Happy new year to all! Yes, the day has finally come for the first newsletter of 2010 and you must all be breathing a sigh of relief to hear from us again. Christmas may have been and gone but the winter weather is hanging around, so we hope this newsletter brightens your day. Enjoy!
And the Winners are...
We've made you wait a whole month for this newsletter so you must have all been checking your inboxes every day for the results of the two christmas competitions we set you. The moment has finally arrived to reveal the winners...we know you're eggcited.
We asked you what you get if you cross Father Christmas with a duck. And the answer is Christmas Quackers! Lots of you emailed with the right answer but Adrianne Pizer was the winner this time. Our best-selling soldier egg cup is on its way to you!
The christmas crossword was a bit more of a challenge and hopefully you enjoyed having a go at it during the festive holiday. Most of you got the answer, but for those of you that were left scratching your head, the secret word was Christmas Tree. Our lucky winner was Karen Hall, who will receive a £25 voucher to spend in the Omlet shop. We hope you enjoy your new year treat.
Winter Worries
With the cold weather showing no sign of budging anytime soon we have been receiving a lot of calls from eglu owners worried about their chickens. There's no need to panic – as Barbara eggsplains later on in the newsletter they will be fine in their eglu during these freezing temperatures. There are a few products that will benefit your hens during the winter chill though:
Petroleum Jelly - 450g
Protect hens from getting frostbite on their combs by rubbing on some petroleum jelly a couple of times a day.
Snugglesafe Microwave Heatpad with Cover
Heatpad will provide your pets with warm, cushiony comfort wherever and whenever they might need it.
Winter Shade
Keep your little darlings dry and comfortable in the winter months when they're out in the run.
Buy Eglu Classic Shade for £19.98
Buy Eglu Cube Shade for £19.98
Snow Chickens
Speaking of snow it looks like lots of you have been having fun in this winter weather. There have been snow chickens popping up in the forum again and we have been very impressed by your creativity. As the snow is still falling in parts of the country why not make the most of it, and if you haven't yet, build a snow chicken too!
And so the launch of the 2010 snow chicken competition begins...Send us your photos of your eggstraordinary sculptures and we will feature them in the next newsletter. And don't worry if you've made something else out of snow, whether it's a traditional snowman or an eglu, our favourite will win a selection of goodies from the Omlet shop.
Inspired by the photos in this newsletter? If you think you can do better what are you waiting for? Get outside and build that snow chicken! Send your photos to stephanie@omlet.co.uk. Photos of real pet chickens in the snow also welcomed.
Last Chance
Were you lucky enough to find an Omlet 2010 Calendar under the Christmas tree? If Father Christmas disappointed you this year and you have spent the last two weeks missing dentist appointments and forgetting your Aunt's birthday, there is still time to get your mitts on a calendar. We have a few left and they are now available at the reduced price of £5.00 – a small price to pay for staying organised through the year! Click here to buy yours now (and start writing in those birthday's straight away!)
If you were a lucky recipient of our fabulous calendar you might be looking through and thinking you want to star in the next calendar. Well, it might only be January but we thought we would give you plenty of notice this time. Our calendar theme for 2011 is...Ordinary Chickens. No that is not a typo. It may sound like a title you are familiar with, but this will be very different. We agree plain old pictures of hens would be boring, so we've added a twist – these ordinary chickens need to be doing eggstraordinary things. Think chickens mowing the lawn, baking a cake or building a sandcastle...
We can't wait to see what you come up with. Send your photos to stephanie@omlet.co.uk. Please sent photos at 300dpi.
Bees Buzz into 2010
Have you made any new year resolutions this month? Perhaps you want to beecome a bit more self sufficient and do you bit for the environment? If you started keeping chickens last year maybe the next step for you is to keep bees. The Mail on Sunday's You Magazine recently featured the A to Z of the hottest lifestyle trends for 2010, and keeping bees was one of the 'must-do's'.
Although it's still snowing it won't be long before the sun is out and we will all have a spring in our step. Spring is the perfect season to start your new beekeeping hobby and you can order your Beehaus starter kit right now to bee prepared. Click here to find out more!
Eglu Stores
It appears it is true that kids prefer to play with the box than the toy inside, as this photo proves. Sophia, Leon, Lena, Josh and George have transformed the box from their Eglu into the country's first Eglu Stores. It is the one stop shop for free range eggs. We love what these budding hentrepreneurs have done, but one thing was missing t – all shop workers should have a uniform, so we have sent them all some Omlet badges to wear with pride while serving their customers.
