The Omlet Blog Archives: October 2020

10 Ways to Tell if Your Chickens Have Taken Over Your Life

Chicken keeper outside with her chickens in their Omlet Walk In Chicken Run

1. You have created a social media page for your Hens

Let’s face it, when you invest in a chicken coop and purchase your first flock you have to share it with friends and family. Whether it is documenting first eggs laid in the coop to your gourmet recipes with your farm-fresh eggs you are posting it on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. 

2. You find eggs throughout the house

As you start becoming more comfortable with your chickens maybe you decide to let them into your home. They never bother anybody and get along great with your other pets but occasionally you find a fresh egg in your fruit bowl or on top of your favourite armchair. Hey, at least you know they are comfortable!

3. A “staycation” is your idea of a holiday

When you invest in your first brood you feel like you are a second parent to these animals. You wash them, feed them, and make sure they are comfortable. Add that in with taking care of your own kids and the idea of going on holiday is the last thing on your mind. You would much rather set up a zoom background of the beach or the tropics, order in a favourite meal, and put your feet up. Ahhh!

4. You find yourself chatting with your chickens

Sometimes we just need a good therapy session with an attentive listener, and who better than your chickens. They will never talk back to you or judge you for your decisions. They may give the occasional nudge or peck for a pet but hey, it is cheaper than therapy. 

5. You have pet names for your hens

After the first couple weeks of tending to your chickens you start noticing some have different personalities. Some are on the shy side, some are very particular about their feeding time, and some just want all of the cuddles in the world. What a perfect time to give them a name! Whether it is Rudy, Cleo, or Fluffy we don’t judge here because they are your pets.

Chicken keeper outside with hens in their Eglu Go Chicken Coop and run

6. The home is filled with fashionable fowl décor

Whether it is chicken cocktail napkins or a hen-tastic serving platter you or your friends have made sure that you have all of the latest in chicken-related home furnishings. 

7. You have a carrier bag to transport your chickens

Maybe you need to take them to the vet like any of your other pets. Who says that they shouldn’t be comfortable? That is why you have the top of the line carrier to transport your chickens whenever they are unwell. 

8. Dressing up your brood for special occasions

When you have spring chickens or fall fowls they must be dressed for the season. When Halloween comes around you wouldn’t put it past yourself to dress up your chickens in a matching outfit with your other pets. 

9. Instead of walking the dog you find yourself walking the flock

Yes, there are harnesses for chickens because you have already researched it on Amazon. Maybe you have limited land and your chickens need to stretch their legs each day, so you take them to the local park to graze and get some fresh air. Totally normal, right?!

10. You find yourself building a chicken picnic table for feeding time

We have all seen the trend of building mini picnic tables for our squirrel friends in our backyard. If you haven’t just Google it and you will be entertained by these structures. Well, who says your chickens should have any less than the squirrels. You paint your own table to pour your chicken feed into each day so your chickens can chow down in style. 

At the end of the day, we understand that when you decide to venture out into the land of chicken coops it can be a daunting process. Everyone has unique experiences and should be able to tend to their hens/ roosters in their own way. Your flock is part of your family so why skimp on their care and upkeep!

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This entry was posted in Chickens on October 7th, 2020 by linnearask


Do My Chickens Need Supplements?

Chickens pecking the Omlet Peck Toy treat dispenser

The very short answer to that question is probably no. If you give your chickens a good quality feed and some corn, and let them peck around the garden for insects and small stones they use to grind down their food they should technically be getting everything they need.

Any supplement should be given to your chickens as a complement to a healthy and balanced diet, and not instead of giving them good feed or sufficient space to live out natural chicken behaviours. However, just like you might boost your own system with some extra vitamins and minerals, there are some things that you can give your hens that will help them stay healthier and give them more energy.

Particularly useful at more challenging times, like around a moult or during a particularly tough cold snap, we’ve listed all the supplements you might want to have in your cupboard:

Grit

Chickens don’t have teeth, but use small rocks and stones to grind their food down. Most free range chickens gather grit naturally while exploring the garden, but if you for some reason have to contain your chickens to a smaller area than normal, or if their run is covered in snow, you might need to add grit to their diet.

Make sure to choose something that is chicken specific and will have the right composition and size of components.

Vinegar

Vinegar, normally Apple Cider Vinegar, is a great booster all year around. It aids digestion, keeps internal parasites at bay, and is mildly antiseptic. In the winter it’s also fantastic to use preventatively to keep respiratory infections away from your flock.

Choose an organic or unpasteurised vinegar that contains a substance called ‘the mother’. It’s a gel-like substance that grows naturally on the vinegar, and it’s the mother that contains the most powerful enzymes and minerals that make the vinegar so beneficial.

