With Valentine's Day fast ap-poaching there is love in the air...Call us cupid because Tom and Barbara are reunited in this newsletter with some fantastic chicken advice from our chicken health eggspert and a wonderfully romantic recipe for that special someone. But it's not all about hearts and roses in February, there's pancake day, and even rubgy...what a month!
Money Saving Eggspert
Thankyou to everyone that has applied to be our Money Saving Eggspert for the newsletter. We had a great response and there were some brilliant tips from all of you...so eggcellent, in fact, that it'll be a recipe for scrambled heads trying to choose just one of you for the role. We won't be accepting any more applications now but if you have any other eggstraordinary ideas for new features in the newsletter please email us – we are always keen to know what you think!
Pancake Day
In case you had forgotten it is Pancake Day very soon – a day to make use of your chickens' eggs and enjoy some fun and frolics in the kitchen. So on the 16th of February forget your worries, mix up a batter and get flipping! Eat pancake after pancake and don't feel guilty about it because it's only once a year. If you've really over-indulged you can always give something up for lent the next day anyway!
Don't forget we want to see your eggcellent pancake flipping skills in eggschange for prizes. We challenge you to prove you are the best pancake flipper in the land by sending us an action shot. Whether your pancakes are flying through the air, falling to the floor or landing on someone's head, get someone to take a photo and send it to stephanie@omlet.co.uk. The crowned winner will receive a £20 voucher to spend in the online shop and we will publish the best photos in the next newsletter. Competition closes 21st Feb.
Egg Chasers
Yes, the six nations rugby competition has kicked off and although it isn't usually something we would associate with chickens we recently heard a bit of news that made our ears prick. Apparantly two of the England rugby players keep chickens and enjoy the good life.
So we would like to know how popular keeping chickens is with rugby players. Are you a true egg chaser? Are you a pro at chicken tackles? Let us know, and why not pose in your rugby gear with your hen and send us a photo.
The Nicest of Neighbours
This month we had a lovely email from Karen Ridley that we had to share with you. An eggstraordinary tale to ruffle your feathers and warm your hearts...
“I just wanted to send you a quick email to say how good my neighbours were a few days ago. I'd put Harriet and Beatrice out in their large pen while I cleaned out their Eglu and run and they were having a lovely time. I'd nearly finished and had put everything back together apart from the Egg Port which I left open as I'd just gone up to the house to get some hay for their laying bed. Of course, I got sidetracked! I totally forgot to put the Egg Port door back on. Later in the afternoon I had to go out, so I took Hatty and Bea from their big pen and put them back into their Eglu run then went out. While I'm out I got a phone call from my dad to say he'd had three lots of neighbours round saying my hens had been found in one of their front gardens! I couldn't understand at all how they'd got out. When I got home I realised what I'd done - because I left the Port open, the hens'd gone back into their Eglu, hopped out through the open Port and gone on a big adventure! I went round to all three of my neighbours houses and discovered they'd found Harriet in Carolyn's garden, having a whale of a time! So Steve caught her (which I was proud of because often people who don't own chickens themselves can be quite weary about picking them up) and put her back in the Eglu, shutting the Port door. Then Carolyn, Steve and Richard all spent half an hour seeking out Beatrice, worried she'd been eaten by a fox. They finally found her and put her back in the run too.
I just wanted to let you all know how good my neighbours are! So thank you Carolyn, Steve and Richard - you're the best hen neighbours my girls could ask for!”
Spring Sale
Here at Omlet HQ we thought it was about time we had a Spring clean, and what better way to get rid of the old and make way for the new than with a sale!? It'll soon be time to stock our shop with some gorgeous, Easter goodies, but in the mean time why not take a peek at our great reductions? You'll find bargains ranging from books to birdfeeders at eggstraordinary prices, but you'll need to be quick because when they've gone, they've gone!
If you fancy nabbing yourself some great gifts for 'cheep' click here to visit the sale.
iPhone your way to Perfect Eggs!
Now here's something for the egg heads. Find it hard producing the perfect boiled egg? Well now there's an iPhone application to ensure you get it right every time. It's a very nifty app indeed! And here's how it works:
You select the diameter of the egg, the iphone detects the altitude of wherever you are and you choose the egg temperature – whether it has been in the fridge or at room temp. It then cleverly gives you time options for a soft, medium or hard boiled egg. After selecting just how you would like your egg it will give you eggsactly the time needed in the pan and even count it down for you. Our favourite feature is the 'egg spy' which shows how the egg is looking in the current state of cooking, from raw to boiled (kind of like an eggs-ray).
What will they think of next?
Is this how double yolkers are made?
Ligia is flipping her way to the front of the competition.
Is this chicken limbering up for a drop goal?
A very happy Karen reunited with her hen
These cheep and cheerful gifts won't stick around for long.
I spy the egg spy!
The snow has finally disappeared and village life is returning to normal. The hens’ appetites have increased and the eggs are coming thick and fast after their winter break. Unsure if they have a calendar in their coop, but tradition states that they should be back in lay by Valentines day!
