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Hello,
The Bake me Happy competition is in full swing with
lots of people rising to the challenge. Chickens
have been doing their bit by popping eggs out at an eye
watering rate, whilst kitchens have been whirring to the
sound of whisks and Sainsbury’s has reported shortages
of icing sugar. Not since Delia Smith first
showed the nation how to boil an egg has there been such
culinary excitement.
The Omlet mailbag has been full of photographs of
beautiful looking cakes accompanied by tantalising
descriptions. One lovely lady also sent in a
carefully wrapped piece of cake, which arrived in
perfect condition and definitely impressed the
judges. So, if you want to make the judge’s job
easier don’t hesitate to pop a piece in the post.
And don’t forget that there’s a fabulous Omlet
Apron up for grabs and the prestigious title of
Baroness Bake!
Later in the newsletter, Barbara has some good advice
on how to keep your garden looking neat and tidy over
winter. The forum members have been busy
discussing who has the friendliest chickens and the eglu
owner of the week is an absolute corker.
Can you help? We are reviewing our list of
breeders so if you have any feedback – good or bad on
the places you have visited to buy chickens from or you
have discovered new ones then please let us know.
You can do this by emailing penny@omlet.co.uk
please also include the name and telephone number of the
breeder as well as an address if you have it.
And finally, the Omlet
Christmas cards have been flying of the shelves,
which is great because for every pack sold the Battery
Hen Welfare Trust gets 50p to help them in their
excellent work of rehoming hens so that they can live
out their days as free ranging pets. So if you
haven’t yet sent your cards why not stock up on some of
these.
Enjoy the newsletter and good luck in the
competition!
The Omlet Team |
Some cakes are so good you just
can't resist giving them a little kiss!
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Star Photos
Somebody who didn't eat their greens
finds the perfect way of destroying
the evidence!
"On second thoughts - I think my eglu is
safer"
Eastenders Shock:
Ratings plummet as
chickens walk out!
You can see more photos in the gallery |
Barbara's Weekly
Diary!
How to keep
chickens and keep your garden
too...
One of my most frequently
asked questions is what damage will the chickens do to
the garden? Well, if you’re prepared for them, not that
much! The hens may peck or scratch at plants so it's a
good idea to separate anything delicate off to prevent
damage. This can be done really easily using fruit cage
netting and bamboo poles or even better, the chicken
netting we sell in the Omlet shop which is tough,
comes in two lengths and is so easy to put up and take
down again without getting into a terrible tangle. It’s
very easy to section off vegetable gardens or bedding
plants and the advantage of the chicken netting is that
it doesn’t have to be a permanent feature which leaves
you free to enjoy your garden when the hens are in their
run.
Hens can't be toilet
trained but the droppings can be scraped up very easily
and popped onto the compost heap where they will make
the most wonderful compost. In summer, droppings on the
lawn dry out quickly and can be raked in where they will
act as a fertiliser and make your grass grow lush and
green. Chickens actually carry less health risks than
cats and dogs and as long as they are wormed twice a
year, it is perfectly safe for children to be around
them, so long as a sensible handwashing regime is
followed.
During winter it is a good
idea to keep them off the lawn where possible because
the grass becomes dormant and any damage will not
recover until Spring which can result in unsightly bald
patches. This is a good time to build a permanent bark
run which is incredibly easy to maintain and the
chickens won't suffer from being kept off the garden if
they are given daily treats of raw green vegetables.
There is a
guide showing how to build one on the Omlet website.
The bark can be raked out once a month and changed for
fresh and the hens will be perfectly happy scratching
around in it and will even find areas which they can use
to dustbathe within it!
Paddle stones on top of plant pots will prevent
little feet from uprooting the contents and leave the
pots looking stylish. The hens love it when you move the
pots about the garden because you can guarantee that
there will be something tasty lurking underneath for
them to gobble up! Watching your hens free ranging is
one of the most pleasurable pastimes and with a little
foresight, you can relax and enjoy them without worrying
about your garden.
