Eggs for Breakfast
Eggs are bad for you, eggs are good for you...the eggsperts just keep on changing their minds, but the latest news concludes that our favourite food really is eggcellent for your health. The humble egg is so full of vitamins that it is the best way to start the day, and scientists claim it is good for your heart, good for your eyes and good for your bones. So there's a good eggscuse for a full English breakfast!
To celebrate this brilliant news we have a rather tasty competition for you. And it's over-easy too so we eggspect loads of you to enter. It's a wordsearch, with a breakfast theme! Just find the words below, then send your completed wordsearch to Stephanie, Omlet Ltd, Tuthill Park, Wardington, Banbury, Oxon, OX17 1RR. Or email to stephanie@omlet.co.uk. The winner will get their hands on their choice of egg t-shirt and some other goodies.
Bacon, Baked beans, Coffee, Croissant, Fried egg, Muffin, Mushrooms, Orange juice, Sausage, Scrambled egg, Toast, Tomato.
Mystery Meg
You may remember the mystery behind our last Eglu Owner of the Month…Meg had been the lucky winner of our Eglu Go competition and we were honoured to feature her in the newsletter. But the problem was no one knew what she looked like. Luckily, she hadn’t gone into hiding and a few days after the newsletter was sent we received a photo of the lovely lady.
More eggciting news though…the next day Meg emailed us to let us know that Miss Cassandra had laid her first egg, just double the size of a marble. And a day or two after that Miss Catherine did the same. Well, we do our best to make people happy!
Competition Results
Last month we launched a competition just for kids, to celebrate the school holidays and the Beehaus' 1st birthday. We wanted you to send us your bee-inspired artwork and you didn't disappoint. There were some bee-rilliant entries but the one that got us buzzing the most was a colourful picture of the Beehaus, complete with cartoon bees. Although we've never seen a bee hanging out her washing before, we like to think that this is the kind of hive of activity that occurs in all our Beehauses.
The artist beehind this picture is Emily Rowell, aged 13. We will be sending her a fantastic USB microscope along with a few other goodies. If any bees are hanging out their undies Emily will be able to see with her new gadget.
Penny for your Sting
What should you do if you get stung by a bee? Put a penny on it!
Struggling to get the punch line? That’s because this isn’t a bad joke, for once, but a real piece of advice. Now whether it really works or not, we have yet to discover, but according to an email we received, a penny really is the cure for your bee sting. After being stung, simply tape a 1p or 2p coin to the affected area for 15 minutes and the pain and irritation should disappear. We’re not sure how this works exactly, but it’s supposed to have something to do with the copper. Could this bee the cheapest antidote ever?
We’d love to know if this trick really does work so let us know if you’ve tried it!
Important Information
As a regular reader of the Omlet Newsletter, you will knowthat we have kept prices the same for over two years. However due to UK manufacturing price rises we will be
increasing the price of some of the Eglu range.
As of the 10th of September the new prices will be:
Eglu Go - £330
Eglu Classic - £425
Eglu Pet for rabbits - £425
Eglu Cube 2m run - £695
Eglu Cube 3m run - £795
for a full list please see the Omlet website.
So if you're thinking of buying an Eglu, order now to save
money. You can order items for delivery at a later date and
we will not take payment until the day before delivery.
Remember the fantastic Eglu Go (suitable for up to 4 chickens) is still £330 including 2m run and accessories.
To order any product please go online www.omlet.co.uk/shop or call our
helpful customer service team on 0845 450 2056
The Omlet Team
P.S With kids going back to school on Monday why not make their last weekend off a fun one, by going to the Moreton-in-Marsh Show? This agricultural show has loads of livestock, tonnes of trade stands and amazing attractions, including an eggscapologist. We'll be there so come and say hello!