The hens are usually banned from my vegetable plot, but when my winter vegetables have suitable protection, I allow them to rootle around the raised beds and scratch at the bark. They love digging at the soil, unearthing worms and slug eggs. The spinach I planted in the late autumn, for chicken winter greens, has been raided by visiting sparrows, so I need to plant some more. Glad it is starting to get warmer now with Spring definitely on the way.
Since moving to our cottage a few years ago, Barbara and I have tried to live more with nature. I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest we hug trees, but living within our means and growing our own where possible, forms part of our daily lives. With presents, we always try and make our own, or buy useful things, such as an axe, jam jars etc, as we don’t really need anything.
Barbara is a whizz at home made cards, but I show my affection for Valentine’s day in another way...
Lavender Shortbread
150g Plain flour
100g very soft butter
50g lavender sugar.
1) Cream the butter and sugar and then add the flour.
2) Keep mixing until the mixture forms a smooth dough.
This can take a while, but it will come together.
3) Turn onto a floured board and roll out to 5mm thick.
4) Cut out the shortbread into shapes and place on parchment paper on a tray.
5) Bake for 15-18 minutes at 170C until the biscuits are just starting to brown. You are aiming for an even colour – easier said than done.
6) Cool on a wire rack, then sprinkle with more lavender sugar.
(If you don’t have lavender sugar, you can buy it in supermarkets or make your own. Mix 2 teaspoons of dried lavender flowers with 300g of sugar and keep in a jar until needed.)
Fabulous Freebies
To produce the love-liest heart shaped shortbread in town why not buy our Heart Cookie Cutter Set with five different sized heart cutters. As a Valentine treat Tom has three sets to give away too...he knows the way to a woman's heart. To get your hands on one just tell him your plans for Valentine's day. Email tom@omlet.co.uk by Sunday 14th Feb.
“Dear Barbara,
We let our hens out to free range every day but our lawn has lots of patches of bare earth where the hens have been digging and it’s looking very ugly. Is there any way we can love our lawn again and still have chickens?”
Don’t worry! Your lawn can be saved and you won’t have a permanent wasteland. Over winter, the grass becomes dormant and doesn’t re-grow where the hens have been grazing. If they’ve been a bit over-exuberant and have pulled out grass roots, you can get bare patches appearing. If the grassed area is large, this isn’t such an obvious problem as the hens have a larger area to graze on and damage is minimal but if you have a small patch of grass, it is a good idea to keep the hens off it altogether over the winter months. There is a guide to creating a run area on bark or wood chippings on our website and the chippings can be easily raked out and changed to keep the run area clean and fresh. So long as the chickens have plenty of fresh green vegetables to peck at, they won’t suffer from not being on grass and in winter, this is a really practical solution. They would also be perfectly happy on a paved patio if the run area was filled with a nice deep layer of something such as wood chippings which they could rootle around in. We sell a product called Link-a-Board which fits round the edge of the run and very successfully keeps the chippings contained to avoid them being spread around the garden.
If you scatter some grass seed on the bare patches on the lawn and keep the hens and wild birds away from them by placing some netting over the top, by summer time the grass will be green and lush again. Once it has had chance to recover, the hens will be able to enjoy free ranging on the lawn all summer long.
“Dear Barbara,
We have 4 chickens which have been free ranging in the garden this winter but we also have 2 small children and we’d like them to be able to use the garden in the summer too. Will they come to any harm if they come into contact with any droppings on the lawn?”
As long as a sensible hand washing regime for everyone using soap and water or hand sanitizer gel after handling
the hens or being out in the garden is followed, there
shouldn’t be any health worries. Another sensible precaution is to not let the children have food or drink out in the garden in case any is dropped and comes into contact with where the hens have been. It’s a good idea to maintain a regular worming programme for your hens too using a proprietary worming product for their own health as much as your peace of mind. Clear up droppings regularly to stop them from building up. Most droppings can either be picked up with a trowel and thrown into the compost bin or brushed away into the grass when they have dried out in the sun. It’s also possible to wash them into the lawn with a watering can or hosepipe where they make a wonderful fertiliser for the grass. If you’d rather that your children didn’t come into contact with areas the hens have used at all, it might be a good idea to create a permanent run for the hens in another part of the garden instead.
Glorious Giveaway
Barbara has one set of Link-a-Board to give away this month, so if you want to create an eggstended area for your chickens to scratch around in just tell her your favourite thing about keeping chickens. Email barbara@omlet.co.uk by Sunday 14th Feb.
Barbara's Star Photo of the Month
The quickest way to coq-au-vin?
Cathie Phillips
About You
Where and with who do you live?
I live in Lightwater, Surrey with my partner Paul, daughter Molly (12), son Daniel (13) and my Mum, Jean.
Your occupation: Sales.
What pets do you have? Seven chickens, seven quail, a bearded dragon, two corn snakes and lots of fish in the pond.
Which is your favourite season? Spring - when everything starts to come to life.
