We’ve been in touch with Sarah from Sussex Garden Poultry who has told us about a fantastic service that they offer to hens when their owners go on holiday…
How many Chicken Coops do you have?
I have at the moment 10 x mark 1 Eglu cubes & 8 x Eglu classic that I use for hen holidays. An Eglu Go & an old Eglu Classic with 1 mtr run I use as a broody coop
When did you get your first Coop?? Which type of Eglu was it?
The first Eglu I bought was a 2nd hand classic, I’d asked about & people said they’d owned them for 10 years with no problem & they look as good as new.
Why do you like Eglu Chicken Coops?
I like the Eglu for ease of cleaning, I love the varieties of colour, I try to have one of each, (I’m still hunting a pink cube), i also like the flexibility of being able to add to the runs length.
Please tell us more about the Chicken Holidays
I started the chicken holidays because I had potential customers who’d say ‘I’d love chickens, but what do I do when I go on holiday?’ So I said bring them back & i’ll board them for you. No one was offering this service locally so it made sense to offer hen holidays.
What is the most chickens you’ve looked after at any one time?
Difficult to say! We are usually fully booked over the summer holidays & Christmas to new year, but I have some birds of my own too, they take up 4/5 cubes, so I’ve the potential to accommodate over 100 holiday hens.
What is the longest time that a Chicken has stayed with you?
We had a trio of light Sussex that stayed about 3 months as their owner was sailing Around the Mediterranean & her progress was weather dependent!
I imagine the service is very popular…… Do you get fully booked up?
We like to take bookings a few months in advance especially for summer & Christmas, I don’t like to turn people away but each coop houses hens belonging to one family, we never mix flocks. If I’m out of space, then I’m out of space!
What is the furthest distance a customer has travelled to bring their chickens to you?
People do come a long way, but we are not that far from Gatwick airport so some drop off en route, its funny when the chickens take up more space in the car than the luggage.
What do prices start at?
Eglu classic & Go are £5 per night & take a max of 3 hens, Eglu cubes are £8 a night & take 4-8 hens. Feed included.
To find out more about Hen Holidays please view the Sussex Garden Poultry Website: https://www.sussexgardenpoultry.co.uk/home
This entry was posted in Chickens
Both the Eglu Go and Eglu Classic houses sleep up to 4 medium to large chickens, however the standard 2 metre run that come with them, are really only suitable for up to 2 chickens, as it is best to try and give each chicken about a metre of run each.
You can extend both the runs, 1 metre at a time, to make them longer which in turn allows you to keep up to 4 chickens… (If you want three chickens, purchase the standard Eglu with a 1 meter run extension, the chickens will be quite happy in a run this size)
The Eglu Go UP can sleep up to 4 medium to large chickens, but again the standard 2 metre run for the Eglu Go UP would only be suitable for 2 chickens. You can also extend the Eglu Go UP run by adding 1metre extensions.
With regards to the Eglu Cube, the house itself will sleep up to 10 small chickens, but with the standard 2 metre run, we would suggest between 4 and 6 chickens, 4 chickens if you were NOT going to let them free range and 6 chickens if you were. The Eglu Cube run extension can also be extended 1 metre at a time, and you can have as many 1 metre extensions as you require.
If you were to have an extension on the Eglu Cube run making it 3 metres long, we suggest the number of chickens be between 6 and 10 chickens, 6 chickens if you were NOT going to let them free range and 10 if you were.
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The Run Door Self Fit Kit lets you add an extra access door to your Eglu run or Walk in Run. Simply cut out a section of your run mesh, cover the edges with the supplied edge protectors and clip the door in place. (You will need some good quality pliers to cut the hole in your run panel.) If your pets move their toys to awkward parts of the run or occasionally lay an egg just out of reach, the Self Fit Door Kit is just the thing for you! Note: The door opens inwards not outwards, so remember to take that into account when deciding on the location of your new door. If you are using it on an Eglu Go run or an Eglu Cube run, the angle of the Run panels will mean you need to mount it slightly higher to avoid it colliding with the ground when you open it.
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Omlet are delighted to announce the global launch of the new Eglu Cube chicken coop.
