The Omlet Blog Archives: May 2019

Why Your Rescue Cat Could Benefit From the Maya Nook Cat House

Many cats in rescue centres looking for a new home have had a very tough time of it. Whether mistreated, abandoned, stray, or injured, the kitties who find themselves in the care of a rescue organisation can, quite understandably be wary of humans.  But this isn’t a reason to give up on them.

When I adopted my cat he was depressed and overweight due to the large amount of time he had spent hidden away in his kennel, showing no interest in playtime or human interaction. He had been with the rescue organisation for 4 months and not one person had shown him any interest. Stress had caused his fur to come out in great tufts, but as I stroked him he let out a little purr. I adopted him then and there.

On bringing Smudge home, I opened the door to his cat carrier but he refused to step out for a good few hours, and when he did he scarpered under the kitchen table, hidden as best he could.

In his first few weeks with us he spent a lot of time hidden under beds, behind the sofa, in between boxes or attempting to blend in to a pile of clothes or under a blanket. It took a long time for Smudge to be brave enough to spend time on the sofa and beds, and even then he wouldn’t be up there for long until a slight movement or noise would frighten him and he would vanish.

It became very obvious he was going to take a bit more time to settle in and to feel less afraid, so I was going to need to think outside of the box – or more so inside. As I noticed he felt most secure in an enclosed space where nothing could reach him and he was protected from harm, I started to think about the best kind of bed to suit his timid personality.

The Maya Nook is a cosy indoor Cat House with curtains. Yes, you heard that right, it’s got curtains. But before you start rolling your eyes at another example of anthropomorphism, let me explain. The curtains not only make the Nook look really nice, they are also fully functional and transform the Nook into an enclosed little ‘room’ where cats can rest and sleep in a peaceful, secure space they can call their own. Placing their bed in a den-like Nook gives them a sense of distance and security from a busy home life, while the addition of the curtains completely closes off their space so they cannot see outside, and likewise they cannot be seen. 

When I introduced Smudge to the Maya Nook, it took a short while for him to get used to it. I allowed him to spend some time alone with it, giving him the opportunity to approach it at his own will, instead of picking him up and forcing him inside, which I thought could create a negative association. He spent some time sniffing around, going in and out for short periods of time with the curtains open. When he had settled inside for the first time, I closed the curtains for 30 seconds or so and opened them again. I repeated this a couple of times so he could get used to both scenarios.

When he would spend time hidden behind the sofa or under a bed, he seemed to mostly be awake and on guard, unable to relax, whereas now that he is sleeping in his Maya Nook, I feel as though he is getting much better quality rest and actually being able to switch off from what is happening on the other side of the curtains.

The combination of a quiet space and better sleep time has had a multitude of benefits to Smudge’s progress in our home. He is visibly more relaxed and spends more time out of his bed and in the open space with the family, compared to when he spent all of his time hidden and stressed. He is beginning to open up to the possibilities of play time, visitors are still feared but he is becoming braver with showing his face, and always has the comfort of being able to run to his Nook whenever it gets a bit too much for him.

I am sure this will also be hugely beneficial for events such as Fireworks Night and New Years Eve, when the bangs and pops of fireworks can be relentlessly frightening and heard for weeks on end. The Nook will help to reduce the sound, while the curtains will block out any flashing lights coming through the window.

The Maya Nook is designed to fit in the home like a piece of furniture, so we are able to use the space on top for whatever we please. It is a great spot to feed my cat and keep his water bowl so it is always close by and in his “safe zone.” The Maya Nook is also available with a handy fitted wardrobe which provides extra storage for cat food, treats and toys.

Adopting a rescue cat is really rewarding and I’m so glad that I didn’t let Smudge’s initial shyness put me off.  If you have adopted or are thinking of adopting a rescue cat who continues to be very nervous and stressed in your home, I would highly recommend providing them with an indoor cat house like the Maya Nook so they can claim a secure space for themselves – it could transform your cat’s personality.

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This entry was posted in Cats on May 20th, 2019 by chloewelch


How do chickens lay eggs?

