The Omlet Blog Archives: August 2015

Tom’s Top Tips for the Tastiest Eggs

Boiled egg, yellow yolk, dipping toast

Planting Greens for you and your Hens

No one can deny that the delicious orange yolks from your own hens’ eggs is a sight to behold.  Allowing your hens to free range in your garden, feeding on fresh grass is the best way to  get those wonderful yolks, but this isn’t always practical in the winter when the grass stops growing.  Feeding your hens green vegetables helps them produce these amazing eggs and keeps them happy, so why not try growing a few veggies at home and both of you benefit?

Winter isn’t the best time for sowing crops, but if you start planning now, there are a number of greens that you can grow at home to feed your hens over Winter.

Swiss chard

Soak the seeds for 15 minutes in warm water to give them a head start, then plant them 1/2″ deep in previously water soil.  I plant around 6-8″ apart to allow the plants to grow well as they can reach quite an impressive size.  Water well for the first week or so and protect the emerging seedlings from slugs and snails.  The seeds are in a cluster, so you will get at least a couple of plants from each seed.

You can also plant them into individual seed trays and plant out when the seedlings are large enough to handle.

When the plants reach 8′ high, start by pulling a couple of leaves from each plant.  Pull the stalk at the base of the plant and they should snap off easily.  They are classed as a cut and come again crop, so only take a few leaves from each plant at a time and they will crop over several months.

Swiss chard is very tolerant of cold weather, but if it is very cold where you live, they will benefit form a cover of horticultural fleece  to give them added protection.  It also grows well in a pot, placing 3-4 plants in a 14″ pot.  There are many different types of Swiss Chard, but my favourite is ‘Bright Lights’ which has dark green leaves and thick stems coloured red, orange, yellow and purple.  They also make attractive plants in a mixed border.

Kale

Kale is a member of the cabbage family and is very tolerant of cold temperatures. Most garden centres now have this winter vegetable as small plug plants available now.  For around £2-£3 you can pick up a tray of kale and that should last your hens for the winter.

Kale isn’t demanding, but can grow quite tall, so place them in a sheltered spot or make sure you stake the plants when they reach 12″ + high to prevent them being blown over in the wind.

Plant the plug plants deeply, up to the first layer of leaves and this will help anchor them down.  Firm the soil in really well and they don’t do well if rocked around and the roots are disturbed.

Water well for the first couple of weeks and the plants soon start producing dark leaves, that can be harvested in the same way as Swiss chard.

Varieties to try – Red Russian is one of the quickly to start producing leaves.  Nero di Toscano produces large dark green leaves and plenty of them.

Salad Mache or Lambs Lettuce

These little plants grow well in cold weather, but run to seed when it gets too warm, so perfect for growing as a winter crop.

Plant the seeds thinly 1/2″ deep and allow 6″ between plants.  Water well and they will soon form little rosettes.  Harvest a few leaves from each plant and they will continue cropping over winter.

They are also called Corn salad.

Any cut leaves should be placed into a wire wild bird feeder, similar to the ones that you can put suet blocks into.  This keeps the greens off the floor and allows your hens to peck at the leaves.

Dedicating a small area of your garden or a few pots to vegetables, will keep your hens happy all winter.  Don’t forget that planting a few extra plants and you can be picking fresh winter crops for your kitchen too!

If you have any questions, please contact me at Tom@Omlet.co.uk

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This entry was posted in Chickens on August 28th, 2015 by admin


Qute Hamster and Gerbil Cage

Omlet’s new hamster cage, Qute is the most beautiful and easy to clean hamster cage or gerbil house in the world. Designed like a piece of contemporary furniture, Qute is so much more than just a hamster cage.The large, deep bedding tray allows your gerbils and hamsters to nest and burrow naturally. Qute has 2 levels, the top floor is for feeding and exercising and underneath your pets will love the extra deep tray for nesting and burrowing. You can use the Lift ‘n’ Twist Tube to separate the top level from the bedding tray. Cleaning your Qute is amazingly quick and simple, in fact, you can clean it in less than 1 minute! You simply Lift ‘n’ Twist the tube and stow your pets upstairs while you clean the bedding tray. No other small animal house is quite that easy to clean and with a hygienic home, your pets will be healthier and happier.

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Tags: pets, gerbils and hamsters

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This entry was posted in Gerbils on August 3rd, 2015 by admin


£50 off Eglu Go Hutches & Your Chance to Win One!

 

Treat your pet rabbits or guinea pigs to a stylish new home with the Eglu Go Hutch. These easy to clean, spacious houses offer pets a fun, safe environment to eat, sleep, jump and play.

This month only, save £50 on all Eglu Go Guinea Pig and Rabbit Hutches! (There’s no code required as prices are pre-discounted on the website.)

Throughout August, buy your Eglu Go Hutch from just £185 and make your pets a dream home. Hoppy days!

Want to try your luck at winning a fantastic Eglu Go Rabbit Hutch worth £360? Simply fill in your details and answer the easy question on our competition page! Open to uk residents only, until 31st August 2015.

Here’s what the Owners Say…

” Well worth the purchase – we wish we had bought it years ago instead of endless wooden hutches our rabbits chewed through! The inside living area is brilliant – warm and cosy. It is very easy to access and clean the indoor area.” by Teresa

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This entry was posted in Competitions on August 3rd, 2015 by admin