The design of the new Eglu Cube was focused on just one thing, creating the ultimate chicken coop. Made with advanced manufacturing technology, this coop is extremely strong and durable yet surprisingly light, making it effortlessly manoeuverable. Aesthetically pleasing, the clean, functional lines not only look great but also make cleaning the coop a breeze.
The new Eglu Cube is also the safest chicken coop on the market. It has a patented locking mechanism that will outfox any predators and includes a steel weld mesh run, complete with Omlet’s unique anti-tunnel skirt, designed to keep any unwanted visitors at bay.
Comfier, more discreet and easier to clean – the Eglu Cube makes light work of a large flock. Inside the Eglu Cube, chickens will find a spacious roosting area with contoured bars to provide plenty of perching opportunities. The nest box, complete with sliding door, is discreetly positioned off to one side for privacy during the crucial egg laying moment.
With space for up to 10 hens you could be collecting a staggering 60 eggs a week. Your family will enjoy an abundance of cakes, quiches and dippy eggs galore!
Omlet’s Head of Product Design Simon Nicholls said “With the new Eglu Cube we really wanted to push the boundaries of what a chicken coop could be. This is definitely the most advanced chicken house we have ever designed, it’s safer for your hens, more comfortable and even easier to clean. It really is the ultimate hen house.”
Whether you live in a town or the countryside, are a first time chicken keeper or an experienced breeder the new Eglu Cube will delight owners and their hens alike.
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She’s got the keys and it looks as though Mrs Barbara is ready to move in… 1 more sleep until we can reveal Mr and Mrs Barbara’s new home. Who’s eggcited?! #MovingDay
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Mr Barbara has followed the chickies and has managed to send us a clearer image of where they’re headed, he sounds very excited about it and can’t wait for you to see it.
“I can see clearly now”…..well not quite but almost there! Hang on, only 3 more days until the big reveal….
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It appears as though our little chickies have seen something intriguing….can you work out what it is? Their camera can’t quite pick out the details from this far away but we hope to bring you some clearer images as they get closer over the next few days.
#WatchThisSpace
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We are very pleased to introduce you to our new #HollywoodHens. Each one as pretty as the next, we’re proud to have these new additions to the team. There’s some exciting new products on the horizon here at Omlet HQ so we thought that our fabulous products deserved models to match. Let’s introduce you to the Omlet Angels….
First up we have Marilyn. Marilyn is a lovable hen, who likes to keep herself to herself but when the camera comes out she’s ready. She’s very professional and gets the job done as and when she’s needed. Known amongst the staff here for her fluffy feet and elegant feathers she’s hard not to love. Marilyn has always been about the footwear and prides herself on her unique features, she said “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world“. We also asked Marilyn what drives her, she said “I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful!”
Next up we have the youngest in our flock, it’s Shirley! She’s lively, full of energy and is our Little Princess. Most famous for her early chick work, Shirley has come to join the girls at Omlet in search of a more mature acting career. We love the pattern of her feathers and think that they really add to the texture of the picture when she’s photographed. Renowned for her tapping feet it’s very difficult to get Shirley to sit still, luckily she agreed to speak to us for a short moment earlier in the week. When we asked her how she copes with the paparazzi and attention she said “Any star can be devoured by human adoration, sparkle by sparkle.”
Walking the catwalk next we have Rita! She is a true goddess who oozes glamour wherever she struts. Known in the industry for her fiery temper, enviable feathers and iconic collar, Rita is a real legend. We’re sure she’s going to make a great Cover Girl for Omlet!
We’d like to introduce you to Betty ‘The Million Dollar Legs.’ Betty is a kind, demure and elegant hen. She is more than happy to be the leading lady or sometimes just as an extra in the background. She’s a tremendous all rounder, with her flawless ‘Million Dollar Legs’ we can see a great deal of success in her future. She said “There are two reasons I’m in show business, and I’m standing on both of them.”
Ginger is the dancer amongst the group. Breaking off from a recent partnership with a Cockerel who she doesn’t wish to name, Ginger auditioned for us and we thought she was perfect for the role. When Ginger’s not rehearsing or choreographing new routines she likes to laze about in her Eglu Cube and unwind.