Vinegar can be added to the chickens’ drinking water, approximately 10ml per litre of water.

Chicken eating from the Omlet Pendant Peck Toy treat

Garlic

As well as keeping vampires away, garlic has been used for its beneficial properties for centuries, and it’s a great addition to your chickens’ diet.

You can crush up a fresh clove or use garlic powder to add to the feed. It’s great for circulation, and can help with respiratory infections. It’s also said to help ensure a good appetite, so it’s ideal to give it to newly rescued hens that need a nutrient boost.

Herbs

Plenty of herbs and spices are said to have medicinal properties that will help your hens keep their immune system in top condition. Verm-X is a 100% natural supplement that helps maintain intestinal hygiene and keeps the hen’s gut and digestive system in great condition, which can help keep parasites and infections away.

Oregano, cinnamon, parsley, turmeric and ginger are other chicken favourites that will increase vitamin levels and aid the immune system, and that grinded down can be mixed into your chickens feed.

Calcium

Chickens use lots of calcium to build egg shells, so laying chickens can sometimes need a little more than they get from their pellets.

Choose a supplement that contains high levels of calcium and phosphorus and will strengthen the quality of your chickens’ eggs. This is especially important for ex battery hens or hens going through a moult.

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This entry was posted in Chickens on October 7th, 2020 by linnearask


Are My Cats Safer in an Outdoor Cat Run?

Cats that are let outside have a shorter life expectancy than indoor cats. Sure, some outdoor cats live until they’re 20 years old, but on average, letting your cat roam free outside significantly increases the risk of injuries, accidents, and infections.

There are clear pros and cons for both indoor and outdoor cat, but certain factories can encourage the decision to keep your beloved pets indoors most of the time.

Traffic

Cats and cars don’t mix, and if you live by a busy road you might not want to run the risk of letting your cat out to roam freely. Even the cleverest of cats can’t assess speed from a moving vehicle, and you’ll struggle to train them not to chase a mouse over the road without first checking the coast is clear.

Indoor breeds

Some cats are just not made to go outside. Their fur might not be thick enough to handle neither sun nor rain, they are not agile enough to move around different structures and textures, might not have the street smartness to stay out of trouble, or will just never see the point of outdoor activities, like exploring and hunting.

Cats with FIV

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a very contagious disease that significantly lowers your cat’s immune system. If your cat has been diagnosed with FIV, it’s highly recommended that you keep him or her indoors to stop them from passing the virus on, but also to protect them from infections or injuries that their immune system can’t handle.

Wildlife protection

Letting your cats roam free allows them to express natural behaviours, and one of these is the strong urge to hunt. While no one really cares about the odd mouse cats kill, people can get very upset when they see your cat bringing home song birds, baby hares or rare lizards. Wildlife fans are often great opponents of cat predation, and even if you trust your neighbours not to hurt your pet, letting your cat out might create an uncomfortable glitch between you and the rest of the neighbourhood.

Cat thefts

Cat thefts are more common than you might think, maybe not surprisingly seeing how much some popular cat breeds cost. Thieves might keep an eye on your cats comings and goings over a few days, and lure them away when no one will notice.

It’s important to be aware that this does happen, and if you have an expensive cat you might not want to let it run free outside without supervision.

Illness and injuries

If your cat is sick or has hurt themselves in some sort of accident, the vet might have told you to at least temporarily keep them indoors. While this can be extremely frustrating for both cat and owner, it’s important not to hurry the healing process by letting your cat out too early.


If any of these apply to you and your cat, or if you for some other reason have decided not to let your pets roam free, you’ll be glad to know that there is a great solution that will both give your pet access to fresh air (which is highly beneficial to both their physical and mental health) and keep them safe: a cat run.

The Omlet Outdoor Cat Run, or Balcony Cat Run, can be customised to fit the space you’ve got in your garden or on your balcony. It’s just over 2m high, so you can easily go inside to spend time with your cat in the run if you want, or you can leave them to play or rest in the sunshine while you tend to the garden.

The run can be placed on most surfaces, and you can decorate it with climbing toys and scratching posts to keep your cat active and entertained. It’s stable and secure, so you won’t have to worry about leaving your cat unsupervised for shorter periods of time.

Not having to walk your cat on a lead will mean he or she can be outside for longer, and by adding covers to your run you can make sure they won’t get rained on, or burn their skin in the sun.

In a cat run, your pet won’t get into contact with traffic or any other, potentially unfriendly cats. You will be able to limit and control how much he or she moves around to not over activate bones and muscles, and the risk of theft is greatly reduced. Not only will your cat be safer, small rodents and song birds can also live a slightly more relaxed life!

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This entry was posted in Cats on October 7th, 2020 by linnearask