A birth in the village is always a cause for celebration. The Ladies rally ‘round organising baby showers, house cleaning and mass cooking in preparation. When the news hit that one of the residents gave birth to nine, there was jubilation! I am of course referring to Gwendoline the Post Mistress’s Saddleback sow, Matilda. Nine off-white and black piglets nursed happily at Matilda’s side with several pairs of eyes staring in wonder. I have to admit, the thought of keeping a couple of pigs is very tempting. However, the thought of saying goodbye to them come autumn is another matter. It will be a few months until they are ready for the freezer.
The hedgerows are now heaving with fruit. Barbara and I are regular visitors to the lane to pick Blackberries and elderberries. Back in Spring, we discreetly marked a couple of blossoming blackthorns with red ribbons to return when the first frosts had been. Sloe gin is a staple in our house through the winter. It would seem others had the same idea, as many of the trees have different coloured ribbons attached to them. By autumn/winter, the hedgerow has grown so much, it is difficult to see the blackthorn amongst the brambles and wild roses, so the ribbons make a useful reminder.
A few of our hens are moulting, so we have upped the poultry spice in their layers pellets and given them the odd treat of tuna and a sprinkling of dried mealworms. They are still laying well, even the few that are moulting, but, like the country side, things are slowing down for winter.
Now is a good time to get the coop thoroughly clean before the weather turns. Taking it apart and giving it a good scrub now, will pay dividends when it is freezing cold or pouring with rain later in the year. Use a good quality poultry disinfectant to get to all the nooks and crannies and leave it
to dry in the sun. Check your hens over thoroughly for any
crawlies and use appropriate treatments. I tend to add mite/lice powder to their dust bath every week – far easily than dusting individual hens.
The Grandchildren are back to school soon and with it comes the daily dilemma of packed lunches. I am a huge fan myself and like children, prefer lots of bits, rather than a ham sandwich and bag of crisps. Picky food might seem like a chore, but can be prepared in advance and used all week. Homemade cakes/biscuits should last the week (if well hidden, as Barbara knows only too well – am still to find her hiding places)! Filled mini pitta bread, raw veg skewers, a yoghurt, fruit, small salad and a hard boiled bantam egg (perfect for children) finish a healthy lunch time meal. The bar of Dairy Milk is not in shot!
Early next year, we will have plenty of pork. I wonder if crackling could be seen as a health food? I guess not.
We’ve had so much rain in the last few weeks that the poor old hens have either been soggy or covered in mud! The outdoor run is full of muddy puddles at the moment and I haven’t dared go in for fear of slipping over being trampled by chickens! Luckily the hens have a large indoor run to shelter in where I can go in to feed them and collect eggs but I really need to have a rethink about what to put down on the ground in the outdoor area. The soil doesn’t drain well at all thanks to a layer of clay and the thick carpet of bark chippings we keep putting down seems to disappear into the bog as soon as we get any heavy rain. The indoor part has a really deep layer of wood chippings so I’m wondering if maybe a good layer of wood chippings outside too would work better than bark? If anyone has any tried and tested suggestions for extremely boggy outdoor run ground coverings, I’d be extremely grateful so email me at barbara@omlet.co.uk
The hens don’t mind being outside in the rain at all and know they can stay nice and dry if they want to but seem to
enjoy scratching about in the puddles looking for goodness knows what! At roosting time, they head for bed looking bedraggled but in the morning, they bound out all fluffy feathered again as if they’d never been rained on. One of the girls has feathery legs and feet so we have to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t get mud balls developing on the soles of her feet. She loves having a foot bath and pedicure but always rushes back to find the muddiest puddle in the run to dip her newly clean feet into! I sometimes wonder why I bother! The really hot spell earlier seems to have brought the moult on early this year. There are feathers everywhere and you can feel the spiky quills poking through their skin where the new feathers are emerging. Hopefully they will all have moulted before the weather gets very cold. We stocked up on poultry mineral supplements and tonics to add to their food and water to help counteract any mineral deficiencies brought on by the moult and, bless them, they’ve all been laying really rather well as a result despite the stresses of moulting so we’re still getting plenty of cakes! Thank goodness for that.
Becki Tall
Where and with whom do you live? I live near Chester with my husband, two children, two cats, one stick insect and seven chickens.