And last but not least we have Beyonce….she’s the tallest and sassiest in the flock. She’s a triple threat, coming from a background in singing, dancing and acting she is by far the most experienced in the group. The other girls not only physically look up to her but they also find her such an inspiration even with her diva tantrums. When asked “Who runs the world?” she replied “GIRLS!” #HenPower
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Meet Guirec Soudee, a 24 year old man from Brittany, France and Monique, his pet hen. This unlikely pair are currently sailing around the world, they set out on their voyage 2 years ago and they haven’t looked back since.
Monique is the loyal pet hen of Guirec, who had originally planned on keeping a cat on the boat for company but changed his mind and opted for a feathered friend for companionship. Guirec said that he chose a chicken as they’re very easy to keep, plus he gets to have fresh eggs whilst at sea. Win win.
Others doubted whether this new found friendship would work but Guirec said that Monique took to sea life very quickly and was laying straight away.
The dynamic duo are currently in Greenland but are heading to Alaska soon, Monique continues to lay eggs even in the colder climates, according to Guirec she lays on average 6 eggs a week.
“She follows me everywhere, and doesn’t create any problems. All I need to do is shout ‘Monique!’ and she will come to me, sit on me, give me company. She is amazing.”
We wish Guirec and Monique good luck for their continued travels, we’ll be keeping a close eye on their Instagram and Facebook.
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As the weather starts to heat up we have created a list of our top tips for keeping your chickens cool in the summer months. Chickens can suffer from heat stress and stop laying eggs therefore it’s incredibly important to take measures to ensure their temperature stays as cool as possible in the heat of summer.
When chickens become very hot, you will also see them holding their wings out away from their bodies and ruffling their feathers, this is to help the heat escape. Unlike humans, chickens don’t sweat to release the heat, they pant, similar to a dog. Please keep an eye on them so that they don’t suffer from heat stress.
Signs of heat stress include:
-panting with beak open
-laying around with wings outstretched
-loss of appetite
-slow to respond to stimuli, unresponsive
Top 11 tips to help avoid heat stress
- Make sure you provide plenty of shade for your hens to escape the sun. We have a variety of heavy duty and shade covers for all our Eglu runs.
- Keep your hens hydrated with plenty of fresh water, why not add a few ice cubes to their glugs to keep the water nice and cold for as long as possible
- Create a dust bath area for your chooks to nestle down and find a cool part in the ground.
- One key tip is to look out for the signs of heat stress and act fast, if you think one of your chickens is suffering, dunk them in a bucket of room temperature water keeping their neck and head above the water. Keep them inside in the air con and make sure they get plenty of water.
- Use a sprinkler/mister- the hens won’t like the water very much but it’s for their own good.
- Freeze fruit and veg in ice blocks so that your hens can peck at it. Or just freeze pieces of fruit, Watermelon is a popular favourite among chickens.
- Avoid foods such as corn and scratch as they require longer digestion processes, which creates more body heat.
- If your local climate stays warm at night simply place a large ice block in the coop, your hens will enjoy sleeping near it at night.
- Add vitamins to their water to make sure they are replacing the lost nutrients.
- Pay close attention to bigger/heavier hens
- Plan ahead for next year and plant a tree or bush to provide extra shade!
This entry was posted in Chickens
Check out all the amazing entries we had for our latest competition #MyOmletEmpire. We asked our Facebook and Twitter followers to share pictures of their impressive Omlet setups and we had some fantastic images sent to us, take a look!
The lucky winner was Sarah Gale with her clever double Eglu Cube and Walk In Run Connection, congratulations!
This entry was posted in Chickens
Truffle is a 5 month old Cockapoo. She lives with her owner Lynn and her family including 2 chickens called Octavia and Florence. Each morning Truffle races out to see the chooks although her devotion is not entirely reciprocated! Truffle enjoys a fresh raw egg twice a week thanks to her feathered friends.
Lynn said “Truffle’s delighted to be pet of the month! She was bought from an excellent breeder – Anzil Cockapoos in Knowsley near Liverpool. We got her in January and she now lives with us in Chester along with our four cats and two chickens who are lovely Pekin Bantams.”
“She has a wonderful personality and has almost got us trained to pander to her every whim. She is fun loving and very devoted to us.”
Apparently her
favourite toy varies but is currently a small teddy bear made for dogs. She also loves squeaky toys!