So, the question is, what else can you do with an Eglu box? If your children (or yourselves) have turned the Eglu box into a car, boat or house, send us a photo. We might just send you something back!
A Tale about Quail
And now for some eggciting news...The Eglu Go and several quail will be appearing on the Alan Titchmarsh show on Monday. Alan himself keeps chickens in an Eglu, but after this brilliant feature we think he might be persuaded to get some new pets too. You can see the Eglu on ITV at 5pm on Monday. Don't miss it!
Egg Cup Kiddiwinks
For the baby that has everything...
Amongst the array of bibs, babygrows and booties a baby receives when it's born, you can bet there won't be many egg cups! It probably isn't the first thing you would think of to buy a newborn but that's the beauty of it, because no one else will have thought of it.
This beautiful, china egg cup makes a delightful keepsake that can be used, displayed and kept for years. The neutral, yellow colour means you can buy this in advance, even if you don't know whether it's a boy or a girl, and the cute, characteristic design makes it perfect for young children as well as tiny tots.
Made with love and care in a design studio in Stoke-on-Trent.
“Dear Barbara,
With the snowy weather and sub-zero temperatures we’ve been experiencing over the last few weeks, is there anything special I ought to be doing for my hens? Should I keep them shut in the Eglu during the day?”
Hens are actually much hardier than they look so they should be absolutely fine in the run. They need to be outside rather than shut inside the Eglu though as they'll need fresh air, food and water. If you were to put food and water inside the coop, they'd only knock it over so they really are much better off outside. The snow underfoot shouldn’t bother them if they are brave enough to venture out onto it. My hens won’t go near it and have decided that they would much rather stay in their covered run for the last 3 weeks! If you don't have a full length winter shade on your run, it might be a good idea to get one as it will keep the inside of the run dry and snow free for the hens as they would much prefer soil or grass underfoot. The winter shades are a very good investment anyway for all year round weather protection. Clear plastic sheeting or sheets of bubble-wrap held on with clothes pegs works well as a temporary measure until the weather improves and allows light into the run too. Failing that, an old towel or blanket would be fine as long as the hens had somewhere dry to shelter.
The Eglu and Cube were tested to temperatures of -10C and they both have a special double skin which keeps the interior warm in winter and cool in summer so that the hens are comfortable all year round.
The only recommendations for winter are to make sure that the water feeder doesn't freeze by taking it into the house or garage overnight. If the water freezes during the day, you will need to change it regularly or maybe find a safe heat source such as a “Snugglesafe” or an aquarium heater if you have a safe outdoor electricity supply. It’s a good idea to make sure that hens with large combs don't get them frost-bitten by rubbing on some Vaseline to protect them and this can be repeated a couple of times during the day if
you feel it is necessary. Hens are remarkably hardy and their feathers keep them very well insulated in very cold weather. They don't mind snow but don't like being damp so try to provide somewhere dry for them to shelter if at all possible.
Another way you can help the hens is to feed them things which release energy slowly and therefore keep their bodies warmer for longer. Foods like wheat and oats are wonderful slow energy releasers so sprinkling wheat as a scratch feed in the late afternoons or making wheatgerm, oats or even some Weetabix into a porridge with warm water for an afternoon feed will keep their little bodies warm overnight and will not put too much weight on as corn would.
Barbara's Star Photo of the Month
Quin Coetzer
About You
Your name and age: Quin Coetzer, 30 years old.
Your occupation: Part of the fantastic Omlet Team at Omlet HQ in Wardington.
Where and with who do you live?
A village called Deddington near Banbury with my partner Colin.
What pets do you have?
3 chickens and a tankful of tropical fish.
What is your favourite piece of clothing?
It has to be my red tiger trainers which are two sizes to small for my feet – I am a glutton for punishment…
What would you choose as your last supper?
Probably one of my homemade pizza’s piled with loads of ham, cheese and pineapple or failing that a roast dinner!
What is the most important thing you have ever lost?
My youth – I am feeling very old having just turned 30…
What is the most daring thing you have ever done?
I don’t really do daring, but if I had to choose it would have to be scuba diving…
Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Probably Alan Carr (!!!)
