The Omlet Blog Archives: July 2020

A Pets’ Guide to Surviving Fireworks

Some pets hardly seem to notice fireworks. Others hide quietly until it’s all over. But some are genuinely traumatised by the noisy, flashing skies of Independence Day.

For a pet who’s afraid of the bangs, whizzes and flashes, the fireworks season is bad news. There are, however, a few things you can do to minimise the stress.

The Big Bang

When talking about pets hating fireworks, we’re usually talking about dogs. Some dog charities estimates that 45% of dogs are afraid of fireworks to some degree.

Cats will find a quiet space away from all the fuss (although some individuals certainly get stressed by all the noise). Keep your cats indoors when the fireworks are going on. They can quickly panic if fireworks go off suddenly nearby, or if sparkler-waving children come running down the street.

Small animals such as gerbils, hamsters and guinea pigs will either ignore the explosions or sit it out in their hidey holes.

Most caged birds don’t enjoy the sudden rupturing of the night skies – they like their nights to be dark and their days to be light, not a crazy mixture of the two. If your parakeet, parrot, canary or pet finch is in a room affected by the flashing lights, you might want to cover the cage. But some birds don’t seem to ruffle a feather, in spite of the fireworks.

What you should never do is allow the pets to be trapped in their outdoor runs or aviaries with no bolt hole. As long as outdoor pets have a covered area to escape to, they should be fine.

Dogs Hate Fireworks

If your dog isn’t too fazed by the noise and lights, simply keep him indoors while the party rages outside. For more skittish dogs, there are a few extra precautions to take.

  • Stay indoors with the curtains and windows closed. A scared dog caught outside is very likely to run away.
  • Use a crate or other safe space. If there’s somewhere the dog associates with safety – a Fido Crate, perhaps, or a quiet room with a dog bed – make use of it. If there’s a room facing away from the main area of firework activity, put the dog in there. A bathroom often works well for this purpose. Gentle music can help keep out the noise too. Put familiar objects in the safe room – the dog’s bed and blanket, and some favourite toys. And stay with him, unless he’s happy to curl up and sleep through the storm.
  • For very nervous dogs, vets recommend a wrap or dog vest, tight enough to apply gentle, constant pressure. This soothes and calms your poor pet.
  • Stay calm yourself, and stay with your dog. That will help enormously.
  • Don’t be tempted to let your dog go outside for any reason, and make sure he’s had his walk before the celebrations begin. Even a dog who takes it all in his stride indoors might suddenly panic outdoors when the fireworks start to fizz.

Prepare In Advance

You can desensitise dogs to the sound of fireworks to a certain extent, by getting them used to loud noises. The best way to do this is to play thunderstorm or fireworks sounds at a low volume, giving the dog treats and lots of fuss and play in the meantime. If you then increase the volume while keeping up the treats and play, it will, in most cases, make your dog associate the noise with good times.

This doesn’t work with all dogs, but it’s definitely worth a try if you want to have a stress-free 4th July. There’s not long to go, so better start now!

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This entry was posted in Pets on July 1st, 2020 by linnearask


6 Ways Keeping Chickens Will Benefit Your Garden

A hen facing some tulips in the garden and an Omlet Eglu Go Up chicken coop

The Eglu Go UP is the perfect solution for keeping a small flock of chickens in your garden.

1. Fertilizer

Chicken manure is one of the best things you can use to improve the soil in your garden. Once composted, chicken droppings are full of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other important nutrients, and increases the soil’s ability to hold water. This means more beautiful flowers, and bigger and more delicious vegetables!Collect your chickens’ droppings and compost for up to a year before using the manure. 

2. Pest Control

Chickens spend their days scratching around the garden in search of yummy treats. They love finding beetles, grubs, caterpillars and ticks. Sometimes they even go for those pesky slugs! This is an extremely environmentally friendly way of getting rid of pests, with the added benefit of happy and content hens!

3. Rotation

Want to create a new bed in the garden? No problem, get the chickens in to do the job for you. If there’s one thing they do well it’s tilling and turning. Spread some chicken feed where you want the soil to be moved and aerated, or leave a pile of leaves that you would like spread over a resting bed, and you can be sure that the chickens will have sorted it in half the time it would take you to source a rotavator. 

4. Free Weeding

In a similar way, if you want to clear a bed of weeds or grass, get your chickens on it. They will munch on weeds and dead matter you haven’t already removed, leaving the fun bits of gardening to you!

Although clever, chickens are however not able to differentiate weeds from the plants and seeds you actually want to keep, so it’s best to keep them off flower beds and veg patches where you are growing things you actually want. Use a good fencing to limit the chickens to certain parts of the garden. 

5. Added Calcium

One of the best things about keeping chickens is the delicious eggs they provide you with. But did you know that eggshells can be highly beneficial to your garden? Eggshells are made of calcium carbonate, and are a perfect way to introduce minerals to your soil. Calcium is essential for building cell walls, making sure the plants stay strong and healthy. 

Grind up your shells with a mortar and pestle and spread on your compost, or straight in your bed.  

6. Great Company

With chickens around you will have even more reason to spend time in the garden. It’s so much fun seeing them scratch around and hear their friendly chatter, and they are great company for any keen gardener. People even claim that being around chickens relieves stress and leads to better mental health.

So what’s stopping you? Chickens are the perfect pet you and your garden needs.

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This entry was posted in Chickens on July 1st, 2020 by linnearask