“Truffle has bags of character. When she is hungry she goes into the kitchen and looks pointedly at her bowl. As you can see she has very expressive eyes.”
According to Lynn she’s funniest when she has a mad half hour and races frantically around the garden. Much to the concern of the chickens watching from their
Eglu.Look at how photogenic this dog is, we <3 Truffle!
If you think your pet deserves to be ‘Pet of the Month’ please email sam@omlet.co.uk with a picture of your pet and a short description.
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Omlet Newsletter March 1st 201
Free Eggstras worth over £35 with Every Chicken Eglu!
Spring is just around the corner so now is the perfect time to introduce a flock of hens to the garden. In fact this month is better than any to order your Eglu Chicken Coop because we’re offering you a whole bundle of eggcellent accessories for free!
Order an Eglu Go, Go UP, Classic or Cube and you’ll receive:
A high quality A2 poster featuring over 50 breeds of chicken. Specially designed by Omlet and printed using the finest inks on a German made Heidelberg press this imposing poster will not only help you choose your chickens it will look fantastic framed and hung on your wall. (worth £4.99)
The No. 1 best selling book, Keeping Pet Chickens. This book is a great introduction to chicken keeping and will appeal to all ages. (worth £6.50)
Spring’s copy of Practical Poultry. A monthly chicken keeping must, this magazine is packed full of tips and advice. (worth £3.80)
Red Egg Ramp. The chic way to store and display your eggs with the added bonus that the Egg ramp automatically sorts your eggs in date order so you always use the oldest first. (worth £9.99)
Beware of the Chickens Plaque. Made from weatherproof and hard wearing resin, this cheeky plaque will make the postman look twice. (worth £4.59)
Organic Omlet Chicken Feed. Something for the chickens to get their beaks stuck into! Created for garden hens with just the right combination of protein, vitamins and minerals to keep your birds in tip top condition, in a 10kg sack. (worth £9)
To take advantage of this fabulous offer simply add your Eglu to your shopping basket and enter promo code: FREEBIES316
Your Chance to Win an Eglu Classic Chicken Coop!
Order an Eglu Egg Cup this month and you could be the lucky winner of an Eglu Classic Chicken Coop worth £449.99!
We’ve hidden a golden egg in one eggstra special Eglu Egg Cup and you just need to find it to win.
Why not treat yourself to this adorable replica of a design classic to make your boiled egg breakfast even more magnificent than usual!? You never know…you could soon be collecting that egg from your own chickens too! And with Easter just around the corner, this offers the perfect gift alternative to a chocolate egg.
Feeling clucky? Click here to order your Eglu Egg Cup today for just £8.99!
The Free Eggstras with Every Eglu offer is not valid in conjunction with any other Omlet offer. The offer expires at 11:59pm on 31st March 2016. Offer applies to UK orders only. Previous purchases are not eligible for this offer.
The Eglu Egg Cup competition closes at 11:59pm 31st March 2016. Competition open to residents of UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain. An Eglu Egg Cup must be purchased to participate. The customer that finds the golden egg is the winner. The winner will need to follow instructions inside the golden egg to claim his/her prize. The prize is an Eglu Classic with 2m run. No prize alternative will be offered.
Omlet Ltd, Tuthill Park, Wardington, Banbury, Oxon, OX17 1RR.
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Omlet Newsletter January 28th 2016
The BHWT has Rehomed Half a Million Hens!
Saturday was a day to remember for Omlet and the British Hen Welfare Trust. The hen charity celebrated a world first by rehoming its 500,000th chicken, and we were there to share the eggcitement.
The half millionth hen was named Dee, as ‘D’ is the roman numeral for 500,000. Following life as a commercial laying hen, she was lucky enough to be rescued from a sad ending by a new family that will love and look after her. Not only will she eggsperience a new life of freedom and happiness but she will do so in the luxury residence of an Eglu Cube, donated by Omlet.
BHWT local coordinator Laura McCulloch said: “To think the BHWT has given 500,000 commercial hens this opportunity is mind-blowing.” And we agree. It is fantastic to think that half a million hens have been rehomed and we were proud to be involved in the big event!
If you’re interested in rehoming a hen or two, please visit the BHWT website. See more photos of the day here!
Beatrix and Clan Star in Prize Painting!
