Hello,

We share about 2.5% of our genetic sequence with chickens, (it’s true just ask the International Chicken Genome Sequencing Consortium!) which does explain why we sometimes feel a bit broody. Although we're not sure if it explains why chickens in pink eglus lay the most and biggest eggs but after collecting over 50 sets of data and putting it through our supercomputer E99 SH3LL that is the conclusion of our fascinating experiment.

But before Professor Penelope can present the findings at the IEC (International Egg Conference) held in Suflaye, Switzerland she needs your help.   Prof. Penny needs to write a conclusion that's not full of hot air, there's quite enough of that in Suflaye already.  So she would like you to read the report and then email her with your eggsplanations to penny@omlet.co.uk .  The best will win a box of very special chocolate eggs – yummy!   You can read the full report here

This is one of our favourite times of year: daffodils are out, the sun shines a bit longer and the whiff of fresh cut grass is just starting to filter through the air. Oh and it’s Easter!

Easter Competition
If, like the whole of the Omlet team, you haven’t touched a piece of chocolate since the beginning of lent then you’ll be looking forward to Easter day.  To mark the occasion we have a delicious competition.  Simple guess the number of chocolate eggs in the glug and send you answers to  johannes@omlet.co.uk  . You only have 1 guess and the person closest to the actual number will win all the chocolate eggs!  .

How many chocolate eggs does a Glug hold?
Send you answers to johannes@omlet.co.uk  

New Chocolate Eglu
Talking of chocolate (and we could quite happily all day long) we are launching a new cocoa brown eglu. Before you get really excited, no, its not made of chocolate! But it is highly desirable, have a look at the bottom of the newsletter to see for yourself.

Elsewhere in the Newsletter, Barbara’s chickens announce the arrival of the egg laying season and she has a fantastic recipe that is guaranteed to impress at a dinner party. The star photos have a bit of an eggy theme and the forum members give some sound advice on what to do if your chickens aren’t laying.

We hope you enjoy the newsletter,

The Omlet Team

PS. If you're reading this in America don't forget to visit www.omlet.us!

PS. Technically if someone feeds the chocolate to you it’s not really touching!

Professional Equipment was used to ensure weights were recorded in accordance with the EU Oeuf Protocol 1029375

Scientist Jonathon Reading with two good samples to add to the laboratory report.

Eggs of every shape, size and colour counted.

The results of National Science Week emerge from the supercomputer E99 SH3LL

Star Photos

Pootle and Popsie two of the greatest chicken names ever.

Has someone just found their first egg!?

Calm down dear, it's only an egg!

Have marmite and hovis been
sneakily placing adverts on the gallery?

You can see more photos in the gallery

Barbara's Weekly Diary!

Eggs are back on the menu!

After telling you all last time that my girls were taking an egg-laying break, eggs now appear to be back on the menu accompanied by an awful lot of announcing by my best layer. She started to produce eggs again about a week ago and now every time she feels the urge to provide me with something for my egg basket, she feels duty bound to tell everyone! She paces up and down the run making “baaark-bok-bok-baaark” noises then scuttles off and sits on the nest, emerging 20 minutes later having left a little gift for me in the middle! Once she’s back into the swing of things, she’ll be quiet and just get on with things. She does this everytime she returns from a break from egg laying. It used to worry me that the neighbours would be annoyed but if you consider that the noise is quieter than a barking dog or one of those infernal car alarms, there’s really no need for me to have been concerned. Most of the time, it’s even quieter than some of the garden birds when they start singing! We can hear the Thrush a long way off!

Anyway, the arrival of eggs again means I can spend more time in the kitchen using them up and one of the nicest puddings I make for my family is a Meringue Roulade.