What song do you most like dancing to?
I always find Abba or Shakira get me grooving…
If you won the lottery what's the first thing you would do? I guess that would depend on how much I won – but I guess – a holiday, a nice big house in the country, a Cube, a Beehaus and pigs and sheep and cows too….
About Your Chickens
What are your chickens called?
Patience, Phyllis & Priscilla
What do your chickens like eating more than anything else? Grapes and nipping at your toes if you are wearing flip flops!
How many eggs do you get a week and what's your favourite way of preparing them?
Around 21 eggs a week during the summer months and not so many in the winter, they have to have a break don’t they? As for my favourite way of preparing them, you cant beat a good boiled egg with soldiers but as a really naughty treat it has to be Oeufs en concotte which is cooked in the oven in a ramekin with a bit of cream and truffle oil and this has to be the most indulgent breakfast ever….
Do you bake more cakes now you have your own chickens?
No… I am hopeless at home baking but I farm the eggs out and willing friends and family produce the cakes and we eat them which is a fair deal.
Do your chickens have a party trick?
An acute sense of smell knowing exactly when the treat plate is being carried across the driveway which always causes excitement…
What's been the most surprising thing about keeping chickens?
How each of our girls has developed its own personality and that you become surprisingly attached to them….
Can you imagine life without chickens?
The simple answer is No we cannot..
Star Products!
Here is just a small selection, go online to see the full range.
Chicken Saddle
This might not be the first choice of fashion for fowl but it is a very hendy little number to have in the back of every bird's wardrobe. The main use of this stylish saddle is to protect chickens' back from damage caused by keen cockerels. It also helps to protect hens from being pecked by other girls and is great for helping to aid receovery in ex-batts that are looking a little worse for wear.
This medium size is perfect for hybrid hens like the Gingernut Ranger and Miss Pepperpot.
Available in green canvas, quilted waxed or quilted camouflage.
Hanging Bird House
Hanging a birdhouse in the garden is a great way to attract wildlife and brighten up a dull day.
Made from wood this birdhouse has a strong cord for hanging in from a branch or hook. There is a hinged door at the back, with a hook fastening, that will allow you to peek inside or clean it out if necessary. There is a 1 inch doorway suitable for numerous smaller birds to enter. It makes the perfect retreat from wind and rain for various birds, and they will be able to keep warm, snug and protected inside. Hang in a quiet and sheltered spot and watch your garden come to life.
Garden Thermometer
If the weather outside is frightful be the first to tell everyone just how cold it is with the help of this garden thermometer. Hang it in the garden and feel every inch the weather forecaster as you see the highs and lows of British temperatures.
It is helpful to know eggsactly how hot or cold it is. For eggsample, if it is freezing or below you will know to keep an eye on your chickens' supply of water. And if it is 30 degrees or above you can shout it from the rooftops because that's very unusual for Britain.
The charming blue, gingham design with an image of a cockerel is an eggcellent choice for chicken keepers and gardeners alike...and this is definitely a hit item with anyone that aspires to be the next Michael Fish. Just don't make the same mistake he did!
Bee House Wooden
Britain's bees are probably more important to us than you realise. Without them our flowers and plants wouldn't be fertilised and eventually we wouldn't produce enough food. Beelieve it or not, if it weren't for bees, we would all bee very hungry.
Bees are in decline, including all those wild species we don't normally think of. We can all do our bit to help though, whether that's planting bee-friendly flora in our gardens or creating a home for bees.
Providing an environment for bees to nest in is the place to start and it's easy beesy to do so. Hang this bee house in your garden and it will make the perfect nesting accommodation for several species of bee. Female bees will make cells in the hollow bamboo tubes, where they will lay an egg and store pollen and nectar to feed the larvae.
It's not just Britain that's been affected by the snow this month – parts of America have been covered in a blanket of white too! One Eglu owner in Syracuse, New York sent us a photo of their Eglu turned igloo. Despite the thick layer of snow on top of the eglu the hens are safe and snug inside - in fact they're probably cosier in their eglu than their owner is in her own home. It just goes to prove that the Eglu really is the chicken house to have for all round weather protection.
If you live in the USA and you would like to buy and eglu or cube, just visit the website below.
The latest craze in the USA is to coordinate your outfit with your eglu.
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(Please be aware that any photo sent to us may be used on the website or in company publications.)