In the last newsletter we revealed the winner of our ‘Win a Personalised Pet Painting’ competition and now we are eggcited to be able to share a sneak peek of the prize… Artist Nicola Metcalfe captured the characters of winner Wendy’s menagerie beautifully. (See photos of the gang here.)
The story goes that Wendy’s chickens terrorise her giant Maine Coone cat Beatrix. They go in the back door while she is out of the room and Dotty and Delilah distract Beatrix while Maggie steals her cat food. Apparantly even the runner ducks Jemima and Josephine ‘egg’ her on with a chorus of quacking.
What a cheeky bunch of so and so’s! Wendy loves her prize and we hope it makes you smile too.
Is your hutch looking worse for wear? It’s time for an upgrade!
Treat your Guinea Pigs to a New Hutch and Save over 10%!
Looking for a stylish new home for your guinea pigs, or thinking of keeping some for the first time? The Eglu Go Guinea Pig Hutch could be the answer! This is what Suzanne Locke had to say about her recent purchase:
“I bought two Eglu Go guinea pig hutches, one with a 1m run and one with a 2m run. I was lucky enough to live in the delivery and home setup zone, so no assembly difficulties for me, and my pets were enjoying their new homes in no time at all…. The hutches and runs are well-designed and a joy to clean. I’m so glad I made the investment.” by Suzanne Locke.
Good news! Order your Eglu Go Guinea Pig Hutch with 1m Run today for only £249 (usual price £299).
Use promo code: UKUPGRADEGH (valid until 29/02/15).
We also have great savings on our Eglu Go Chicken Coops and Rabbit Hutches – click here to find out more!
Eglu Protects Chickens from Catastrophe!
Eglus are built to survive all sorts of weather and last for years but we recently heard from one family whose coop withstood dramatic flooding! Paul told us:
“As you’ll have seen on the news, the flooding in Aberdeenshire since the turn of the year has been awful and when there’s heavy rain, the water runs down the sloping field behind our home and backs up against our boundary wall forming a little loch. After a week’s solid rain, that ‘little’ loch stood about four feet deep and held about 40 tons of water.
A 30ft section of the wall collapsed catastrophically last Thursday night in the middle of a snow storm, sending all that water flooding into the garden and the area at the back of the house, spilling masonry all over the place and creating a temporary new river down our driveway. Our Eglu classic sits about 15 feet in front of the fallen wall and must have taken the full force of the deluge as all the grass around is was flattened, and the chickens’ enclosure was filled with debris. But not only was the coop unmoved, it seems to have stayed completely intact so our girls saw the turbulent night out, dry if a little spooked by all the kerfuffle.
On reflection we thought that the Eglu’s aerodynamic shape and robust build must have been what allowed it to cope with our mini-flood, so with that in mind, we feel you can safely add ‘flood resistant’ to your list of the Eglu’s eggcellent qualities…. 🙂 “
More Strange Eggs in the Gallery!
Following our ‘egg within an egg’ feature in the last newsletter you have been sending in your weird egg pictures. Rosemary found a teenie tiny pekin egg which she fried and fed to her Cavachon puppy – it was just the right size! Amy discovered another tiny egg, but this one had no yolk. Ingham was another lucky recipient of an egg within an egg, and perhaps the strangest one so far…a shell less egg that looked more like a snake’s skin.
Keep your weird and wonderful pictures coming in! Send to stephanie@omlet.co.uk
Tom’s Tasty Cauliflower Fritters
Transform one egg (and some cauliflower) into something tasty!
Ingredients:
300g cooked cauliflower
2 tbsp chives
1 medium onion (finely diced)
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg
salt and pepper
panko breadcrumbs
(or fresh breadcrumbs if unavailable)
Method:
1) Once cooked and cooled, mash the cauliflower with a fork or potato masher.
2) Add the onion, chives, flour, nutmeg and salt and pepper.
3) Whisk the egg and add to the mixture (if the mixture is very wet, add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs).
4)
Chill for 30 minutes.
5) In a large frying pan, add oil (sunflower or similar).
6) Heat oil on a medium heat, until a few breadcrumbs added start to bubble and brown.
7)
Form small parties from the chilled mixture and coat in panko breadcrumbs, or similar.
8) Shallow fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown.