Boy looking at a hen laying eggs in an Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop

How do chickens lay eggs? Chicken keepers and egg eaters alike often ask this question. This fascinating process is complex, but occurs daily within laying hens. Take an in-depth look at the egg-laying process from start to finish – it’ll make you give your laying hens a round of applause. 

Egg-laying frequency 

Eggs are amazing feats of nature. Not only are they considered a superfood due to their nutritional value, but laying hens can produce over 300 eggs per year. A small flock of laying hens can easily provide your family with fresh eggs

Ovulation takes place every 24-36 hours for most laying breeds of chickens. This results in an egg being laid roughly every day and a half. Some laying breeds can lay an egg every day or more. The world record number of chicken eggs laid in a year is 371 eggs in 364 days, set by a White Leghorn hen in 1979. 

The process of laying an egg

Chickens ovulate like other animals, but instead of eggs the size of small cells being released, hens lay the nutritious, tangible orbs that we enjoy for breakfast. The process of laying an egg takes around 24 hours, and hens as young as 18 weeks old can begin laying. We’ll break down each step of the egg-producing process. 

Step 1: it starts with light 

Egg laying actually starts with your chickens’ eyes. Sunlight enters through a hen’s eye and activates a photosensitive receptor called the pineal gland – located behind the eye. Once the pineal gland is stimulated, it triggers a string of events that releases an egg, or oocyte, from the hen’s ovary. This light sensitivity is one of the reasons chickens lay fewer eggs in the winter. 

Step 2: formation of the yolk

Hens are born with two ovaries, but the right ovary becomes dormant after a female chick hatches. The left ovary is the one that will produce eggs throughout a hen’s lifetime and contains thousands of ovum, which will become future eggs. 

If you were to look inside a chicken, these undeveloped ova can be seen at the start of the spine. When the chicken is old enough to start laying, some of these ova begin to mature into what will later become the yolk. At this stage, the ova are separated and contained within their own follicles, but when one is ready to move on it releases its follicle and moves out of the ovary and down the reproductive tract, the oviduct.

This process, called ovulation, occurs approximately every 25 hours, and normally starts again about an hour after the previous egg has been laid.

Step 3: egg white surrounds the yolk 

Up until this point in ovulation, all chicken eggs are unfertilized. Hens can lay eggs with or without the presence of a rooster, but they can be fertilized if you keep a cockerel in your flock. Fertilized eggs are edible, as long as you collect the eggs daily. 

Via the infundibulum, the yolk enters the oviduct, and it is here that the egg is fertilized if a rooster has courted your hen. You might have noticed that egg yolks have a small, white spot on them. This is the blastodisc, the single female cell that together with the sperm will develop into an embryo through cell division. 

The journey of the egg is, however, the same regardless of whether it’s been fertilized or not. The yolk travels through the magnum and isthmus parts of the oviduct, and this is where the egg white (also called the albumen) is created. It works as a thin membrane around the yolk that holds everything together. The chalazae, two spiral bands of tissue, make sure that the yolk is evenly positioned within the albumen, and the whole thing starts looking like an egg – without its hard covering. 

Step 4: the shell is formed around the egg

The egg receives its shell in the uterus, through the shell gland. It takes roughly 20 hours to produce the shell, and is the most time-consuming part of the process. Before the egg moves on for the last time, the outermost layer, known as the bloom or cuticle, is formed to create an antimicrobial layer around the shell. When the egg is ready, the shell gland pushes the egg out of the oviduct and into the cloaca or vent, the part where the reproductive and excretory tracts meet. Hens excrete all eliminations through the vent, but the hen’s uterine lining actually wraps around the egg until it is completely free from the hen’s body – keeping it nice and clean. 

Egg laying the Omlet way 

And there you have it – the amazing journey an egg makes before being laid by a hen. Our chicken coops offer your hens a safe and comfortable place to deposit the fruits of their labour. And to store those labours of love, try our Egg Skelter, which will proudly display your hens’ amazing, natural works of edible art. 

Chickens in the Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop on the plastic roosting bars

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This entry was posted in Chickens on May 20th, 2019 by linnearask