the skin is broken and bleeding, it’s vitally important to remove the injured hen straight away and not reintroduce her again until her wounds are healed up. Hens are attracted to the colour red and will peck at wounds until they are in a truly dreadful state if nothing is done. Applying Gentian (or “Purple”) Spray stains the skin and disguises the redness to make it a less obvious target for the bully. Veterinary Wound Powder is also excellent for stopping wounds from bleeding and is an effective disguise for sore spots too. If these don’t help, you can get “Bumper Bits” or beak rings which can be applied to the bully and these prevent the beak tips from coming together enough for feathers to be pulled out but do allow the hen to eat, drink and otherwise behave normally. In extreme cases, separating the bully for a week can help as hens soon forget habits and when she’s reintroduced, she may not remember why she enjoyed pulling out the other hen’s feathers.
Feather pulling can be the result of skin parasites so regular checks for lice and mites and prompt action if any are found is always a good idea. The places where bugs are usually found are around the vent, the neck, under the
wings and around the abdomen. If you part the feathers and look closely at the skin and the feather shafts, you may see little moving creatures or their eggs, which are smaller than a pinhead but are laid in clumps along the feather shaft making them easy to spot. There are various really good sprays and powders
available now for treating skin parasite infestations but do remember to reapply them a week after the initial treatment to catch any eggs which may have hatched out in the meantime.
If you notice that your hen is pulling the feathers out and eating them, this could be due to a dietary deficiency so you may find that feeding the hens things such as hard boiled eggs or dried/live mealworms can make a difference as these are rich in protein and may help if there is a dietary imbalance. I read that hens who have diets where the amino acid "methionine" is missing or at an inadequate level, this can lead to them pulling out feathers and eating them to try and correct this imbalance. Layers meal supposedly contains this amino acid but it's recommended that if you have a problem with hens eating feathers, don't give additional grains such as corn or wheat to them as this can mean that the amount of methionine can be inadequate for providing growth and feather development. If they have corn or grains as well as their layers meal, it might be worth leaving them out of their diets for a week or two and see if it makes any difference. Make sure that they also have Poultry Grit available at all times and we sell some in the Omlet shop. Also give them plenty of leafy green vegetables such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, spinach etc tied up in the run if they don't have access to grass.
Barbara's Star Photo
Oliver and Coco won't have much of a game with a football that size.
Charlotte Smith
About You
Your name and age: My name is Charlotte Smith and I am 16 years old.
Where and with who do you live? I live in a small town called Harpenden in Hertfordshire.
Your occupation: I am a student in year 11.
What pets do you have? I have a dog, a rabbit and two chickens.
What would you choose as your last supper? I would probably choose my mums macaroni cheese, which is so delicious!
Do you have a hobby or a hidden talent? Yes, I am very musical. I play the flute, the piano and I sing. I passed my grade 8 flute with distinction three and a half years ago, I am working towards my grade 8 piano, and I have done my grade 7 singing.
If you could be anywhere else in the world right now where would you be? I really want to go to Africa, to see the wildlife and the scenery. It is a trip which I have always dreamed about going on.
About Your Chickens
What are your chickens called? My chickens are called Hettie and Pepper.
What do your chickens like eating more than anything else? My chickens absolutely adore corn, their afternoon treat!
How many eggs do you get a week and what's your favourite way of preparing them? We get around 2 eggs every day, but sometimes not, so around 8-12 eggs a week.
Do you bake more cakes now you have your own chickens? Well my parents like to have an egg each every morning, but occasionly, if there are extra eggs we bake a cake.
Do your chickens have a party trick? Well if my chickens see that you have got corn in your hand they will do anything to get it. They will jump and fly around you until you give them their corn!
What's been the most surprising thing about keeping chickens? They are so friendly and whenever you go outside to see them, they always come rushing up to see you, and say hello!
Can you imagine life without chickens? No I cannot because they are just so friendly and such a big part of my life now.
Charlotte is a musical genius and can even play the gingeridoo.
Hettie and Pepper have their new housemate well trained to sniff out corn.
Star Products!
Here is just a small selection, go online to see the full range.
Mug - Peter Rabbit
Who could resist a cup of tea from a mug as charming as this? Rabbit owners and Beatrix Potter fans will adore this mug, and rightly so. On one side is the famous chap himself, Peter Rabbit, naughtily nibbling Mr McGregor's radishes, and hiding on the other side is Benjamin Bunny.
Organic Omlet Mixed Corn 10kg
Chickens go mad for corn and it is great for feeding to hungry hens as an afternoon treat. This is a special organic mix of wheat and maize, blended by the eggsperts at Omlet, which we know your chickens will love. It'll turn their yolks a lovely deep colour too. Eggcellent!
Rare Poultry Breeds by David Scrivener
This is a fascinating book for every poultry fancier. It is a detailed reference guide that covers over 180 breeds of rare, obscure and even extinct chickens and bantams and it is packed with interesting facts and details on each breed, including advice about keeping them. Illustrated with over 230 beautiful colour photographs this is a wonderful book for anyone that's serious about chickens.
Watering Can Duo Green
Water your plants in style with this bright, modern, plastic watering can. Available in three vibrant shades that match the eglu colours, you can look cool and coordinated while doing your gardening. Dual ended, you have the option to pour or shower water over your plants, and with a capacity of 2.5 litres it is will hold enough water to fill up your matching glug!
Keeping Chickens in Canada
The Eglu has taken America by storm and now it seems that Canada has caught on to the craze of keeping chickens too! This month we spotted a green Eglu Classic in the magazine Landscape Architecture in Canada, which is a magazine all about, well, landscape architecture in Canada! The article reveals the great news that residents of Vancouver can now legally keep chickens in their gardens and collect their own fresh eggs every morning. Hoorah!
Raising poultry in urban areas was considered unsafe in Canada for years, and now Vancouver is the first major city to allow families to keep hens. Residents are hoping that this will provide them with more than just eggs...children will learn responsibility, and chicken manure makes for great compost.
We hope it won't be long before the rest of Canada realises the benefits of legalising chicken keeping too!
Or if you live in Canada and want to order an Eglu click here.