9) Drain on kitchen paper.
10)
Serve with a squeeze of lime and sour cream.
New Products and Special Offers
Syn-Vital Bokashi – Great for your chickens’ digestive system and now on special offer due to a best before date of March – now £6 (was £8)
Little Miss Princess – A cute egg cup for the little princess in your life (or is that you?) – £5.95
Woodland Crumble -A tasty treat for garden birds and chickens. Discounted due to a best before date of 02/16 – now £1 (was £2.89)
This entry was posted in Chickens
Omlet Newsletter December 16th 2015
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Santa Egg Cup Set
from £6.99
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Eglu Go Guinea Pig Hutch
£299.99
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Egg Ramp
£9.99
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Wooden Teatime Set
£13.95
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The Chicken Swing
£19.99
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Cardboard Cat Laptop Toy
£20.oo
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Love me Love my Hens Keyring
£3.49
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Fried Egg Cufflinks
£7.95
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Simpsons Egg Cup Set
£6.95
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Rudolph Dish Brush
£7.50
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Hornby Mug
£5.19
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Frieda Toy Hen with Sound
£7.59
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Corkers Cork Monkey Kit
£5.00
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Gnome Biscuit Cutter
£3.50
|
This entry was posted in Chickens
Now this is what you call a poultry paradise! Not only has Omlet customer Pauline treated her hens to an Eglu Cube and a Go, she’s now attached a 3x4x2 Walk in Chicken Run to the coops too. With all that grassy space, multiple feeders and drinkers, weather protectant covers and the perfect houses to roost and lay, her chickens must be some of the luckiest chickens in the UK!
Inspired to upgrade your chicken keeping area? Check out our cracking range of coops and wonderful Walk in Runs today!
Prize Winning Honey from the Beehaus
We were buzzing to hear the news that our good friend, chicken keeping and beekeeping expert Sara Ward recently had great success with the honey from her Beehaus bee hive. She was awarded 1st place, 2nd place, very highly commended and a cup for her bees’ honey at the National Honey Show last month. With such bee-rilliant news we asked her a few questions about her beekeeping success!
How long have you been keeping bees? I’ve been keeping bees since August 2011, then met Johannes and the Beehaus at the London Honey Show a month or so later and, as an Eglu fan, decided that I wanted to keep my bees in a Beehaus and they’ve been very happy in there for several years now.
What’s the most amount of honey you have harvested? This year has been really good, I bottled up 50lbs and ran out of jars, so maybe 60lbs?
What does your honey taste like? My honey has a lovely botanical taste which is probably from the wide variety of herbs, flowers and fruit that is growing in local parks and gardens.
What do you do with all your honey? We love to eat it with fruit and yoghurt and as a fantastic accompaniment to goats cheese, we also sell some to friends, family and those who come on our bee keeping courses. Last year we sold half of the harvest to BAFTA for them to use in their restaurant.
Do you talk to your bees and if so what do you say? Of course I talk to my bees! Those girls work very hard and I need to remind them that the weekly inspections are for their own benefit, that I want to keep them well fed, healthy and safe from wasps & mice. Opening the hive and removing frames can be a big shock to them so I usually say ‘Hello my girls, thank you for working so hard, I won’t be long and will leave you alone soon.’
High-Vis Chicken Jackets on The Apprentice
In case you hadn’t heard, our High-Vis Chicken Jackets recently appeared on BBC’s The Apprentice. Demonstrated to the contestants, as part of a pet-related task, the jackets were quite a talking point. Even Lord Sugar couldn’t resist tweeting about them! After the show, the interest grew, with radio stations demanding interviews, news stories about High-Vis mania and even a rap about them by radio 1’s Matt Edmondson.
You’ll have to watch the episode to find out what they made of the product. Meanwhile, if you want to get your hands on the must-have winter garment for your hens, visit our website. They’re available for £12 each, or buy a twin-pack for £20.
Winning Pumpkins
Did you all have a spooktacular Halloween? If your pumpkin carvings are anything to go by, it must have been particularly frightening – we were certainly scared! There were loads of entries to our competition and we were seriously impressed by your creativity. Deliberation was tough, but the winners are… Maya and Hope Leahy in the UK with their Harry Potter inspired Hedwig pumpkin – click here to see more photos of the girls’ magical set up! And, Murphy’s Chicken in the USA with a design that is simply cracking!