Barbara
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Friendly
Chickens
“If we do decide to get a couple of
chickens, which do you think are the friendliest? I'm
determined to have the kind of girls who I can make a
fuss of and who will be real pets, as well as a talking
point for the neighbours! We were originally thinking of
one of each of the Omlet chooks, but reading the
messages here, I'm not so sure any more. The world seems
full of amazing chickens! Any recommendations?” -
HennyPenny
Both our Bluebelle and Starlight are very
friendly, and always come running to meet you when you
go outside. They are both happy being handled (even when
it is by a 6 year old!), and are both good at laying
double yolkers! We also have a White Star and an Amber
Star who are both friendly enough, but not as tame as
the other 2. – Chookiehen
Well the Gingernut and Pepperpot are
lovely!! – Buffie
Goes without saying! Our two Amberstars
are lovely, but more nervous than the Black stars. Now
just have to find more chooks who are not only friendly
but lay coloured eggs (don’t want much do I) –
Mel and Paul
My Gingernut Clarry is the most wonderful
hen. We love her to bits! – Kate
Both our Omlet hens - a Pepperpot and a
Bluebell are very friendly. The Speckledy doesn't like
being picked up - the Sussex star is friendly and cuddly
- the Cream Legbar is OK if you can catch her and the
Whitestar is fine if you can ever catch her - she will
do anything for food though so is quite amenable!
– Lesley
My Gingernut is the friendliest chook she
will always let you pick her up, the Pepperpot allows
you a cuddle when she feels like it and there is just no
catching the Cream Legbar........... -
Nicola
Well I used to say AMBERSTAR ... but now
..... Ebony, the Starlight is contending for the
friendliest chook award in our garden. Ginger is good
.... but I would say the Amberstar and Starlights in my
experience are the most amenable. Also, remember the
chook will be more friendly, the more she is handled, so
as I have been pretty hands on with Ebony, as she is
new, maybe she is just a tad friendlier at the moment.
Mrs Snowy is good too ... and does not resist a cuddle.
– SarahJo
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My girls are both Omlet Gingernut Rangers.
They are fab. They come running to you like a dog, sit
with you like a cat and follow you round the garden like
a friend, chatting away to me. I say Gingernuts are the
best. – Clare*
Yes, I'd have to go with the Gingernut
Ranger too. We love our Louise to bits (but don't tell
Thelma I said that, as I love her too) as she is a real
character and is never far away from me wherever I am in
the garden to give me a helping hand or just to sit and
chat. She'll quite happily sit on my arm or shoulder,
and very often leave little presents behind. She's very
thoughtful like that – Gina
When comparing all the hybrid breeds, I
think the most important thing to determine how tame and
friendly they are is their training. If you train them
like dogs using treats and give them lots of handling
then they will be really tame. Even my Pollo, who is a
shy hen in personality, was easily trained to go up the
ramp onto the platform to be given her antibiotics twice
a day. – Motherhen
My bantam babes are great; they come
running up swanking when I open the back door. Layla and
Sadie like cuddles, and Sadie (the little hussy) will
'stand' for you with her tail in the air if you tread
her back like a cock! Ruby is more wary - probably due
to visits to the vet when we first got her. I love my
bantams and wouldn't swap them for anything! –
Clare Taylor
I love my two Omlet girls to bits...had
them 6 weeks now and I think they were pretty young
(still no eggs, they are quite small birds and the
Pepperpot's comb is still tiny). They are both really
tame - come tearing up to me like little puppies
whenever I call them. The Pepperpot is the tamest - she
climbs on my lap whenever I sit down. This morning she
started drinking the cup of tea I was holding! They
really have got personalities of their own. Tell
us what you choose when you do! –
Deborah
If you are an egluowner then you can
access to the forum. Evening if you haven't got chickens
yet you can have a weeks trial access to the forum by
clicking this link here -> forum
Don't forget
Barbara
Remember that Barbara is always on
hand to answer your question about chickens - just pop
her an email to barbara@omlet.co.uk |
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Egluowners of the
Week
Amy
Roberts
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!
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Age:
20
Occupation:
Student
Where do you live?
South Devon
What pets do you
have? 2 beautiful bantum chickens also 3 spoilt
guinea pigs!
If you were stranded
on a desert island what luxury item would you
have? laptop with internet
connection!
(Presumably so you can keep in touch
with the forum - Ed)
How many
chickens do you have? 2
What breeds are they?
Both bantums, 1 white-crested black Polish and 1 white
Pekin
How old are they?
Just over a year
What are your
chickens called? Betty (Polish) and Penny- Gwen
(Pekin)
How many eggs do you get a
week and what is your favourite way of cooking
them? None at the moment!!! Ermm well when i do
get them theyre tiny so usually fried n put in a bacon
sandwich
Do your chickens have a
party trick? They're great at 'follow the
leader'(me!) Also Betty has managed to get onto the roof
several times.... :-s (Yes her wing IS clipped!And my
house is more than 6ft high!)Oh and between them they
destroy mum's plants.
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