How long have you been keeping chickens? Nearly three years.
What made you decide to keep chickens? We like to source food ethically and I had been curious about chicken keeping for some time. There are so many lovely different ones available!
What are your chickens’ names? Bluebelle (Speckledy), Wiggy (Jasmine), Tiggy (Cream legbar – blue eggs!), Rasputia (partridge cochin), Father Jack Hackett (lavender araucana – green eggs), Mrs Doyle (Blue cochin) and Sheila (Light sussex). We also have had Omlet girls, who were the nicest hens I’ve ever kept.
What's your favourite thing about the Eglu? I love how easy it is to clean and dry off – it’s a funky design too.
What do you like doing when you're not hosting hen parties? I’m a good example of how chicken keeping fits into a busy life. I work with children with additional needs and in my spare time I giggle at hens (when I’m not gardening, playing the piano or canoeing down the river!).
Why did you decide to become a hen party host? I wanted to ‘share the joy’ of this fascinating hobby.
When was your first course and how did it go? My first course was over a year ago and seemed to go well – the cakes were a success as were the lovely friendly Omlet girls we had at the time.
What do your courses include? – My courses are a general introduction to chicken keeping with a little bit more - from getting ready for the girls, settling them in and then onto dealing with the sorts of things that will crop up whilst looking after them. I try to find out what my guests need to know and there are always lots of questions. It’s lovely seeing people hand feed or cuddle a hen for the first time and we have had some very capable children attending too. The gallery of poo has had a variety of reactions, but people always seem very pleased with the cakes.
What's the best thing about being a hen party host? It’s fantastic to meet new people who are interested in keeping hens. Sharing a cuppa and cake and talking about the feathered ladies is always a pleasure. I’ve learned a lot from my guests too and love to hear when their new ladies lay their first eggs.
Why should people attend a course? Short answer: The hens and the cakey chat! Longer answer: People can be hands on with the Eglu and Cube and it helps them to decide which sort of housing to go for. For some people it might be the first time they’ve ever held a hen. It’s great to share tips for the first few weeks and to share ideas on solving possible problems.
Example Review
“My daughter and I shared a lovely afternoon with Becki, her hens and other potential chicken keepers. Becki's knowledge, hospitality and easy relaxed way of sharing information,listening to, and answering our questions was the best way I could think of to start life as a new chicken keeper.” By Julie
Upcoming Course
Hen Party for Beginners
Saturday 11th September, 1:30 - 3:30pm, near Chester
And we didn't even pay her to pose with that book...
The cake is en-ouef of a reason to go on Becki's course.
Star Products!
Here are some great products for kids going back to school...
Wrap-N-Mat Reusable Sandwich Wrap
If you're fed up with wasting cling film and plastic bags every day on your children's sarnie why not invest in one of these clever gizmos? Wrap your lunch in it to keep it fresh and tasty, then use as a mat to eat it from. The waterproof coating can be wiped clean afterwards and it provides a clean surface to eat from wherever you might be. It's good for the environment too.
Also available in red.
Tabard Bee
It's not all about reading and spelling at school – these days little'uns are let loose in the sand pit, in the kitchen or with the paints so they will need to wear something protective to give their clothes half a chance of survival. This children's tabard is perfect for busy bees, whether they are painting portraits or baking buns Just wipe clean afterwards.
Suitable for 3-6 years.
Badge - I'm a Good Egg
Usually it's only teachers that can give you a badge or sticker for working hard and being good. But if you're a good egg we think you deserve to have a badge to prove it, and there's no need to wait for it to be awarded to you. Wear it to school and everyone will want one...plus no one will ever mistake you for a rotten egg again!
Badge measures 5.5cm in diameter.
Bag - School Bag Pink
Most school uniforms don't score well in the fashion exams but you can get some serious style points with this bright pink school bag. Large enough for several books, your pencil case and packed lunch the tough nylon material will also withstand being used as goal posts. Great used as a gym sac as well.
Also available in blue.