Could you Ho Ho Home some Hens this Christmas?Forget 5 golden rings or 4 calling birds, could you give a home to 3 ex-bat hens this Christmas? Thousands of hens are soon to be given the Christmas gift of a second chance in life thanks to hen welfare charity, the British Hen Welfare Trust. The lucky hens, which would otherwise go to slaughter at the end of their commercial life, will hopefully be re-homed to kind hearted members of the public, and go on to enjoy a festive free range retirement.
Jane Howorth, founder of the charity told us: “What could be nicer than to embrace the spirit of Christmas by welcoming a few new members into the family fold? Ex-bat hens make gorgeous, endearing, funny pets and will usually lay an egg in return for good hospitality. They need a home for keeps though, not just Christmas, so please give adoption serious consideration.”
Take a look at the charities re-homing dates coming up this month:
14th November: York – San Hutton, Bristol – Backwell, Somerset – Farrington Gurney, Wiltshire – Cheltenham, Dorset – Sturminster Newton
28th November: Lancashire – St. Helens & Haslingdon, Lincolnshire – Aunby, Shropshire – Overton, Milton Keynes, Coventry – Allesley, Rotherham – Thurcroft, Oxford – Didcot
If you would like to offer some hens a home or have a little more room in your hen house and space for another Christmas stocking please call the charity at Hen Central on 01884 860084.
Chicken of the MonthNovember’s Chicken of the Month is Lily. She is a beautifully fluffy Frizzle and looks nothing like a snowball… Thanks to xyrisrae on Instagram for nominating such a fabulous girl!
Seasonal Stars
The Chicken Swing – Preorder yours today to give your hen the best Christmas gift! – only £19.99
Egg Skelter 12 – Keep a dozen eggs in age order – the perfect present for every chicken keeper! – only £9.99
Combi Cover for Eglu Cube – Keep your chickens protected in the wet Autumn weather! – only £20
This entry was posted in Chickens
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
This entry was posted in Chickens
As seen on ‘River Cottage’ and ‘Kirstie’s Homemade Home’. This egg skelter is a brilliant way of storing and displaying your fresh eggs in date order. Every time your hens lay a lovely egg simply add it to the skelter, and when it comes to eating them you will know to use the one at the front, which will always be the oldest. Your eggs will be proudly on display and you will never have to waste one again! Suitable for 20 medium to large sized eggs.
Please note: Eggs are different shapes and sizes and we cannot guarantee that they will roll down the egg skelter.
Cast: Omlet
Tags: kitchen, chickens, eggs and baking
This entry was posted in Chickens
If you think your hens are bored, there are a few things you can try which will keep them more happily occupied. Hanging greens from the sides or roof of the run is a good way to help a hen pass the day and also keeps the leaves clean and prevents them from being trampled into the wood chippings. Things like cabbage, kale and especially broccoli tied up in a run are very popular and should keep them entertained for most of the day as they peck away at them. Another idea would be something like the seed blocks which are sold in petshops and garden centres for wild birds. Use the ones held together with a honey syrup rather than suet which isn’t good for them though. If you fixed one or two of these to the sides of the run, they too should keep their attention. Many people suggest tying old CDs up in the run too as the hens find them fascinating. However, from experience, our girls didn’t give them a second glance! Often putting something in the run for them to perch on will make them very happy so if you’ve got any old branches which have been cut up in the garden, you could try trimming them to fit inside the run so that they can sit and preen on them or just watch the world go by! Another trick if you have bark or wood chippings on the ground in the run is to scatter things like wheat, mixed corn or raisins amongst the wood chippings so that they can rootle around in it during the day to unearth a tasty treat. Depending on how much room you have in your run, a hen sized tray with sieved compost or sand in makes a terrific dustbath which will keep them happy for hours as they roll around and flick the contents everywhere!
This entry was posted in Chickens
Give your chickens more space while keeping them safe with a Walk in Chicken Run from Omlet. New and improved, this range of Walk in Runs look great whilst blending into the garden and they are designed to work with any kind of chicken house or chicken coop.
Cast: Omlet
Tags: chickens, pets and chicken run
This entry was posted in Chickens
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