Newsletter - 14th March 2012
A Recipe for Mother's Day, the Latest Buzz about Bees
and a Brand New Cube for Spring!
Eglu Cube now in Yellow!
Spring has arrived in style at Omlet HQ. The sun has been shining, the wooly jumpers have gone, and the brightest Eglu yet has just landed in our garden. So bright, you might need your sunglasses to see it, the latest Eglu Cube in yellow is sure to put a spring in your step!
The Eglu Cube has never been available in this colour before, and we are very eggcited to offer it as a limited edition addition to the range. Whether you already have an Eglu in every colour, of you are thinking of keeping chickens for the first time, why not choose the Daffodil Yellow version to bring the sunshine to your garden every day!? One thing's for sure – your chickens will never have a problem finding their way home!
Order your Yellow Cube today and you could have a flock of hens keeping you hentertained throughout Spring. In fact, you could be collecting your first eggs in time for Easter...That's far better than a chocolate egg if you ask us!
Click here for more information or to order yours today!
Qute in QUO Magazine
This month we are eggcited to have appeared in Spanish science magazine QUO. The monthly Spanish-language mag has included a feature on products for pets, showing both the Eglu Classic and Qute, among some other pretty cool gizmos for animals.
Although our Spanish isn't brilliant, we've managed to translate their wording using the power of the internet, and it seems to be a glowing report! Marta has concluded that Qute is is an odour-free option for housing hamster, with good ventilation and an easily removable drawer for cleaning. And she thinks the Eglu is a cool hen house with a space for hatching eggs and removable dropping tray, making keeping chickens easy. Fantastico!
Bees have Personalities too!
We all know that bees are clever little creatures, building their comb, doing their waggle dance and producing lovely honey, but scientists have just discovered that there is even more to these amazing insects than we realised. It seems that just like humans, bees have different personalities!
Some humans love thrills and adventures and some prefer to play it safe...and it goes for bees too. Researchers have discovered that the bees that go searching for food show novelty-seeking behaviour, and some of their genes match those seen in vertebrates. These honeybee scouts go out to find new sourches of food with no direction, while non-scouts stay safely at home until they are told where to go.
When looking at differences between the scouts and non-scouts, researchers found over 1000 differently expressed genes, several of which relate to the chemicals catecholamine, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid. These are known to regulate novelty-seeking and responding to rewards in humans.
Still with us? Well, the clever guys decided to try playing with the levels of these chemicals to see if it would have an effect on the bees behaviour...which it did. By increasing the glutamate activity (involved in memory and novelty-seeking in humans) they managed to increase the likelihood of a bee acting as a scout, or making it more of a thrill-seeker.
So, we're not that different after all!
£75 of Vouchers to be Won!
There's still time to enter the 2012 Egg Decorating Competition and we have three £25 vouchers up for grabs so why not get creative!? Decorate your egg however you like, with whatever you like, and send a photo to stephanie@omlet.co.uk for your chance to win. Make sure your entries reach us by Sunday 25th March!
Need some inspiration? Check out the winning entry from 2009! But if you can't make your egg look like a celebrity, why not try a bit of glitz and glam or a pretty painted pattern? Go on...surprise us!
118's new service for chickens!
Products for Pussycats
Are you mad about moggies? Then make sure you check out our latest section of the website, dedicated to cats! We have just introduced are first range of products for pussycats to complement our other pet accessories, meaning that you can get everything you need from under one roof. This will be really handy for those of you with lots of pets...next time you're buying your chicken bedding you can grab some dog food, rabbit hay and a new toy for your cat while you're at it!
There are lots of goodies for your kitty to choose from, and we will be adding to the range regularly, so let us know if there is anything you would like us to stock. For now why not take a look at our colourful cat bowls, brilliant beds, great grooming products and terrific toys, and treat your furry friend... Click here to see more!
What's on in the Forum?
Not a member of the Omlet forum yet? If you're mad about chickens or you just love to chat why not check it out? It's a great community full of brilliant people that like to have fun and help eachother out, so if you have any questions about anything chicken related it's a good place to start.
There have been lots of things going on in the forum this month, including some photos which caught our eye. Paula posted this pic of one of her latest additions to the clan, Suki the Silkie. Suki has been moved into the Eglu Classic, but she obviously wanted to have a nosy around her neighbour's Cube. She was caught on camera taking a peek before being chased out by resident Dotty the Bantam Frizzle. Well, you can't blame a girl for trying!
We also loved the photo of another of her new Silkies, Edna. This lady clearly has character, and a hairstyle to be henvious of. Keep up the papp shots Paula!
Show your Mum just how much you love her by treating her to breakfast in bed this Mother's Day. Tom's blueberry muffins will be a real hit – just serve with fresh coffee and a cuddle!
Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
150g (5oz) fresh blueberries
100g (4oz) golden caster sugar (regular is ok too)
100g (4oz) butter
270g (10oz) self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
140ml (¼ pint) milk
2 large eggs, beaten
Method:
1. Line a muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time.
4. Add the milk and vanilla extract
5. Fold in the flour and baking powder
6. Add the blueberries and spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
7. Bake for 30 mins at 160°C (325°F or gas mark 3).
Leave the blueberry muffins to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before turning out.
Breakfast in bed is a berry good alternative to a bunch of flowers!
Egg Cup England Rugby Player
Here's a great new egg cup for you to "try". We're quite sure that once you've eaten your egg from this proud fellow, you'll be "converted". Just don't be tempted to drop kick your egg over the kitchen table as it probably won't bounce!
Top tip - You might need to buy more than one of these if you want to avoid a scrum at the breakfast table.
High Intensity Ovaview Candling Lamp
The OvaView High Intensity is similar to the OvaView but with a much higher light output from a higher specification LED. The greater power makes inspection of darker and mottled egg shells easier. Supplied with both the normal flexible black ring to seal against the egg shell plus a smaller version for smaller eggs.
Bamboo Radiator Bed
Cats love three things: sleeping, warm place and hidey holes, so this Bamboo Radiator Bed is bound to be a favourite with every feline. This tube shaped bed fits onto the radiator to provide an enclosed, cosy bed in the warmest spot in the house. Cats like to snuggle up in small, sheltered places, but this bed has a hole in the top and at each end so that your kitty can watch the world go by and not get 'clawstrophobic'. There is a comfy fur cushion inside too so your cat will be one seriously happy puss!
This bed looks good too. You won't be ashamed to have it hanging on display because it has a stylish bamboo exterior and brown eco fibre trim. It is easy to assemble and fits most types of radiator easily.
Queen with Diamonds Photo Mug
Roll up, roll up, get your Diamond Jubilee mugs. There's only a few months to go until the Queen's done her 60 years on the throne and we think it's well worth celebrating...after all, we all get an extra day off work thanks to her! So whether you love or detest all the paraphernalia surrounding the Diamond Jubilee, we think every Brit should have a little something in their cupboard to show they're proud of their nation. And if you can drink your morning cuppa out of it, that's even better.
Choose this mug if you want a memento that's as traditional as you can get. Complete with a photo of the Queen, surrounded by her diamonds and commemorative wording, this mug has it all. Whether it's tasteful or tacky is up to you, but it does the job either way!
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