What would you choose as your last supper? A large platter of seafood, champagne and exotic fruit.
What is the most important thing you have ever lost? Data on my PDA about 5 years ago. One winter night I left my PDA in the car and the sub zero temperature managed to wipe all my data and re-set itself to factory settings!
Do you have a hobby or a hidden talent? My son, Daniel, and I do karate and I like to cook but unfortunately neither can be classed as a hidden talent!
Who would play you in a movie of your life? Roxy from Eastenders (apparently I look a bit like her despite completely different coloured hair).
If you could be anywhere else in the world right now where would you be? In Las Vegas gambling with someone else's money.
About your Quail
Why did you decide to keep quail? They're not really mine. I bought them for Paul's 50th birthday (he used to keep birds when he was a boy). We've had chickens for a couple of years and we both fancied the idea of keeping Quail.
How many do you have and have you named them? Seven. Paul has named them: Jane (Russell), Bette (Davies), Rita (Hayworth), Diana (Dors), Jean (Harlow), Marilyn (Monroe) and Tippi (Hendren).
What do your quail like eating more than anything else? Quail Food – we haven't really tried them with treats as they are fairly new. What can we give them?
How many eggs do you get a week and what's your favourite way of preparing them? No eggs yet as they aren't laying yet but when they do I'm going to make mini scotch eggs and spend loads of time experimenting in the kitchen.
Do your quail have a party trick? Yes, they sing and it sounds as if you're in the tropics - it's really beautiful.
What's the best thing about keeping quail in an Eglu? The Eglu is a really safe environment for them and it's just so easy to clean.
What's been the most surprising thing about keeping quail? They are easy to handle, they're clean, friendly and inquisitive.
Can you imagine life without quail? No, especially when they sing!
Star Products!
Here is just a small selection, go online to see the full range.
Egg Cosy - Nautical
Ahoy there shipmates! Every sailor enjoys a boiled egg or two to give them strength, especially at sea. But when the waves are rough or there's trouble in the water, the chances of breakfast being interrupted are rather high. Once the emergency has been dealt with, no sailor wants to return to a cold egg.
This nautical inspired egg cosy will keep boiled eggs warm and toasty on land or at sea. It will always ensure an egg is looking its best and you will never be disappointed by a cold breakfast again. Complete with applique life ring, your egg might even stay afloat if thrown overboard. (You never know!)
Bottle Opener - Chicken
When you're lucky enough to harvest your first batch of homemade honey you will need something just as sweet to store it in. This mini honey pot with decorative dipper is perfect. With a gorgeous little pot full of delicious honey at hand you will never be stuck at what to serve for breakfast again.
We think you'll agree that this is the bees knees when it comes to honey pots!
Measures approx 8.5cm high.
Felt Glove Puppets
Forget watching the telly for once, you can have just as much fun acting your own dramas with a hand puppet. Reenact The Little Red Hen, Chicken Licken and other classic tales with the chicken glove puppet. This contemporary chicken puppet is perfect for sparking imaginations and creating hours of hentertainment for kids. The pink, spotty cow is a very amoosing character to add to your toy box too, and if you're fanatic about farmyards or a fan of Shrek, you will adore the delightful donkey.
The size of each glove puppet fits comfortably on an adults hand and flexes easily for expressive movement, so you can put on a great performance for your children. Each is designed eggsclusively by a Japanese artist and handmade by a group of artisans in Nepal. Measures approx 25 x 23cm and made from 100% wool.
Candle Eggs Colourflame
Don't be fooled by the ordinary appearance of this egg box. And certainly don't be tempted to make an omelette from this half dozen. This is definitely not an edible product, but something far more eggciting...six sparkling, white candles, lay nestled in this egg box, just waiting to surprise you.
Now we would be impressed enough at the fact that these candles resemble eggs, but they are eggstra special - they have coloured flames! Three of the candles burn ruby red flames and three burn emerald green. How eggstraordinary! They take about five minutes to get to their full colour, but when placed in a dark room they glow brilliantly. They make a fantastically unusual present for chicken keepers. (Just when you thought you were running out of gift ideas.)
Each candle has a burning time of approximately 3 hours. They are packaged in an egg box made from recycled paper and finished with a black chiffon ribbon, just like a box of posh chocs!
Art Attack
It's always eggciting to find a long lost piece of art in your attic. Even more so if it turns out to be worth millions! Well we recently discovered an eggsclusive piece of artwork lurking in the USA forum and we think it is priceless! So great in fact that it definitely deserved to be eggsibited for all to see.
It turns out it wasn't drawn by Van Gogh or Monet, but none other than a keen customer waiting for their Eglu to arrive. Keeping chickens obviously does more than just providing people with eggs – it brings out the artist in everyone.
If you live in America and you are a Picasso with poultry why not send us a photo of your masterpiece? And if you live anywhere else in the world we would love to see your art too! Just email stephanie@omlet.co.uk.
If you're not much of an artist but you just want to buy an Eglu you can! Click on the flag below to take you straight to the Omlet US site!