Meringue Roulade

4 egg whites
6 oz caster sugar
1/2 pint double cream
Chopped strawberries, raspberries or other soft fruit or 1/4 pint lemon curd.
icing sugar to dust

Preheat oven to 180C and line a Swiss roll tin with greaseproof paper.
In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until very stiff then gradually whisk in 5oz of the caster sugar. Spoon into prepared tin, spreading evenly to the edges. Sprinkle remaining 1oz sugar over the top of the meringue and bake for 15 minutes.
Leave in the tin to cool then turn out onto a sheet of clean greaseproof sprinkled with caster sugar. Trim the edges.
In another bowl, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. At this point, you can fold in some chopped strawberries or raspberries or my favourite, homemade lemon curd. Spread over the roulade and roll from one short edge so that it looks like a Swiss roll. Dust with icing sugar and serve in slices.

Barbara

Please don't eat me!

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What's on the forum?

Forum Chatter

Barbara has not been the only one to have chickens on an egg-laying break. Chocchick has also been worried by a lack of eggs and asked “No Eggs since last Sunday – Do I need to worry?”

“Trinny has not laid an egg since Sunday (the last day of Science week ).
She has only been laying since 21/2/06, and only a few days a week, should I be worried? When she was laying it was big eggs like 85g-100g bigger than her Amberstar pal Su who now lays most days, and started a bit after Trinny. She seems alright and does what the other two do.

Sheila – “As long as her behaviour is like the others, I wouldn't be worried. Perhaps she needs a rest after those big ones! I can't remember, do they freerange? It's just that a while back I thought some of mine had stopped. Then I found a beautiful garden nest! Under shrubs & conifers are favourite places. Do post again if you find any, or if she shows any different behaviour.”

Chocchick – “They do freerange in the mudbath that was our lawn. Should have a careful look round, though so far they all seem quite good at laying in the nest and it's a fairly open area. I found T's first ever egg in the middle of the lawn in the rain. It had been there overnight!”

Kate – “Don't worry, Chocchick, mine often go a while between eggs, especially at this time of year. Jenny missed a fortnight! You know what signs to look for in a sick hen so if they are behaving normally, don't worry, the eggs will return!”

Chocchick – “Waiting to get home and to look for eggs. Trinny was behaving suspiciously and loitering around the eglu. Hoping she wanted to go in eglu when I wasn't looking.
When I was leaving she was nowhere to be seen Fingers crossed.....”

Linda – “Hope you come home to that eagerly awaited egg!”

Chocchick – “3 eggs today! Yay!”

Sheila – “Egggscellent news! Glad all's well.”

If you aren't egluowner then you can have a trial access to the forum, simply by clicking this link here -> forum 

Don't forget Barbara
Remember that Barbara is always on hand to answer your questions about chickens - just pop her an email to barbara@omlet.co.uk

Egluowners of the Week

Tamsin Hughes

Age: 16
 
Occupation: Student
 
Where do you live? Thorpe,Surrey

If you were stranded on a desert island what luxury item would you have? Frying pan so i can cook allll my eggs!!

What pets do you have?
Many chickielous, Maisey the ferret ,Pixie the Daschound (but the chickens call her Wolf) , Bertie the parrot, 2 Dressage horses/pony called Omsey and Rosie and 3 Gold fish

Which chickens do you have?
I have 12  in total. heinz 57, Barbu duccles,polands 

How old are they? mixture, all under 3

What are your chickens called?
will only nane a few as have lots,Muffin,Jim,Dorothy,Vera, Millie,Fleur,Jess,Teresa, Humbug

How many eggs do you get a week and what is your favourite way of cooking them?
21, fried on buttered toast

Do your chickens have a party trick?
They shout out "WOLF" when little Pixie runs down the garden!!

Would you like to be egluowner of the week?

Each week we will be featuring an elguowner of the week.  If you would like to be featured then read our questionnaire here and email your answers to james@omlet.co.uk . Photos will increase your chances!

Spending time with the chickens.

On the cat walk

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Featured Product

The new Cocoa eglu

Chocolate eglu!
You can now get a new chocolate brown eglu just in time for the end of lent!  As good to look at as it is to use.  We can't guarantee though that chickens in cocoa eglus lay chocolate eggs!  Also available for rabbits.

Prices start from £350 including delivery - click here to find out more

Mystic Peg is staring deep into her crystal egg so that she can tell you wattle happen...next time!

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